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Someone helping me out from Symantic today (since my computer started making a buzzing sound today) via online chat told me I should get an external hard drive and also would need a service like Ghost which they are replacing on April 30 with some new name for $85 or thereabouts. It images the hard drive instead of just backing up the documents, he said, when I said I wanted the image and not just to back up all my files. I started looking at external drives and I am feeling confused. So you need a drive *and* a service is what I'm hearing? Thanks for your help...
You need a device to back up to (the external hard drive), and an application to do the backing up (what you are calling a service). There are many out there much cheaper than $85, there are even a couple good free ones. If you have Windows 7 you need not spend a dime on software, it has it's own backup/ imaging utility.
thank you, NHDave. I understand "application" (duh!) The rep I spoke with called it a service :P
I've got a Dell Dimension 9200 that came with XP Home 32-bit (I'd always been a Pro user before but my motherboard died and this computer came to me as a gift at that time; I'd backed up to discs when I heard that sound that told me something was going to blow, 65 discs and the backup was awkward to say the least) Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 @ 1.86GHz, 2.00 GB DDR2 RAM, Dell 0CT017 microprocessor, 149gB Samsung HD161HJ (SATA) where I keep my programs and 466gB Samsung HD501LJ where I keep my documents/spreadsheets/music/videos etc. and optical drives that include a PBDS DVD+-RW DH-16W1S that works well and (don't look a gift horse in the mouth) ROXIO DVD-ROM EMULATOR SCSI CdRom device (sigh...), audio being SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC (once again not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but if only my old dual core that died could somehow give its Creative Sound Blaster...and at least one of its two very nice and very "hardware" optical drives, preferably the DVD+-RW)
Not sure you needed all that info, but wondering what your recommendation would be for an external hard drive and application? With my thanks for your answer - everything helps - I used to not be a novice; not an expert but somewhere in-between, but times have changed and now I just can't do it alone any more.
recommendation would be for an external hard drive and application?
1. External Hard Drives - Newegg.com
$80 and up.
Price is not related to quality. (There are actually only 3 drive manufacturers in the world: Toshiba, Seagate, Western Digital (WD).)
Longer warranty is better.
A few years ago I had an external hard drive fail.
I also had an external drive failure - but it turned out to be the interface. I extracted the drive and installed it in my tower, and it was 100% good.
I think having multiple backups (and one should be off-site) for things that can't be replaced like personal document, pictures and videos are important.
having multiple backups for video games or movies that you can just buy to replace is less important.
and just to clear up one myth: Having a lot of "stuff" on your hard drive does NOT slow it down.
I had someone ask me the other day:
"My friend told me I shouldn't keep my 3,000 pictures on my hard drive because it slows it down".
I go look at it: she has a 750GB hard drive with 560 free.
Just having a lot of stuff does not, in and of itself, slow your computer down. If you are running LOW on Hard Drive space, then it certainly can.
Had 2 ex drives die on me, no notice, just gone. Couldn't retrieve anything. It was years apart and different setups. I now painstakingly keep CD copies or flash sticks of important projects. Had one CD go corrupt but the rest are still good.
That said, I do prefer an ex drive for scratch disk room for working in Photoshop.
1. External Hard Drives - Newegg.com
$80 and up.
Price is not related to quality. (There are actually only 3 drive manufacturers in the world: Toshiba, Seagate, Western Digital (WD).)
Longer warranty is better.
*Ahem* what about crucial (micron,) samsung, intel?
Samsung (owned by Seagate) is the only one you listed that is a current mfg of hard drives.
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So easy to buy
