Extra Storage Space for files

[msemma]

I need to back up lots of files and photos from my laptop and my partners laptop at home as we are rapidly running out of space. What is the best way to do this? Do I need something called an external hard drive and if so how muchis one and how do I go about instaling it? Its it ok to use one for 2 different computers?

[Ethel]

A selection of external hard drives here:

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/cat/Hard-Drives/subca t/External-Desktop-Drives

Choose the biggest hard drive you can afford. Shop around.

You just plug it in to the usb port on your pc, it shows as another hard drive and it is as easy as moving files from hard drive to cd, for example.

You can use one hard drive with as many different pcs as you like.

[vehelpfulguy]

An external hard drive is NOT a backup.

All you are doing is moving files from one hard drive to another hard drive.

A hard drive can fail (crash) at any moment (if you drop the laptop for example), or a laptop can get stolen, and you have lost everything on it.

The only real backup for home users is to copy the files to a CD or DVD.

Many computers now come with a writeable CD or DVD drive and you should back up your important files and photos to CDs or DVDs.

And please don't think, it will not happen to me. I have read plenty of stories of people who had a break in and had their laptops or PC stolen and lost everything on the hard disk.

Examples:

http://www.thisisdorset.net/display.var.162063 7.0.1_000_reward_to_end_laptop_theft_torment.p hp

http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t214059- dropped-laptop-and-now-unable-to-access-hard-d riveany-solutions.html

[ACtheTROLL]

When I first read VHG's reply I disagreed ....
I read it again ... and now I agree with the spirit of it (I'm not going to read it again!!)

The term "backup" implies making a copy - NOT just moving the files elsewhere.

The medium used is immaterial ... HDD/FDD/CD/DVD/DAT/tape etc -
I know firms who use all the methods ... what counts is having access to them if part of the system fails.

statistically HDDs fail less than any other storage medium ... they didn't catch on in the past because they were just so expensive .... (and interfaces were so slow)

CD/DVD - we've all made "coasters"
It's said that the resin used to make CD/DVDs oxidises
and makers are now marketing "long life" opticals which cost up to �5.00 each - and have a 100 year lifespan. for proffessional (legal and such) archives

Now to agree with ethel ....
I'd also go for the external hard disc
they are cheap (0.24p per Gb) - and fast

Computer shopper rated the "Buffalo drive station combo 500Gb" as best buy for �112.00 (you did say two laptops)
if that's too much ... go down to PC world

back to VHG
the trick (as vhg says) is to create the backup in the first place - and then to keep it up-to-date

So create a full backup to CD/DVD as well
(don't archive or compress them first!!)
and
(get decent discs - not the cheapest - and make sure you test them before you put them away!!!).

To make sure you don't waste any space try
Burn to the Brim
http://bttb.sourceforge.net/history.html
Makes the most efficient use of your discs

[msemma]

*so* helpful! Thanku!

[janny438]

One word of warning here. If you user a external drive to keep a backup then do not leave this drive permanently connected to the host computer ! , if the power supply in computer goes funny there is a risk that any connected equipment internal and external could get fried. Then there is the risk of lightening strikes, fire, theft etc etc.

If the backup data is that important then keep it in a different location that you deem to be safe so that in the event of a disaster you can recover the data.

I keep 2 backups of all my important data, one on a secondary drive and a second on DVD`s. It might sound like overkill but If you have your entire music collection or 10 years worth of family photographs on your pc you take all necessary precautions to protect it :>