Information

[craftyfool]

Hey ladies!! I'm finally realizing I DO need an EHD. But I don't want to get sucked into the "just buy the cheapest one" thing.

So...what brands do you have? Are there any you've tried that you don't like? Any that you just LOVE?

And...have you seen any recent deals lately?

TIA!!!!

[AnnOminous]

If your computer is expandable I would recommend putting a second drive inside. I'm always hearing tales of EHD's crashing.

[MamaK321]

hey, it's technology... it's all capable of crashing so the best suggestion is to always back up in multiple places. On disk, EHD, computer and even online.

I would say that if price is little worry, go for the big ones, the T-byte. Those will last you quite a while and you will have plenty of space to back up the entire pc plus some. I have a Toshiba. Western Digital is a good brand name too, I have an older MyBook as well. never had a problem with it. I have a small HP portable for quick back up and file transfer of non-scrapping stuff and it's pretty good too.

[MimaScraps/Lori]

i HAVE A wESTERN, i THINK...SO FAR, SO GOOD!

[SarahA]

I have a Western Digital Mybook in a t-byte. We've had it for over a year and have never had any problems with it. We got it at BestBuy for maybe $80 or $90 I think. Like Kristianne said, even with backing up on the EHD, I would still back your pictures up on CD or flash drive or something else just in case.

[craftyfool]

Ok. So maybe I have another question...what I really was thinking of putting on it was all my digi kits and then my digi LOs. As I was drifting to sleep I thought I could put my pics on there too...but I would def put them on CD also (still, already do that). I wasn't foreseeing needing it to back up my whole computer...Ack! Should I?

Anyone have any experience with Seagate? I found a 2 TB one for $130...which sounded like a good price...if it's a good brand. I saw some Western Digital ones too...so now I'm going to look closer at those.

Thanks ladies!!!

[PezKat]

If your computer has a SATA port, get an EHD that can use a SATA cable, I've heard it's a *lot* faster than USB. (Mine does but the store didn't have the cable & I haven't ordered one yet.)

[SusanZennario]

I have a Seagate 1 TB EHD and have had no problems. I think I paid $75 for it at Walmart about 2 years ago. I LOVE it. It holds ALL my pictures (but I still back up to DVD and CD's too....can never be too safe!)

[1grandma]

Speak English, please. What is an EHD?

[craftyfool]

Speak English, please. What is an EHD?

External Hard Drive (Sorry! I'm a lazy typer)

[sakura-panda]

Ok. So maybe I have another question...what I really was thinking of putting on it was all my digi kits and then my digi LOs. As I was drifting to sleep I thought I could put my pics on there too...but I would def put them on CD also (still, already do that). I wasn't foreseeing needing it to back up my whole computer...Ack! Should I?

Anyone have any experience with Seagate? I found a 2 TB one for $130...which sounded like a good price...if it's a good brand. I saw some Western Digital ones too...so now I'm going to look closer at those.

Thanks ladies!!!

All hard drives have moving parts and are susceptible to wear and failure (except for solid state, which are small and expensive and not ready for digital scrapbooking, because the cost per GB is so high.)

I don't back up my entire computer -- I only back up the My Documents directory and I make sure that whatever I save onto the computer is in there somewhere. Everything else is on install discs or can be installed later with a download.

I keep all of my photos, my digital kits, and my layouts on my EHD. The last time I upgrade my computer, all I had to do was copy over a few files from the computer and I was all set. Very painless! I also use three different computers, so having all of my kits and photos on an EHD makes it easier for me to move between them.

I have a 500GB Western Digital MyBook and another one -- DH gave me a 300 GB hard drive that he put into an enclosure for me; I am not sure of the brand or anything. It's cheaper to go that route, but I find that drive is heavier and clumsier than the MyBook. Also, I have to turn it on and off manually where the MyBook senses whether there is power and turns on and off automatically.


I use the MyBook for photos, kits and saved layouts, and the other one for backing up photos and layouts from the MyBook and contents from MyDocuments on my computer.

[Ayla]

Ok. So maybe I have another question...what I really was thinking of putting on it was all my digi kits and then my digi LOs. As I was drifting to sleep I thought I could put my pics on there too...but I would def put them on CD also (still, already do that). I wasn't foreseeing needing it to back up my whole computer...Ack! Should I?

Anyone have any experience with Seagate? I found a 2 TB one for $130...which sounded like a good price...if it's a good brand. I saw some Western Digital ones too...so now I'm going to look closer at those.

Thanks ladies!!!

All hard drives have moving parts and are susceptible to wear and failure (except for solid state, which are small and expensive and not ready for digital scrapbooking, because the cost per GB is so high.)

I don't back up my entire computer -- I only back up the My Documents directory and I make sure that whatever I save onto the computer is in there somewhere. Everything else is on install discs or can be installed later with a download.

I keep all of my photos, my digital kits, and my layouts on my EHD. The last time I upgrade my computer, all I had to do was copy over a few files from the computer and I was all set. Very painless! I also use three different computers, so having all of my kits and photos on an EHD makes it easier for me to move between them.

I have a 500GB Western Digital MyBook and another one -- DH gave me a 300 GB hard drive that he put into an enclosure for me; I am not sure of the brand or anything. It's cheaper to go that route, but I find that drive is heavier and clumsier than the MyBook. Also, I have to turn it on and off manually where the MyBook senses whether there is power and turns on and off automatically.


I use the MyBook for photos, kits and saved layouts, and the other one for backing up photos and layouts from the MyBook and contents from MyDocuments on my computer.

I also have 2 portable EHD's...mine are Seagate, and have performed very welll so far. I use a 500GB one for all my photos, which I also back up to CD. I use a 1TB one for all my digi kits, because I quickly learned how big those suckers are! I also use 2 computers, and recently replaced one, so it is nice to be able to haul the EHD's from computer to computer or even when I sat witha friend in the hospital last week, I brought my laptop and an EHD and sat with my feet up and scrapped! Mine don't have their own power button...they turn on when the computer is turned on.

[MOM2SNOX]

I've got the MyBook by Western Digital too. Love it! All my scrappy stuff is on there :)

[sarahwhithers]

Ok. So maybe I have another question...what I really was thinking of putting on it was all my digi kits and then my digi LOs. As I was drifting to sleep I thought I could put my pics on there too...but I would def put them on CD also (still, already do that). I wasn't foreseeing needing it to back up my whole computer...Ack! Should I?

Anyone have any experience with Seagate? I found a 2 TB one for $130...which sounded like a good price...if it's a good brand. I saw some Western Digital ones too...so now I'm going to look closer at those.

Thanks ladies!!!

I have a Seagate and it's been great! I haven't had any problems with it and it was easy to run and start up. The larger 2 TB one I have is called Net something. Can't remember exactly, but it's been a bad experience. It broke on one drop to the floor, and nothing on it could be restored, as well as I have to make sure I turn it off everytime I use it cuz the next time I go to turn my computer on, it always tries to boot from the EHD. It's annoying. The seagate has never given me any of those issues.

*note - The brand that I don't like is called NexStar. Don't get it unless it's super duper cheap!!

[craftyfool]

You ladies ROCK!


It sounds like I can't really go wrong with either Seagate or Western Digital. I found a 2TB WD one for the same regular price as the Seagate one (which is on sale). Since I can't buy either one right this second, I figure I will buy whichever one is on sale when I do have the $.



Thank you!









And be prepared for another thread from me when I get it, starting something like "HOW in Hades do I use this thing????"

[-Liz-]

HAHA- Yea I have seagate too. I actually have encased my hard drives from my previous computers (when they crashed) so I have those storage spaces too

The only thing I would suggest- is keeping your EHD in a nice cool place when your not using it- I kept an old when I first started digi on my desk plugged in always near my tower and blasted thing ended up frying out - Ah but such is life sometimes

And the joy of an EHD is that its just plug and go I just flip mine on and you access it just like you do the files on your computer now - LOVE it

[jmitchell05]

I bought the boyfriend a 2TB Western Digital for his birthday. He did a complete back up of the surver (yes, we have one in the house) and 3 personal computers which he says used 1TB of space. I got it on sale back in January, at Walmart for $99. He is a big computer nerd and he likes that brand. Hope my input helps.

[scrapsakes]

i'd gotten something similar from Western Digital as well (Passport) which works for both
PC & Mac in case you need to back up from both Amazon is my choice to shop from!

[MamaK321]

you can definitely back up more than just digital stuff and photos. backing up your computer comes in handy if, let's say, PG&E blows a transformer in your backyard and fries your pc! just ask my dad. He hadn't done any sort of EHD before that happened... but he went out immediately after he got the pc replaced and now backs up regularly, especially important for his quicken files and club treasurer reports.

I mostly back up documents and important information that I have stored in my files. I also have a few programs that I purchased and downloaded online so I don't have a recovery disk in case I loose it. And after 10 years, I doubt they would still have the download links for me, so I backup the entire program.

[craftyfool]

you can definitely back up more than just digital stuff and photos. backing up your computer comes in handy if, let's say, PG&E blows a transformer in your backyard and fries your pc! just ask my dad. He hadn't done any sort of EHD before that happened... but he went out immediately after he got the pc replaced and now backs up regularly, especially important for his quicken files and club treasurer reports.

I mostly back up documents and important information that I have stored in my files. I also have a few programs that I purchased and downloaded online so I don't have a recovery disk in case I loose it. And after 10 years, I doubt they would still have the download links for me, so I backup the entire program.

OH!!! I didn't even think of that. Now Quicken, I just signed up for an online backup thingy. But I have 2 small businesses and I have all THOSE files on here...

Thank you for mentioning that!

Geesh...I'm still learning something new every.single.day....