External Storage?

[Mik]

Thanks for reminding me that I needed to do a backup. I use a Seagate 1.5 TB external. It's been fine since 2014.

[George K]

@Mik said in External Storage?:

Thanks for reminding me that I needed to do a backup. I use a Seagate 1.5 TB external. It's been fine since 2014.

As I've mentioned, I do multiple backups nightly. I'm just looking to off-load some of the video files.

[89th]

BTW I use the cloud (Microsoft OneDrive) and occasionally clone off a copy (twice) onto 2 Samsung external SSDs. I keep one in my fireproof safe.

[Axtremus]

1. Upload to the Internet … not sure how true it is, but we have all read somewhere that things on the Internet last forever!!!

2. SSD … learn the difference between MLC, TLC, and QLC NAND technology. If you want longest term reliability, that would be the MLC. TLC then QLC get progressively cheaper and less reliable. I use Samsung SSD, so within the Samsung family, that maps to the PRO, EVO, and QVO series. I use the PRO series for the most critical backups, then then EVO series for everything else. I have not want to touch the QVO series (yet).

3. Flash (USB drive, etc.) … probably OK, I have mostly been sticking to SanDisk in years past and have been happy with it, but I have not use or check on them for a while. :man-shrugging:

4. HDD (with spinning platters) … somewhere between worrying about “moving parts” and worrying about “accidental magnetic erasure,” I do not really use them anymore. :man-shrugging:

5. CD, DVD … probability still OK, theoretically they last about 50 years, but I have not check on any of my old CD/DVD for quite a while. Increasingly troublesome to use them because new computers do not come equipped with CD/DVD reader anymore, so I have to dig out and connect an external CD/DVD reader anytime I want to read from a CD/DVD. In your case, you will also need a big stack of DVDs to store all 150 GB because the typical DVD stores only 4.7 GB of data.

6. M-DISC : https://www.mdisc.com/ … the vendor claims 1000 years of archival quality storage with DVD/Blu-ray Disc “read” compatibility. I have no experience with M-DISC, but depends on how important you believe your data is, maybe you can give it a whirl.

Good luck!

[Doctor Phibes]

@George-K said in External Storage?:

@Doctor-Phibes said in External Storage?:

I'd do cloud + external HDD

Which cloud? I have Apple's iCloud and Micro$oft's OneDrive.

Both of them seem to keep files local as WELL as in the cloud. It would be nice to get them off my primary drive.

Yeah, I'm not 100% sure how that works - could you move the files to the external drive, and then back that up to the cloud, so OneDrive etc. thinks the local drive is your external HDD?

[Axtremus]

Using Microsoft OneDrive as example, the way it works is:

1. You install the OneDrive software. It creates a special folder locally. (There are tricks you can do move that special folder to an external drive, but your computer will still consider it “local,” because in this context “local” simply means “not on the Internet/cloud.” But these tricks are not officially supported so unpredictable things can happen if the external drive gets disconnected or some future version of OneDrive may flat out refuse to work with external drives.)
2. You move or copy stuff into that special local folder, and the OneDrive software automagically syncs that special local folder onto Microsoft’s cloud/servers.
3. (Microsoft Office apps do special things with OneDrive, but for this discussion we stick only to data files in general)

If you unintentionally delete or corrupt something in that special local folder, the deletion/corruption may get synced into Microsoft’s cloud/servers later.

So for that reason, I keep backup/archive copies separate from software/system that is designed to “syncs” as opposed to designed to perform “backup.”

[89th]

@Doctor-Phibes said in External Storage?:

@George-K said in External Storage?:

@Doctor-Phibes said in External Storage?:

I'd do cloud + external HDD

Which cloud? I have Apple's iCloud and Micro$oft's OneDrive.

Both of them seem to keep files local as WELL as in the cloud. It would be nice to get them off my primary drive.

Yeah, I'm not 100% sure how that works - could you move the files to the external drive, and then back that up to the cloud, so OneDrive etc. thinks the local drive is your external HDD?

Yes. When the drive is plugged in you just tell the cloud (e.g., Microsoft OneDrive) the directory name such as "H:\PhibesSux" and it should recognize it like any other directory on the computer.

[Doctor Phibes]

@89th said in External Storage?:

"H:\PhibesSux"

You definitely wouldn't want to look at the videos on that drive

[89th]

@Doctor-Phibes lol good to know

[Axtremus]

Officially, Microsoft says the external drive has to be “non-ejectable” to work as OneDrive’s storage, removable USB drives are not supported:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/install-onedrive-on-an-external-drive-6307e24b-d7a4-493f-bf43-47345b2c11fe

[Rainman]

Ax, your knowledge about this kind of stuff is impressive.