Hi
Im after an external hard drive for my pc and storage of photos.What does everyone have? is it a good idea to have 2 one as a backup? what size would you recommend and is there any preference in ac powered or usb.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Ian
My prefer system is...
Main backup: 4TB external HDD storage, USB 3.0, and powered by its own power supply, about one and half metre away from the computer, in a lockable cupboard (USB and power cables through a hole at the back). Using
Bvckup 2 software (note: not a misspelling, the software is called Bvckup, not backup.)
Bvckup is set to do the following:
Folders with very active files I always work on and are changing a lot (ie: project files, work files, personal files like spreadsheets or diary) are set to automatically backed up every half hour (I could have chose to have it done every hour if I wanted to).
Folders with active files but changes only once a day or two as well as iTunes Library are set to automatically backed up every 6 hours.
Archives files like finished work, original photos, stuff I don't change at all, are manually backed up. (Usually I would move finished work or newly imported photos to archives then manually back it up, no point in automatic backup if it backs up an unchanged file.)
Secondary backup: 2TB USB 3.0 portable external HDD only for iTunes media and apps, powered by the USB. Another 2TB USB 3.0 portable external HDD for the rest of the files. I plug them in, manually back them up, unplug them every week or two. Always take them away from the room where the computer is. Usually kept in a case and locked up in a storage room out of the house.
I find having two portable external HDDs as secondary backup to be more manageable for me, because sometimes I did not download anything for iTunes for a couple of weeks, so sometimes just use one external HDD to back up mostly user files. But that's me, your secondary back up could be just one big drive like a 4TB if you wanted to.
What size I would recommend? It is up to you. Sorry but you're the one who can answer your own question as you know how much data you have and we don't. Someone would suggest 500GB, you buy it, back up, only to find it is full because you have 1TB worth of files. The person who suggested would say "How was I to know? I only have 100GB worth of photos and 50GB of music!"
My suggestion for you is: Find out roughly how much user data you have, multiply it by either 2 or 3 and use the result as suggested storage space. For example if you have say 1TB worth of data, then x2 = 2TB, so buy 2TB. Or it could be you have 1.5TB, you know you're likely to keep importing more photos, downloading stuff, and likely to reach 2TB in few months or a year's time, then you could round up to next highest number and multiply it. For example: You have 1.5TB, you round it up to 2TB, x3 = 6TB so buy a 6TB external HDD.
Always leave the secondary backup drives with someone you trust, ie: family, friend, or rent a self deposit box if you can afford one, anywhere out of the same building. The reason being if your house goes up in smoke and you lost your main back up, you can always hope to have your secondary back up which was off site.
Hope it gives you enough food for thoughts to get some ideas?
