Backups

[amaunator]

Debating whether to use DVD's for it or get one of those Seagate External Esata Hard Drives. I also see that the Seagate comes with software to do the backup whereas for the DVD DL, I'd probably have to get that Acronis software, although I was hoping there was a freeware backup utility.

Any thoughts on what to use either way?

 

[Old Hippie]

Brew Your Own External drives plus Acronis for the back-up win.

 

[amaunator]

I don't know, the seagate 500 gb external with backup software is 146 on newegg. Can you do it yourself for a cheaper price?

 

[Old Hippie]

I don't know, the seagate 500 gb external with backup software is 146 on newegg.

I have yet to see a premade external drive with a 5 year warranty and Acronis has saved my buns many-a-time. It's your saved data. How lucky do ya feel?
Here's a drive w/5 year warranty for 120.00.

 

[Blain]

DVD DL = Too much $$ for the storage > :thumbsdown:
External HD = Huge bang for the buck > :thumbsup:

500GB is a bit excessive. Why not a much cheaper 80GB Seagate with an External enclosure?

 

[Pabster]

It really depends on how much data you need backed up, how often, and I still think the +DL option is a necessity for off-site storage. External drives are fine but remember drives fail

 

[Boyo]

GO for about a 250GB External HD with Acronis True Image 10. FTW!!!

 

[Old Hippie]

Woops, Spoke too soon about about the external drive with a 5 year warranty.

 

[WoodButcher]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie
Woops, Spoke too soon about about the external drive with a 5 year warranty.

I wouldn't expect any manufacturer warranty on anything bought through ebay, for most warranties you need to purchase through "licensed resellers / retailers" Many people on ebay buy for the rebates and then resell so even though your product has never been installed or powered up it is legally used and you are buying second hand. The manufacturer has no responsibility to you.

 

[nismotigerwvu]

Now I understand I'm going against the grain here a bit...but...A nice cd folder $5...a spindle of dvd-r's (DL's are less bang for the buck) 25 bucks for 100 on the egg ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817131593 )....Just use winrar to add your files to a giant archive that splits to a dvd sized filed and make some par files to ensure against corruption and burn away...Storing them in a nice case at reasonable conditions should allow them to outlast the need for the backup

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Blain
500GB is a bit excessive. Why not a much cheaper 80GB Seagate with an External enclosure?

I put my newest and largest drives into USB or SATA external housings and use them for backups. That allows me to have multiple images and multiple computers on the same drive. When the backup drive gets too small (my current backup drives are all 500GB and 320GB), then I'll move the hard drives to my Servers or client PCs and buy bigger backup drives.

My opinion --
Buy the biggest backup drives you can reasonably afford. If you buy them too small, you'll have to toss them when you update your client PCs. IDE and SATA hard drives BASICALLY cost about the same, no matter what the size. The price difference between a 80GB drive and a 500GB drive is about $60 right now.

Whatever size hard drive is chosen, I recommend external hard drive backups for capacity, speed, reliability, security, and ease-of-use over writing to CD/DVD/HD-DVD.

 

[corkyg]

For me, it's a no brainer. I don't do backup, but I use Acronis to CLONE my laptop drive. So, the external case (NexStar 3) is equippped with exactly the same drive that I use in the laptop (Seagate 160 GB PRT). After cloning, I switch the drives physically and the newly cloned drive becomes the active OS drive. That provides me with a very quick and easy change should something ever go wrong with the active drive.

DL DVD, etc., is OK - but clumsy and slow by comparison. And when you are done, you still have to do a restore operation - another clumsy and slow process.