Having an external hard drive - easy way to backup

[#1]

Occasionally someone loses data and in this regard may I suggest getting a usb external hard drive?

[richardw]

Depending on how big the data is, I'd suggest backing up to Amazon S3 or Dropbox. The latter is easier and free up to (I think) 2GB, and the former can handle any amount of data at about 10c US per GB per month, although it needs a 3rd party app and is a bit harder to use. Then you don't need to worry about any hardware issues at all.

[Blik]

As they say - there are only two types of data. Data that is lost and data that you are going to lose. My terabyte external USB drive crashed the other day...eish!

[GarethJ]

I use Microsoft Live Mesh (www.mesh.com) for my important stuff. After installation you can select any normal windows folders as a mesh folder and these will then synchronise files to the "cloud" any time you are connected to the internet. Another great feature is that you can synchronise between multiple devices e.g. work and home PC.

[Mar-11]

http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:toshiba-store-art3--stylis... This little thing holds a terabyte, i have not tried it but i found that remarkable.

[Mar-11]

err, maybe i should mention that i hold shares in the distributer of this product.

[richardw]

That's probably a good idea. Not sure where Mesh vs Skydrive fit in...

[#8]

A SATA hard drive as you would use in your desktop in a USB adapted case is more reliable and easier to retrieve data if the thing crashes than a sealed unit, imo..

[richardw]

My worry with HDD-based backup is that there's a chance it could get stolen/die in a fire unless you keep it offsite. I use an external drive, but my most important stuff is also on Amazon S3, encrypted.