Backing up laptop

[andicap]

What's the best, low-cost way to back-up your laptop? CDs take too damn long.

[headhawg]

What about a USB 2.0 external hard drive (assuming that you have that type of port)?

[andicap]

That's probably the direction I was leaning in. The same extrernal HD that you can use to back up a desktop can be used on a laptop, right?

I'm debating whether to get an internal HD for my desktop -- lot more bang for your buck, but installing it looks a bit dicey.

[headhawg]

andicap,

As long as both desktop and laptop have USB 2.0 you should be ok. Make sure that it is not USB 1 -- talk about your slow transfer rates!

Installing an internal drive is fairly simple. Some things to consider: If you have a "normal" disk controller it will be an IDE/ATA type. You can have only two devices per channel for a total of four. You have to have a connection free, so if you don't have more than three disk devices hooked up now you will be ok.

You also need "space", a free drive bay -- obviously somewhere to put the drive. Then it's just a matter of screwing the drive in, and making sure that one device on the cable (channel) is the master and the other the slave (set by jumpers on the back of the devices). Otherwise, neither device will work (can't have two masters or two slaves on the same channel).

Also make sure that your motherboard's Bios can handle the hard drive size. Not all can handle large drive sizes so you don't want to buy one that won't work on your computer.

HH

[Dave Schwartz]

Andicap,

The external USB is the way to go, even if you have USB 1. (But you REALLY want USB 2 because it is like 20 times faster.)

Cost for the 160gb drive is around $90 plus $38 for the external enclosure, power plug, etc.

You can probably do better with a web search but I purchased locally.


Dave

[headhawg]

Just to emphasize the difference, the (theoretical) transfer rate for USB 1 is 1.5 MBps and USB 2 is 60MBps. IMO, if you have USB 1 you'd be better off burning to a cd.

[Lefty]

I bght an external HD a couple yrs ago and when my computer died i just switched it over to new computer. I've also used it on my laptop. Best thing(computerwise) i've ever purchased.

[andicap]

Sold.

So how difficult is it to put an Internal hard drive on my PC?

[headhawg]

andicap,

PC Magazine for March 8, 2005 has a 9 (not 12) step procedure for how to do it.

Or try these links:

http://www.pcmech.com/show/harddrive/43/

http://www.daileyint.com/build/ibuild6.htm

http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,47370,00.asp

Good luck.

HH

[JustRalph]

DVD burner holds 4.2 Gigs.....per disk.....FYI Norton Ghost.......?


and you can burn DVD's too.........

[PaceAdvantage]

Sold.

So how difficult is it to put an Internal hard drive on my PC?

I've found the instructions that come with internal hard drives provide plenty of info, but then again, I'm very comfortable moving around the inside of my PC. Your mileage may vary, but in my opinion, installing an internal hard drive is pretty simple.

[gillenr]

I agree with PA, but follow ALL instructions. In my case, I installed a new Maxtor, making it the "C" drive, made a "mirror" image of the old drive on the new, & made the old "D". The whole process was driven by the floppy that came with the new drive.
After startup, I noticed some IE problems & did what you should always do - check what you did last!
I opened both drives in side-by-side windows & found some files & folders did not come over to the new drive. Copied them over, & all was fine.
I am mechanically inept & had no problems with the physical install.

[andicap]

DVD burner holds 4.2 Gigs.....per disk.....FYI Norton Ghost.......?


and you can burn DVD's too.........

Thanks a lot, Ralph. I was all set to buy a new hard drive and you throw THIS into the mix. It makes a lot of sense --

[headhawg]

Indeed JR has a good suggestion. However, does your laptop have a DVD burner and not just a reader?

[Equineer]

If time and flexibility really matter (and both your desktop & laptop have USB 2.0 ports & Windows XP), probably the best way to go is an external harddrive for backups... then buy an external DVD drive for fun stuff at not much more cost. I use Stompsoft's backup software (http://www.stompsoft.com/backupmypc.html) to maintain incremental backup datasets for both systems on the same external harddrive... then I even make a mirror copy of that drive to a second external drive on a weekly basis.

You could approximate the same without a second external harddrive by copying the compressed backup datasets back onto the internal drives where the original data came from (and excluding them from your daily incremental backups).

[andicap]

Got a 2.0 USB on my laptop but no DVD drive
only 1.1 USB on my desktop.

use my laptop most of the time...

[Dick Schmidt]

You can add USB 2.0 to a desktop for about eight bucks if you have an open slot.


Dick


Addicted to speed.

[andicap]

Yeah, I noticed today how cheap the USB 2.0 drives are. I was amazed. I also saw some exteneral DVD drives that were not too expensive. Am I better off getting an external dual layer drive for DVD (I am cognizant of the format issues BTW) or an internal drive for DVD?

[headhawg]

andicap,

Don't forget about the current cost of dual-layer media. Not currently cheap, but eventually it will come down as more people buy DVD writers of that type. When that will be is anyone's guess.

An external would give you the flexibility of using it with your desktop and laptop.

HH