Kamakazi Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 So, I am looking into a new laptop (Probably going Alienware). I am going to get an external HD because I would rather not spend the insane amounts of money for a huge drive with high RPM. So I am getting a smaller one with the same RPM, but anyway, any suggestions on which brand of external hard-drive to buy. I have no experience in external HDs and dont even know what to look for precisely. Kama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logos Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 May I ask why you would get an external for something that is supposed to be portable? --Logos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamakazi Posted March 29, 2006 Author Share Posted March 29, 2006 I am getting an external harddrive to basically put the insane amounts of music and movies that I have (I own about 200+ CDs) and I download lots of movies off the net (like Red vs. Blue and the like). Basically it is just to archive stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly2442 Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 I have an older 75GB Maxtor external drive that I use for backups. My parents each have a Western Digital external drive that they use. With those, it comes with software that allows you to backup your computer to the drive. I'm not sure how it works or why you would want to do that but my parents can just click a button and it backs stuff up. We haven't had any problems with the drives. I would only suggest that you get one that can do both firewire 800 and USB 2.0 Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 I'd like to chime in also, since my Bro's laptop is getting full (his wifey keeps archiving tv shows from friend's TiVo)...and he want's to copy as much movie he could----no TV no cable no internet---long story. Looking at 320 or 750 GB--- Anything special I--we should know when purchasing external HD. Kinda partial to WD... any special software, basic(s), need-to-know-stuff? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I'm looking at this Western Digital My Book and I see ppl suggestion reformatting to NTSF before using it. Question: If I connect this to my desktop to reformat, then send it to my bro for his laptop, ready for use, would that create a problem/conflict? Since I used it on my WinXPPRO desktop, and bro's laptop is WinXP Home. I dunno, just paranoid Plus Newegg, say's not available in HI (Hawaii)...I have to ship it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phlookian Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I don't know how much this helps, I have two external drives (basically backup drives for 2 PC's) I have a WD one for my serious/ work PC and a Lacie rugged covered one for my modding PC. I have to say that the Lacie wins hands down, I don't know if there's some software running in the WD but you have to wait ages for the thing to handle a few files. Plus the Lacie comes in a rubber case so you can bounce it around the room like something out of Flubber (don't try this at home kids). Just my 2 cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 thanks I'll research that other brand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 @Phlookian...are those LaCie capable of sharing on different pc's, coz I couldn't find any websites/forums that discuss whether they can be swapped around. My bro was asking me to burn my Simpsons episode to the Ext HD so he can watch it over in Hawaii. I'm afraid it might cause some conflict coz my pc might name it Drive F and on his laptop it might be D other than "F" and it might render it useless. Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phlookian Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 I have done that, but my PC's are a similar set up and with the same drive designations so the jury's still out there I'm afraid One way around this might be to locate the drive through the control panel/ administrative tools/ computer management/ disk management route. I had a memory stick that my pc would never see in "my computer" so I did it that way. As long as your computer can see the storage device there, you can right click and explore the device hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pave Low Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 @Phlookian...are those LaCie capable of sharing on different pc's, coz I couldn't find any websites/forums that discuss whether they can be swapped around. My bro was asking me to burn my Simpsons episode to the Ext HD so he can watch it over in Hawaii. I'm afraid it might cause some conflict coz my pc might name it Drive F and on his laptop it might be D other than "F" and it might render it useless. Thanks in advance Yep, an external HD can swap between different windows XP or Vista PC's no bother, and with USB/Firewire Etc can even "Hot swap" between em and don't worry about the drive letter, whichever windows XP or Vista PC the drive is is connected to will just assign it the next available free drive letter so it might be F:\ for you but on his it could be D:\ ,it would still access the files and data stored on it the only thing having different drive letters could affect is if you had an application or game on it that was installed against a particular drive letter, but even then you would just need to alter the short cut or registry entry for it to work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 thanks guys. I'll just tell him what the folder name is then. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowFella Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I'm not so sure I'd acctually hotswap an external HD even if it is USB/firewire! I know first hand what can happen to a spinning harddrive if it looses it's powersupply at the wrong time = instant catastrophic failure of said drive. So even though it is USB/firewire I'd still turn the drive off before unplugging it...and yeah I've got 2 of the little buggers right here One 3.5" external that requires it's own powersupply for all my backup needs and one "bringalong" 2.5" laptop drive that takes all it's power needs through the USB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I'm not so sure I'd acctually hotswap an external HD even if it is USB/firewire! I know first hand what can happen to a spinning harddrive if it looses it's powersupply at the wrong time = instant catastrophic failure of said drive. So even though it is USB/firewire I'd still turn the drive off before unplugging it...and yeah I've got 2 of the little buggers right here One 3.5" external that requires it's own powersupply for all my backup needs and one "bringalong" 2.5" laptop drive that takes all it's power needs through the USB. Thanks Snow, I've heard about those stories. I think everyone should know about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pave Low Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I'm not so sure I'd acctually hotswap an external HD even if it is USB/firewire! I know first hand what can happen to a spinning harddrive if it looses it's powersupply at the wrong time = instant catastrophic failure of said drive. So even though it is USB/firewire I'd still turn the drive off before unplugging it...and yeah I've got 2 of the little buggers right here you wouldn't need to unpower the external drive (I'm talking about one with a separate mains cable as obviously you cant hot swap a drive where USB is providing the power) and you wouldn't need to move the drive (just make sure you've located it so the data cable can reach to either PC). then Just "stop/unmount" the drive" and change the PC end of the USB cable between PC's, perfectly safe for the rare situations where you need to access the large amount of data on an external drive from a separate running PC and cant use a LAN. Not sure I get your example as ANY spinning drive suddenly loosing it's power supply could be damaged. wouldn't mater whether you were "hot swapping" the data cable at the time or if it was a normal internally mounted drive in the PC, exactly the same risk. I used hot swap just as an example of how two PC's can use the same data no matter what the drive letter was as Cpl Ledanek's wasn't sure if it could work but for his intended use he wouldn't need to worry about hot swapping as his brother is over in Hawaii and I don't think they make a USB cable that long . so he would be shutting down and then mailing or hand carrying the drive to the other PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 per Google Maps: "We could not calculate driving directions between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Chicago, IL." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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