So I have a lot of data that I want backed up and preserving for a long time and I'm thinking it's time I need to drop the cash on a decent drive, can anyone recommend decent USB 3.0 storage devices for long term storage? What about HDDs vs SSDs? Which is best? Does it matter? Any input is appreciated. Raid isn't really an option unless I buy multiple external drives, just to put that out there.
SSDs = mainly performance. Poor capacity per dollar rate when compared to the traditional mechanical drives... and has limited write cycles too. If you get a USB 3.0 device, your computer must have a USB 3.0 interface to support the improved data transfer rates. Even if you bought a HDD unit from a no-name brand, the HDD inside is probably from either Western Digital or Seagate. Hitachi or Toshiba drives may be possible too, but I have not seen those commonly in a very, very long time.
Thanks! My laptop has USB 3.0 ports so I presume they're compatible, surely I shouldn't run into mobo issues with HDDs? I guess I'll just get an HDD then, any particular recommendations? One thing I've always worried about is long term storage with HDDs because there's always a chance it could fail. How often is that likely to happen? Is there any particular storage methods that are preffered i.e. avoiding static, temerature etc)? Is it crazy to buy two drives and back everything up twice or is it better at that point to just use a raid setup?
By right, any device that complies with the USB 3.0 specifications should be compatible with any host that also complies with the USB 3.0 specification... but it seems that there have been some screwups in the implementations by some companies so far. That was in 2010 when I got my first USB 3.0 HDD unit + adaptor (Buffalo 1TB USB 3.0 and Buffalo USB 3.0 adaptor with NEC chipset) when the technology first came out. I don't know about now, but I'm sure that such incompatibilities shouldn't be too common anymore. AFAIK, HDDs should last about 3-4 years of 24x7 usage. It does vary, depending on the operating environment (e.g. temperature). If you don't switch it on too often (and not too rarely either), it should be able to last for quite a while... As for storage, it only really matters if the HDD itself (the HDD inside the enclosure) was exposed. That's why new HDDs usually come in an anti-static bag to prevent their controller PCBs from being fried before installation. As for a RAID setup or getting multiple drives to store multiple copies of your files, it's not a bad idea actually (if you really, really can't lose your files). But you have to have the money to afford the additional hardware, and the diligence to copy your files multiple times if you don't get a RAID storage unit.
I have a Toshiba 500GB USB 3.0 HDD, and it works pretty well for me. It's definitely faster than 2.0, though I think the speed of the drive itself is a bottleneck preventing it from being as fast as 3.0 allows it to be. At any rate, it's a good drive, and very compact too. I've been thinking about new ways to back stuff up recently, and I came up with the idea of having a full backup in one location, and then a few partial backups of just the most important data in other locations. I also burned a few DVDs, with the idea that, since they won't get used as much as a hard drive, they're likely to last longer - plus, they have no moving parts to break.
Thanks for the tips! I've been using DVDs at the minute, it's currently my only method of storing data long term, but I don't really trust DVDs, I don't like the fact that they can get scratched risking problems recovering data, nor that they can suffer from bit rot quite rapidly. Then again HDDs can fail too so I guess there's risks on both sides of the coin.
I thought SSDs were better (performance + no mechanical parts), considering you wouldn't really use most write-cycles if you're using it for storage... I currently use regular 3.5" HDDs though, due to cost. Just make sure you keep an eye on the drive's health, be it HDD or SSD (I use Hard Disk Sentinel).
That only works for stuff that other people would want to share, too, otherwise that swarm will die instantly (or, rather, never take off, with you being the only member). So that excludes things like personal/private files. That's an ongoing cost, whereas a HDD is a one-off. Might be a problem for some (I haven't looked at the current prices lately, dunno). Personally, I'm going with a mix: Well-spread stuff, I might just keep a copy of the torrent (not the actual data) around; personal/rare stuff gets backed up on HDDs, in a dedicated storage machine w/ lots of redundancy. Files I want to be readily available (not that many, really), I put on google Drive.
WELL, As to what you said about a decent USB3 device, I use a Thermaltake BlacX 5G- it's more of an HDD docking station, so you can easily swap out one HDD for another. It works for me because I have a 3TB internal drive that I have in it for the most part, but I occasionally swap it for other drives I'm looking to format, clone, wipe clean or pull data from. Plus, it's fast, has a built in hub, looks good, not to expensive and you can choose the size of storage. The best thing that I find is that you can buy a more reliable brand of HDD rather than hoping that whatever company an external is built by put in a good brand. Most likely not, to cut corners. I use a WD red drive, designed for 24/7 use and so is pretty stable. I have had zero issues with it and it isn't going to die off anytime soon.
Just to add on: There aren't too many manufacturers left, so I don't think that the odds of getting a bad drive are really high anymore. We probably just have to be wary of bad drive models (e.g. that notorious line of Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 HDDs). We now have only Seagate, Western Digital and Toshiba left. Other than Toshiba, Western Digital and Seagate are giants by now so we should be able to expect good things from them... more or less.
Here's best bet for long term storage solution. Get a USB 3.0 RAID 1 array. It'll backup your data to two drives at once so it is still preserved even if a drive dies. Go with HDD. They come as big as 4TB now and are much cheaper than SSD. SSD size is only at 1TB for 2.5" drive and maybe 2TB for the rare 3.5" enterprise ones. 2.5" HDD is up to 2TB now so go with that to get better long term protection, cheaper cost, and much more capacity. After all, you only want it to backup stuff. Not like you need the speed a SSD will provide for that.
If you are making a single HDD backup to keep on the shelf, you are doing your data a disservice. A flood could easily take out both if they are stored in one location. At the very least, you should think about keeping an HDD offsite somewhere some distance away, at a trusted family, friends, etc. I like to use that, plus at least two copies locally, with some in the cloud as well. It all depends on what you think your data is worth.
I would like to point out that if your computer has eSATA, that's always better performance-wise than USB 3.0. I would also point out that you should NEVER rely on the quality of a drive. Sure, pick a reliable drive, but always expect a hard drive crash/your house to burn down/burglars or whatever. Also, if you just want backup, why bother with USB 3.0? If you only need it for backup speed shouldnt be that important, right? USB3 stuff can be quite expensive compared to USB 2 stuff. Here's what I do: First of all I'm ONLY using 2,5" sata drives to EVERYTHING. I hate the bulky, noisy 3,5" drives But also makes it very easy for me to repurpose drives and hard drive cases when everything has the same size. My "primary" storage is a Seagate 1TB 2,5" "SSHD" hybrid drive, in a SilverStone Raven USB 3 drive connected to my always on HTPC (so it's practically a NAS). Would have used an esata case if the computer had an esata port... On this drive I keep all the stuff that I want to have backed up. Then I first have two sets of "updated" backups. I always keep a newer backup locked up at work, and an older at home. Once every now and then I replace the older backup with a fresh backup, and swap the location of the backups. These backup drives are older, smaller and slower drives, most are repurposed 5400rpm drives, which I hook up when it's time or backup using a no-name USB 2.0 2,5" sata dock. All of the drives are smaller than the NAS drive so I split the backup across several drives. These backups cover hard drive crashes etc. Then I have a third set of backups, a "permanent" drive which I just copy the most important stuff (< 100 gb maybe) to, but keep indefinitly. These backups cover files being corrupted or accidentally deleted without me noticing it for a long time. (Also, the content of my NAS drive is split up into three root folders: "Mine" (stuff that is irreplacable, like photos etc), "NotMine" (stuff that I CAN replace if something bad would happen). It's quite a lot of effort, and I'm fortunate enough not to have had any "incendents" to actually had to recover anything from backups, but I feel pretty safe
Jesus kungmidas do you also have armed guards on a 12 hour split shift rotation protecting all those backups? I've just got a 1TB (USB 2.0 - 3.5" toshiba) with images of all my boot drives for all my computers and a few other bits on there which I pull out once every month or so.
Thanks for the tips! I'm not fond of the idea of cloud storage as there's always the possibility that servers could fail, or perhaps that someone else could get their hands on your data. That's not my goal really, my goal is to just store personal and historic files for longevity, photographs, documents among other things without the risks that comes with disc based media. I'm thinking of just getting two drives, both to store and only one to access, that way I always have two backups and don't risk burning one of them out.
