Data Backup

[MrsBlue]

<font color="blue">What's the best way to back up gigs of data? Looking at Skells' thread, I'm a little panicked. I have stuff on my PC that I don't know if I could replace. I don't think CD-R/RWs are the answer, they're too easily scratched or damaged.
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/70367-help.gif[/img] </font>

[j-kid]

Re: Data Backup

Buy an external USB hard drive or build one, and copy your stuff to it.

[MrsBlue]

Re: Data Backup

[ QUOTE ]
Buy an external USB hard drive or build one, and copy your stuff to it.

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="blue">Is that not just as likely to crash as the hard drive on my PC? </font>

[j-kid]

Re: Data Backup

Anything is possible, however, the chance of that happening is very unlikely since you are not using it constantly and it will be sitting someplace unplugged most of the time.

[MrsBlue]

Re: Data Backup

<font color="blue">Okay. Will it operate like a floppy or CD, where I can just save stuff to it, or does it need an OS or other software? </font>

[Rebycman]

Re: Data Backup

External drives are typically USB connected so ya just plug them in and your computer should see the drive and add it to your 'My Computer' panel. You will probably need to format the drive once your PC see's the device but after that its just a plug and play device that you can swap to any PC with an open USB port.

Another option would be a dvd burner since those drives can burn more data onto a cd.

-Reby

[j-kid]

Re: Data Backup

[ QUOTE ]
<font color="blue">Okay. Will it operate like a floppy or CD, </font>

[/ QUOTE ]

No, it will operate like an hard drive. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

Blu, just format the drive if you build it yourself. If you buy it with its enclosure, it should be already formatted. You just add and remove your files at will, no OS needed on it.