I just want to back up the usual home stuff...pictures and the like.

Currently I have back ups on recordable DVD and memory sticks but wondered if a portable hard drive would be better?

Any suggestions?

Cheers

Shaun

 

Hi Shaun if you have USB3 motherboard(or you can buy USB 3 expansion card) you will benefit from from this,but on USB 2.0 you will still struggle with write/read speed around 45MB/s or you can have look for internal HDD(WD Black/Blue,Samsung F3,F1 are good,just don't buy WD Green )
For external HDD you can have look for WD which are for good money.
Or you can buy standard SATA HDD and HDD caddy for few £


Jura

 

I find external HD's great for backups, I have a USB 3 caddy so I can plug in Hard Drives to that.

I use Acronis True Image for backups which is great.

How much do you need to backup and how often?

 

Speed really isn't a problem, I can always go and put the kettle on and have a cup of tea

I was just wondering how reiable the portable USB hard drives where, There are a few in Maplins and on Amazon for about 60 odd quid I don't need to back up an image of a hard drive, just pictures and school stuff.

Shaun

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176613 this will be fine

 

antc

The one above seems to have it's own power supply..........are those better than the ones which pull power from the USB ??

Cheers


Shaun

 

I would always use a powered one as some units can be picky with USB I.e don't give enough voltage.

But that's just my opinion I'd always have a powered one until USB 3 is more mainstream

 

USB powered or PSU powered are same,both using USB and USB can transfer maximum 45MB/s,USB powered using 2.5" SATA used at Laptops etc.,PSU powered using standard 3.5" SATA(some IDE) HDD.
Personally look for Firewire(FW) HDD which is little bit faster than USB.


Jura

 

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp

worth a look

 

There's a great deal on a 500GB portable one at the minute, if that's big enough for you. (£35)
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/buff...86200#comments

 

http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

free backup tool

 

Thanks for all the help

The house has 3 laptops and a desktop, I'm typing on a compaq nc6000 which must be 10 years old but still running LOL so not sure how the power to the USB's will be for the rest of my astmatic computers !

I never realised they were so cheap, I guess if you look at how expensive they are they are less than a tank of petrol !!

I'll get a mains powered 500GB one for the moment and as the PC's get changed go for a USB / 3.0 powered one later

Cheers

Shaun

 

Mains 500GB, should be less than £30. I've stuck with WD ones, have 5, all faultless. 350gb, 1TB, 1.5TB & 2x 2TB. The latest 2TB i bought only cost £73 delivered. Just to give you an indication of price. HotUKDeals is normally full of offers on HDD's.

 

Dave

I'm not all that computer literate so I thought I'd go for simplicity

Yep, I remember my first 10 MB hard card for the Amstrad PC 1512....... £210 if memory serves me LOL

Shaun

 

http://data-backup-software-review.t...-released.html