Need external backup drive suggestions

[donfm]

I need an external USB or SATA backup drive. I have been looking at a lot at Newegg but they all seem to be susceptible to reliability problems. Is there one that stands out? I don't need a huge capacity 250 -500gig would be well more than enough.

The other option I thought would be to get an external enclosure and just use one of my old hard drives.

 

[Diogenes2]

I would get an eSATA or USB docking station and use your old drives.. Much more flexibility, and you don't have to worry what's inside..

I bought an external drive a while back that turned out to have a refurbished ( used ) drive inside..

 

[Anteaus]

The problem with Newegg reviews is that they often provide an incomplete picture. People who have bad experiences are more likely to post reviews than people with good experiences. Also, look at the dates. Sometimes a particular product might have a shakey release only to be perfectly fine later on.

All drives are subject to failure. Forget the reviews and just pick something your confortable with. While there have been instances where a particular drive had huge problems, it is more rare than you think. A good example is the WD Green series. Early on they had a firmware problem that caused all sorts of havoc, but all current revisions are updated and fine yet the older bad reviews stick around yet have no relavance on the current product.

Like any hard drive, make sure you have a proper backup and if you do have problems it won't be as big a deal. Remember, if you're planning on putting files on this external that you don't plan to also have on another drive, that is not a backup.

 

[donfm]

The problem with Newegg reviews is that they often provide an incomplete picture. People who have bad experiences are more likely to post reviews than people with good experiences. Also, look at the dates. Sometimes a particular product might have a shakey release only to be perfectly fine later on.

All drives are subject to failure. Forget the reviews and just pick something your confortable with. While there have been instances where a particular drive had huge problems, it is more rare than you think. A good example is the WD Green series. Early on they had a firmware problem that caused all sorts of havoc, but all current revisions are updated and fine yet the older bad reviews stick around yet have no relavance on the current product.

Like any hard drive, make sure you have a proper backup and if you do have problems it won't be as big a deal. Remember, if you're planning on putting files on this external that you don't plan to also have on another drive, that is not a backup.

I'm not sure I understand your last statement. This drive is to backup my main computer. You are saying I need another drive to backup the backup drive? I'm not sure I need that much redundancy if that is what you meant....

 

[Anteaus]

Some people will keep files on an external drive and remove them from their machine in order to recover space, thinking they have a proper backup. I probably shouldn't have mentioned it but for some reason it was on my mind.

If your backing up your machine then you're good.

 

[tweakboy]

DO NOT BUY SEAGATE OR MAXTOR externals. They will die out on you. Now their with OCZ as well. Dont expect quality stuff from these guys and bunch of RMA's.

DO NOT buy external unless it has a power on / power off button.... , Also you must know what hard drive is inside that external you buy. For example my LaCie has a Samsung hard drive.

 

[Soundmanred]

DO NOT BUY SEAGATE OR MAXTOR externals. They will die out on you. Dont expect quality stuff from these guys and bunch of RMA's.

DO NOT buy external unless it has a power on / power off ... , Also you must know what hard drive is inside that external you buy. For example my LaCie has a Samsung hard drive which is good top nier.

LOL No.

 

[donfm]

Would any of you have a recommendation for a good reliable drive enclosure. I noticed Newegg has a Rosewell on specail for like $20 but I've always been suspect of that brand. It always seems to have reliability issues. Thanks in advance!

Now don't laugh but I only have a couple spare 250Gig spare IDE hard drives. Yes I know slow. So I either need an enclosure for that or will have to buy another USB or SATA drive.....

 

[corkyg]

I have used (from Newegg) Vantec NexStar enclosures and put HDDs of my choice. I particularly like the NexStar with both USB and eSATA ports. Have three of them and never a problem.

I have but one comment for Tweakboy's words . . . All generalizations are false including this one.

 

[kbp]

I have an Aluratec with a laptop WD HD. (Brand new cause I upgraded to a SSD) This is tied into my router via usb and works great. Wireless devices must be on Win 7 Pro to backup "wirelessly".

 

[donfm]

Thank you all for your suggestions....

 

[Dessert Tears]

I noticed Newegg has a Rosewell on specail for like $20 but I've always been suspect of that brand.

I'm looking at the Rosewill RX-358-U3S, USB 3.0. There are several negative reviews for failures with a few months, but lots of positives too. It reviewed competitively, and its price has come down. I'm choosing USB 3.0 over USB 2.0/eSATA because I just got a USB 3.0 card.

If you want to switch between your IDE spares, a dock might be cheaper than buying two enclosures. The limiting factor will should be USB 2.0, not the drives. I thought that a USB 2.0 external would be fast enough, but I changed my mind when I had to back up around 120 GB with the drive burning up inside its plastic enclosure.