Comments on: Second Hard Drive http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/ News and Reviews! Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Lane http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-667928 Lane Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:15:44 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-667928 I would like to buy a second hard drive I would like to buy a second hard drive

]]> By: Rick http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-548364 Rick Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:45:34 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-548364 I have a direct TV HD DVR (Model Hughes HR10-250. I recently switched to Cable TV with an HD DVR. I'd like to use the hard drive on the Direct TV DVR as a an extra hard drive for the cable DVR. Any ideas. I have a direct TV HD DVR (Model Hughes HR10-250. I recently switched to Cable TV with an HD DVR. I’d like to use the hard drive on the Direct TV DVR as a an extra hard drive for the cable DVR. Any ideas.

]]> By: Michael Hallsted http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-535431 Michael Hallsted Sun, 02 Sep 2007 22:34:12 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-535431 I agree with the 3 responses so far, and this point needs to be told over and over again. If any file is important to you. If any file has personal value to you. If any file is irreplaceable, be it pictures, documents, email, music, movies, whatever... those files need to live in a minimum of 3 different places; the original source files and 2 backups. These places need to be physically different and separate hard drives. Two internal hard drives and one external hard drive is a good solution; or, if you do not want to crack open your computer case and add a 2nd internal drive, one internal hard drive and two external hard drives is the way to go. Then you need to use a backup program, like syncback by 2brightsparks, a minimum of once a week and back up the source files to your designated backup disks. If paranoid, like I am, I backup to my second drive daily, and I back up to my external hard drive, which I keep turned off except for backups, once a week. Peace of mind requires vigilance, a UPS battery backup system, common sense, and due diligence. Maybe I am a bit paranoid, but I once lost everything early in my computing experience, so you do whatever it takes never to repeat it. I agree with the 3 responses so far, and this point needs to be told over and over again. If any file is important to you. If any file has personal value to you. If any file is irreplaceable, be it pictures, documents, email, music, movies, whatever… those files need to live in a minimum of 3 different places; the original source files and 2 backups. These places need to be physically different and separate hard drives. Two internal hard drives and one external hard drive is a good solution; or, if you do not want to crack open your computer case and add a 2nd internal drive, one internal hard drive and two external hard drives is the way to go.

Then you need to use a backup program, like syncback by 2brightsparks, a minimum of once a week and back up the source files to your designated backup disks. If paranoid, like I am, I backup to my second drive daily, and I back up to my external hard drive, which I keep turned off except for backups, once a week.

Peace of mind requires vigilance, a UPS battery backup system, common sense, and due diligence. Maybe I am a bit paranoid, but I once lost everything early in my computing experience, so you do whatever it takes never to repeat it.

]]> By: Michael Hallsted http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-535430 Michael Hallsted Sun, 02 Sep 2007 22:34:12 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-535430 I agree with the 3 responses so far, and this point needs to be told over and over again. If any file is important to you. If any file has personal value to you. If any file is irreplaceable, be it pictures, documents, email, music, movies, whatever... those files need to live in a minimum of 3 different places; the original source files and 2 backups. These places need to be physically different and separate hard drives. Two internal hard drives and one external hard drive is a good solution; or, if you do not want to crack open your computer case and add a 2nd internal drive, one internal hard drive and two external hard drives is the way to go. Then you need to use a backup program, like syncback by 2brightsparks, a minimum of once a week and back up the source files to your designated backup disks. If paranoid, like I am, I backup to my second drive daily, and I back up to my external hard drive, which I keep turned off except for backups, once a week. Peace of mind requires vigilance, a UPS battery backup system, common sense, and due diligence. Maybe I am a bit paranoid, but I once lost everything early in my computing experience, so you do whatever it takes never to repeat it. I agree with the 3 responses so far, and this point needs to be told over and over again. If any file is important to you. If any file has personal value to you. If any file is irreplaceable, be it pictures, documents, email, music, movies, whatever… those files need to live in a minimum of 3 different places; the original source files and 2 backups. These places need to be physically different and separate hard drives. Two internal hard drives and one external hard drive is a good solution; or, if you do not want to crack open your computer case and add a 2nd internal drive, one internal hard drive and two external hard drives is the way to go.

Then you need to use a backup program, like syncback by 2brightsparks, a minimum of once a week and back up the source files to your designated backup disks. If paranoid, like I am, I backup to my second drive daily, and I back up to my external hard drive, which I keep turned off except for backups, once a week.

Peace of mind requires vigilance, a UPS battery backup system, common sense, and due diligence. Maybe I am a bit paranoid, but I once lost everything early in my computing experience, so you do whatever it takes never to repeat it.

]]> By: Ted Bruner http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-540056 Ted Bruner Sun, 02 Sep 2007 22:03:30 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-540056 I have used a second HDD, ... until last year about this time when my WD2500 (250gb) began overheating. All the data was lost; and that was after I had removed it from the case and installed it in one of those external boxes. I had thought the problem was with the power supply. I learned two valuable lessons: 1: Backup to storage outside all the machines (I have 7), and; 2. Do not buy too large of a capacity. I stick with 120 - 160gb, simply because, when the 250 melted down, there was not enough time to pull all the data. In addition, I have multiple copies of documents, music, photos, - all necessary data on different USB externals, and have WD, Seagate, and am looking at getting a Maxtor or two - to spread the data across different brands in case one begins to fail. I bought my first computer around 1982 (Osborne OS-1), and this was the first HDD I have ever had meltdown, but I'm more careful. I do have just over 1tb spread between the C:\ drives, Two WD USB's, Two Seagate USBs (all 160), plus a couple of WD internals fitted into an external case, and one still inside a Sony e-machine. Still have lost that comfortable feeling. That's a marked change from a few years ago when I wanted a single 1tb HDD. Not any more. I have used a second HDD, … until last year about this time when my WD2500 (250gb) began overheating. All the data was lost; and that was after I had removed it from the case and installed it in one of those external boxes. I had thought the problem was with the power supply.

I learned two valuable lessons:

1: Backup to storage outside all the machines (I have 7), and;

2. Do not buy too large of a capacity. I stick with 120 – 160gb, simply because, when the 250 melted down, there was not enough time to pull all the data.

In addition, I have multiple copies of documents, music, photos, – all necessary data on different USB externals, and have WD, Seagate, and am looking at getting a Maxtor or two – to spread the data across different brands in case one begins to fail.

I bought my first computer around 1982 (Osborne OS-1), and this was the first HDD I have ever had meltdown, but I’m more careful.

I do have just over 1tb spread between the C:\ drives, Two WD USB’s, Two Seagate USBs (all 160), plus a couple of WD internals fitted into an external case, and one still inside a Sony e-machine. Still have lost that comfortable feeling.

That’s a marked change from a few years ago when I wanted a single 1tb HDD. Not any more.

]]> By: Armin Freiberg http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-535632 Armin Freiberg Sun, 02 Sep 2007 14:28:55 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-535632 I like it that someone points out that you need more than one copy to speak of real "backup". I have a constantly connected external drive that is "mirrored" daily, another that is mostly offline and "mirrored" only every other week and another PC on the network that has copies of the most important directories (music, e-mail, documents). On both PCs I run a incremental backup job the results of which are also spread out on both external drives. I like it that someone points out that you need more than one copy to speak of real “backup”. I have a constantly connected external drive that is “mirrored” daily, another that is mostly offline and “mirrored” only every other week and another PC on the network that has copies of the most important directories (music, e-mail, documents). On both PCs I run a incremental backup job the results of which are also spread out on both external drives.

]]> By: Armin Freiberg http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-535631 Armin Freiberg Sun, 02 Sep 2007 14:28:55 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-535631 I like it that someone points out that you need more than one copy to speak of real "backup". I have a constantly connected external drive that is "mirrored" daily, another that is mostly offline and "mirrored" only every other week and another PC on the network that has copies of the most important directories (music, e-mail, documents). On both PCs I run a incremental backup job the results of which are also spread out on both external drives. I like it that someone points out that you need more than one copy to speak of real “backup”. I have a constantly connected external drive that is “mirrored” daily, another that is mostly offline and “mirrored” only every other week and another PC on the network that has copies of the most important directories (music, e-mail, documents). On both PCs I run a incremental backup job the results of which are also spread out on both external drives.

]]> By: Dave Porter http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-535518 Dave Porter Sun, 02 Sep 2007 13:30:29 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-535518 I have three hard drives and that is none too many. My C:\ drive (60GB) contains the operating system and all my program files plus some data files. My D:\ drive (150 GB) contains all of my data files. My External F:\ drive (350GB) contains backups and copies of all of the above and a whole lot more data. Data and progs are copied to the F:\ drive frequently and then it is switched off, a further anti virus measure on top of the firewall and the running anti virus program (AVG). Dave I have three hard drives and that is none too many.
My C:\ drive (60GB) contains the operating system and all my program files plus some data files.
My D:\ drive (150 GB) contains all of my data files.
My External F:\ drive (350GB) contains backups and copies of all of the above and a whole lot more data.
Data and progs are copied to the F:\ drive frequently and then it is switched off, a further anti virus measure on top of the firewall and the running anti virus program (AVG).

Dave

]]> By: Craig http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-539605 Craig Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:38:16 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-539605 You're right that a second drive is great for backup, but from your post I couldn't determine if you keep a copy of you documents on the second drive, or if is where they live all the time. I got the impression is was the second option. That being the case, you will be able to replace the main drive without impact on your data, but it's not a backup, as there is still only a single copy of the data. I'm sure you probably realise this, but I figured it was worth pointing out in case some less technical readers missed the implications. Data isn't backed up unless there are at least two copies of the file, and one of those copies lives on a different drive from the original, preferably on a different machine, or even different site altogether. Depends how much effort you want to put into the backup, and how important the data is to you :). You’re right that a second drive is great for backup, but from your post I couldn’t determine if you keep a copy of you documents on the second drive, or if is where they live all the time. I got the impression is was the second option. That being the case, you will be able to replace the main drive without impact on your data, but it’s not a backup, as there is still only a single copy of the data. I’m sure you probably realise this, but I figured it was worth pointing out in case some less technical readers missed the implications.

Data isn’t backed up unless there are at least two copies of the file, and one of those copies lives on a different drive from the original, preferably on a different machine, or even different site altogether. Depends how much effort you want to put into the backup, and how important the data is to you :).

]]> By: Craig http://chris.pirillo.com/second-hard-drive/#comment-539606 Craig Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:38:16 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/31/second-hard-drive/#comment-539606 You're right that a second drive is great for backup, but from your post I couldn't determine if you keep a copy of you documents on the second drive, or if is where they live all the time. I got the impression is was the second option. That being the case, you will be able to replace the main drive without impact on your data, but it's not a backup, as there is still only a single copy of the data. I'm sure you probably realise this, but I figured it was worth pointing out in case some less technical readers missed the implications. Data isn't backed up unless there are at least two copies of the file, and one of those copies lives on a different drive from the original, preferably on a different machine, or even different site altogether. Depends how much effort you want to put into the backup, and how important the data is to you :). You’re right that a second drive is great for backup, but from your post I couldn’t determine if you keep a copy of you documents on the second drive, or if is where they live all the time. I got the impression is was the second option. That being the case, you will be able to replace the main drive without impact on your data, but it’s not a backup, as there is still only a single copy of the data. I’m sure you probably realise this, but I figured it was worth pointing out in case some less technical readers missed the implications.

Data isn’t backed up unless there are at least two copies of the file, and one of those copies lives on a different drive from the original, preferably on a different machine, or even different site altogether. Depends how much effort you want to put into the backup, and how important the data is to you :).

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