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| Thread ID: 65751 | 2006-01-29 18:12:00 | Installing hard disc | tylden (4262) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 425242 | 2006-01-29 18:12:00 | I want to add a second hard drive as a back up. I've got a spare bay, and it seems quite a lot cheaper if I buy a built in disc instead of a stand alone, but I'm a bit nervous about installing it. Is it likely to give me problems, or should I use a freestanding one? | tylden (4262) | ||
| 425243 | 2006-01-29 18:26:00 | I guess one of the advantages with the freestanding option is it that the drive can be stored off-site which will protect your data in the event of a housing catastrophe eg fire/flood etc. We have multiple computers in our house and it is ideal to transfer files from 1 PC to another - and have 1 drive to backup multiple PC's. The enclosures seem to have come down since I bought mine - some being well below $100 Ascent (www.ascent.co.nz/HardwareCategory.aspx?catname=Drive+enclosures) has some in the $60 price range. |
TeejayR (4271) | ||
| 425244 | 2006-01-29 21:57:00 | Give it a go, there are only four screws to hold it in place, one power cable, and one data cable. The trickest bit will be figuring out where the data cable is. Look at the HD thats already installed, pull the big cable out a bit but leave plugged in so you can see where it goes. Your current HD should be plugged into the end of the cable, there should also be an empty plug a short distance from the end, this is where you plug the new HD into. As long as you jumper the new HD correctly you will have no issues. |
Rob99 (151) | ||
| 425245 | 2006-01-29 22:49:00 | Companies such as Seagate have pretty good guides about how to install hard drives. Your motherboard manual should also cover the process. As someone else has pointed out external hard drives can be useful for easy transport. The trouble I've seen with some of them though is that the external power supply for them or the internal card in them seem to fail pretty often. Most people don't seem to store them off-site too. Now I have to say that using hard drives as backups isn't the best backup scheme. Someone could come in and steal your PC and so you'd lose all your data. A power issue in the motherboard/PSU could fry your hard drive. Some software issue (e.g. virus) could wipe data from the backup drive. I'd backup the whole thing to DVD from time to time (although with hard drives getting so large, you need a lot of DVDs :lol: ). |
gibler (49) | ||
| 425246 | 2006-01-30 01:38:00 | One might want to consider a different solution. You can buy a "laptop" hard drive and put it in a USB enclosure. As gibler mentioned, installing a permanent second hard drive does no good in case of theft, fire, or even viruses. "Laptop" hard drives, while not the fastest, are usually built to take bumps in strides. Even with an enclosure, they can fit in a large pocket. A Seagate 30GB or 40GB Momentus drive costs $130 to $140, and makes a DVD's space look small in comparison. An enclosure costs around $35 to $40 www.st-lab.com www.vantecusa.com The power from the USB port is usually sufficient. PBTech's been known to assemble it for you for free. Dantz makes backup software, among many others: www.dantz.com Seagate makes these "Pocket Hard Drives," which hold up to 5GB. www.seagate.com |
kingdragonfly (309) | ||
| 425247 | 2006-01-31 21:41:00 | Thanks folks - now I understand the options. | tylden (4262) | ||
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