lester1 Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Not sure If this is the correct place to post please move if it's not.I need an external hard drive for back ups etc but find that my knowledge is severly lacking as to what to buy.There are so many choices that I find I am unable to decide which is a good un and which is not any advice.I thought that perhaps 160 to 200 gig USB2 would be bestSystem HD maxtor 160gigSATA, windows XP home SP2.Motherboard MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum.Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homecomputeraid Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Hi Lester1,I think your most common alternatives for an external drive are USB 2.0 and Firewire. While I've seen that USB's max throughput is supposed to be higher than Firewire's, a throughput test here showed Firewire being superior: http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/04/02/go_...rnal/index.html. Here's another study that shows Firewire being slightly faster: http://www.digit-life.com/articles/usb20vsfirewire/In practice, I don't think you'll notice much difference. Do you know if your computer supports Firewire? If not, it's a moot point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 As this will be for backups, ensure that your backup software will permit booting from an external source. That is to say ensure the boot disk prepared from the backup program installs drivers to boot from USB or firewire. Otherwise, in the event of a disaster, you are stuck. Most backup programs do provide these drivers nowadays but some, like, I understand, Windows Backup, don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lester1 Posted December 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 -pops-I will be using Acronis disc image that should be OK or will it :sad: Any recommendations on drive make or model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thos Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I have been pleased with a 40GB external HD from here. They have a wide selection at reasonable prices.Thos. :smile: ps. I back up with Acronis 8 on pops recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I use Acronis with my external drives - these I make up myself with a Belkin box and an ordinary Maxtor IDE hard drive.The case is this one http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/in...oduct_uid=44999They do them on special offer periodically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I am pleased you brought this up lester1, because I have just recently started thinking along similar lines.The things that have puzzled me about external drives is "from where do they get their power and what sort of cooling do they have?" Having looked at your link pops, I am led to think that the power must come from the USB cable. Now my USB connections are just USB not USB2. Is the difference just in style/size of the connecter or is the business much more complex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 The Belkin box is mains powered and is USB2. You can use USB1 but the operation will be slower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 The Belkin box is mains powered and is USB2. You can use USB1 but the operation will be slower.Thanks for that pops.So what is the difference between USB1 and USB2? Is there any way of updating a USB1 MB to USB2 or am I stuck with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 If you have space for another PCI card, you can put a USB2 card in. This is for W98SE and above only, though.USB2 cards are low cost and will increase the versatility no end.Example here http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/in...oduct_uid=32620 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Acronis V8 was delivered this morning, a Christmas present from 'Er indoors. I will probably be pestering all the experts after Christmas when I am allowed to install it. My son and daughter are buying me a plug in hard drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackrat Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I to use the Belkin USB2 enclosure, I brought it because it would take an optical drive as well as a hard drive.It has come in extremely useful as Recently I had to format several hard drives and I just took mine out and put the other ones in and formatted them, it certainly saves opening up the computer.The only thing I do not like about the enclosure is the fact that to open it you have to spring the plastic sides out, it could have been made easier than that.Also on Pops recommendation I use Acronis and fortunately I have not had to use it to restore yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I've used Acronis several time in a "real life" situation both external and internal drives. Every time it has done what it is supposed to do - re-install a working copy of the O/S.It's a bit scary when it starts going as it has a totally different interface to that which you're used to but, press the right buttons when you're told and everything comes out OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 If you have space for another PCI card, you can put a USB2 card in. This is for W98SE and above only, though.USB2 cards are low cost and will increase the versatility no end.Example here http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/in...oduct_uid=32620 Thanks again pops. I will now persue this matter some more.(I posted an identical message to this about 1 hour ago and it has disappeared into the ether. Do you think it has gone with the smileys??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4\/!d Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I have an ext hard drive for my backups and stuff.Maxtor One Touch 300Gband I use Acronis9 - it's on offer now at £17.81 :smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyWhirly Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 So what is the difference between USB1 and USB2?USB 1.1 allows a maximum transfer rate of 12Mbits/secondUSB 2.0 is capable of a much faster 480Mbits/secondSo it is around 40 times faster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Thanks Curly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I use Acronis with my external drives - these I make up myself with a Belkin box and an ordinary Maxtor IDE hard drive.The case is this one http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/in...oduct_uid=44999 If you want to save a bit ? .............. I use the aluminium bodied Q-Tec version http://www.qtec.info/products/product.htm?artnr=14214 (UK model) which usually costs about £15/16 from our local Fair (inc mains adaptor). - plus whatever H/D the person I make them for likes.Good solid construction + it looks quite flash as well ! Not had any problems with the half dozen+ that I've made up so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Thanks B. I will investamagate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lester1 Posted December 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I use Acronis with my external drives - these I make up myself with a Belkin box and an ordinary Maxtor IDE hard drive.The case is this one http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/in...oduct_uid=44999 If you want to save a bit ? .............. I use the aluminium bodied Q-Tec version http://www.qtec.info/products/product.htm?artnr=14214 (UK model) which usually costs about £15/16 from our local Fair (inc mains adaptor). - plus whatever H/D the person I make them for likes.Good solid construction + it looks quite flash as well ! Not had any problems with the half dozen+ that I've made up so far.Dont think I am quet up to making a one Boris :sad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Well, I gathered together a housing, a PCI card and a Maxtor 80g hdd. My problem now is with the jumper setting on the HDD. It is currently set at "CS Enabled" (J46). Is this satisfactory for an external back up drive, or should it be on one of the other settings. My crib sheet says CS= Chip Select / Clear to Send / Code Segment and leaves me no nearer the truth.I was quite surprised when I went "googling" to see what DS master and DS slave were. Very revealing!!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 CS on a hard drive usually means "Cable Select" which means that the position on the normal IDE (or EIDE) cable determines whether the drive is Master or Slave. On the end of the cable it will be Master and on the middle connector it will be slave.For a drive in an external case connected to the main computer by USB the jumper settings MUST BE Master. Otherwise it will not work at all.Assuming your PCI card is for USB, install that first (with its software) and ensure it is working by plugging in a USB device and check it is detected.You can then attach your new drive in its enclosure, switch on and Windows should find it (look in Device Manager). Remember it won't be formatted if it's a new drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Thanks pops, I'm glad I asked. My logic said that in as much as there was already one master on the computer there would not be need for another, and I was thinking of removing the jumper and running it as slave. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Ah!As it is connected via USB, your computer won't see it as an IDE device but a USB one. For your external box, that sees it inside as a single IDE drive before converting its output to USB. As it will be connected by a 40 wire cable (internally) with no other connections, it will have to be Master - cable select is not an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 My son and daughter are buying me a USB plug in hard drive. Surely I will just plug it in, and that will be that, or won't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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