Re: OT: Backup drives for a PC

[Steve Comstock]

On 2/1/2012 12:34 PM, Clark Morris wrote:
[snip]




Some comments that have mainframe relevance or at least association. I
like using Acronis which has saved me on a couple of occasions.  I can
take the full disk backup and restore individual files from it.  I
have done both full disk and file restores.  I have finally figured
out their "improved" user interface.


I can't stand their interface. I find it unfriendly,
and their support site is awful! I rue the day I let
the Micro Center salesman talk me into buying it.

Every day I get a cryptic message about operation paused
and if I don't respond it will make an automatic decision.

The message says something about drive 30 or location 30
with no information of what that's about. There is no place
to tell the software where drive or location 30 is.

The software does not make an automatic decision, it just
updates the time on the message and keeps it on the screen.
I have to close the window.

Going to their help site never gets a response.

Sucks big time.

I would swithc to doing back up by hand, but supposedly
this Acronis stuff is backing up the system settings and
I don't know enough to do that with any confidence.



It reminds me of Innovations

FDR/FDRDSF which I also like using and which saved the day on more
than one occasion.  What is really scary is that I can fit a USB key
in my wallet and the 1 terabyte portable drive in my pants pocket.
That means an authorized person logging on to an organization's
computer can download a very large amount of data onto something that
fits in their wallet and a tremendous amount into something that would
be unobtrusive in their pants pocket.  The security implications are
frightening to someone who comes from an era where even a 3480
cartridge was somewhat noticeable.

Thanks:

Clark Morris





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Re: OT: Backup drives for a PC

[Clark Morris]

On 21 Jan 2012 02:43:39 -0800, in bit.listserv.ibm-main Radoslaw
wrote:

>W dniu 2012-01-21 03:13, Clark Morris pisze:
>[...]
>
>> Both my wife and I are adding family pictures so that is part of the
>> reason for the capacity.  In response to Radoslaw, I am getting the
>> second drive so that I can rotate the drives between my home and that
>> of another family member 160 kilometers away.  Right now I have a
>> Western Digital external desktop drive for the purpose and I was
>> assuming the difference between that and a portable drive was how the
>> hard drive is mounted inside the box.  Based on some bad user reviews
>> that I saw for a Seagate drive that was used for a similar purpose, I
>> then had to question whether the additional expense of portable drive
>> was justified for the backup since a backup is no good if you can't
>> read it.
>
>Yes, I forgot to mention jewel-box features. It important to choose good 
>quality box (not the drive manufacturer) with good amortization (shock 
>absorbtion).
>I haven't seen any test or comparison, but I can compare some drives I 
>have or I have seen: Transcend 2.5" is described as very shock-proof and 
>it's look like. Seagate is 2.5" ...nice and shining ;-))) IOmega 3.5" is 
>clearly described as "don't move while operating, avoid any shocks all 
>the time".
>
>
>Regarding photos: There is a method to make them smaller *without* 
>loosing quality. Usually digital cameras have no enough time/processing 
>power to make good compression. A PC program can save picture with no 
>conversion, under the same name, etc. Usually it saves 60-70% 
>(100MB->30MB). I thoroughly compared some pictures "before" and "after", 
>also using magnification. No perceptible differences. Whole process can 
>be performed as batch job, however with no DDs ;-)
>Application used: freeware Irfan Viewer.
>
Thanks to all who responded to my question.  I finally went with a USB
3.0 1 Terabyte Portable Drive from HP (it looks like the actual disk
is Western Digital) for $149 Canadian.  While I appreciate Barry
Merrill's comment that he has knocked over his desktop drive without
losing data and I have been similarly lucky with my 2 Terabyte USB 3.0
Desktop Drive, I didn't like the long term odds given my clumsiness.
This made the substantial premium for the portable drive worth while. 
A pleasant surprise was the small size and the much greater ease of
backing up both my desktop and my wife's laptop because of the drive
being powered via the USB connection.  Currently the combined space of
full backups using Acronis True Image Home 11.0 is about 260 Gigabytes
and I will be doing periodic incremental backups.  Speed is not that
good but it wasn't with the 2 Terabyte drive either because the only
ports available are USB 2.0.  The small size of the drive is causing
me to wait for a sale and then repurposing the desktop drive to online
storage after getting a USB 3.0 PCI card and a longer USB 3.0 cable
(if they make them). 

Some comments that have mainframe relevance or at least association. I
like using Acronis which has saved me on a couple of occasions.  I can
take the full disk backup and restore individual files from it.  I
have done both full disk and file restores.  I have finally figured
out their "improved" user interface.  It reminds me of Innovations
FDR/FDRDSF which I also like using and which saved the day on more
than one occasion.  What is really scary is that I can fit a USB key
in my wallet and the 1 terabyte portable drive in my pants pocket.
That means an authorized person logging on to an organization's
computer can download a very large amount of data onto something that
fits in their wallet and a tremendous amount into something that would
be unobtrusive in their pants pocket.  The security implications are
frightening to someone who comes from an era where even a 3480
cartridge was somewhat noticeable. 

Thanks:

Clark Morris
>
>Regards
>-- 
>Radoslaw Skorupka
>Lodz, Poland

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Re: OT: Backup drives for a PC

[R.S.]

W dniu 2012-01-21 03:13, Clark Morris pisze:
[...]


Both my wife and I are adding family pictures so that is part of the
reason for the capacity.  In response to Radoslaw, I am getting the
second drive so that I can rotate the drives between my home and that
of another family member 160 kilometers away.  Right now I have a
Western Digital external desktop drive for the purpose and I was
assuming the difference between that and a portable drive was how the
hard drive is mounted inside the box.  Based on some bad user reviews
that I saw for a Seagate drive that was used for a similar purpose, I
then had to question whether the additional expense of portable drive
was justified for the backup since a backup is no good if you can't
read it.


Yes, I forgot to mention jewel-box features. It important to choose good 
quality box (not the drive manufacturer) with good amortization (shock 
absorbtion).
I haven't seen any test or comparison, but I can compare some drives I 
have or I have seen: Transcend 2.5" is described as very shock-proof and 
it's look like. Seagate is 2.5" ...nice and shining ;-))) IOmega 3.5" is 
clearly described as "don't move while operating, avoid any shocks all 
the time".



Regarding photos: There is a method to make them smaller *without* 
loosing quality. Usually digital cameras have no enough time/processing 
power to make good compression. A PC program can save picture with no 
conversion, under the same name, etc. Usually it saves 60-70% 
(100MB->30MB). I thoroughly compared some pictures "before" and "after", 
also using magnification. No perceptible differences. Whole process can 
be performed as batch job, however with no DDs ;-)

Application used: freeware Irfan Viewer.


Regards
--
Radoslaw Skorupka
Lodz, Poland


--
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Wedug stanu na dzie 01.01.2012 r. kapita zakadowy BRE Banku SA (w caoci wpacony) wynosi 168.410.984 zotych.


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Re: OT: Backup drives for a PC

[Clark Morris]

On 20 Jan 2012 10:32:32 -0800, in bit.listserv.ibm-main you wrote:

>In <7f9jh753g211qjd3n3it85al7bd8buv...@4ax.com>, on 01/20/2012
>   at 01:40 PM, Clark Morris  said:
>
>>I have an external 2 terabyte hard drive that I use as a back up
>>device by plugging it into each of the two computers I have and then
>>returning it to a fire safe.  I am planning to get a second drive so
>>I can rotate the backups off-site and was wondering if the portable
>>hard drives are worth the additional price for this usage.  I am
>>assuming that better shock protection is given the hard drive in the
>>portable versions.
>
>Why are you taking the backup? If it's to protect against finger
>checks, you don't need a removable drive. If it's to protect against
>disasters, then the removable drive isn't enoughl you need to store it
>where it won't be affected by the same disaster.

Both my wife and I are adding family pictures so that is part of the
reason for the capacity.  In response to Radoslaw, I am getting the
second drive so that I can rotate the drives between my home and that
of another family member 160 kilometers away.  Right now I have a
Western Digital external desktop drive for the purpose and I was
assuming the difference between that and a portable drive was how the
hard drive is mounted inside the box.  Based on some bad user reviews
that I saw for a Seagate drive that was used for a similar purpose, I
then had to question whether the additional expense of portable drive
was justified for the backup since a backup is no good if you can't
read it.  

Clark Morris
>
>I find DVD backup adequate, but I only have a small quantity of data.
> 

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Re: OT: Backup drives for a PC

[R.S.]

W dniu 2012-01-20 18:40, Clark Morris pisze:

I have an external 2 terabyte hard drive that I use as a back up
device by plugging it into each of the two computers I have and then
returning it to a fire safe.  I am planning to get a second drive so I
can rotate the backups off-site and was wondering if the portable hard
drives are worth the additional price for this usage.  I am assuming
that better shock protection is given the hard drive in the portable
versions.


Yes, it's really off topic!

Regarding to your question:
"portable" drive is jewel box plus SATA-USB interface electronics plus 
...regular PC drive. No special version is being manufactured for 
portable boxes.


Of course 2.5" drives are better than 3.5" ones (in terms of shock 
resistancy), 'cause they are designed for mobile devices (laptops, 
cameras). BTW: all nowadays drives are wy more shock-resistant than 
such devices 10 years ago.


Regarding your backups: if you really care about your data then two 
drives are minimum, rotate them and never keep both in the same place.


BTW: we're reinventing the wheel.
BTW2: I do such backups for 15+ years.
BTW3: Usually your *REAL DATA* (not movies, not tons of Windows apps, 
just a data) will fit on DVD media (one or few). Burn such media for 
archival purposes.
BTW4: The most important thing is to perform backup, not to "going to" 
do it.



--
Radoslaw Skorupka
Lodz, Poland


--
Tre tej wiadomoci moe zawiera informacje prawnie chronione Banku 
przeznaczone wycznie do uytku subowego adresata. Odbiorc moe by jedynie 
jej adresat z wyczeniem dostpu osób trzecich. Jeeli nie jeste adresatem 
niniejszej wiadomoci lub pracownikiem upowanionym do jej przekazania 
adresatowi, informujemy, e jej rozpowszechnianie, kopiowanie, rozprowadzanie 
lub inne dziaanie o podobnym charakterze jest prawnie zabronione i moe by 
karalne. Jeeli otrzymae t wiadomo omykowo, prosimy niezwocznie 
zawiadomi nadawc wysyajc odpowied oraz trwale usun t wiadomo 
wczajc w to wszelkie jej kopie wydrukowane lub zapisane na dysku.

This e-mail may contain legally privileged information of the Bank and is intended solely for business use of the addressee. This e-mail may only be received by the addressee and may not be disclosed to any third parties. If you are not the intended addressee of this e-mail or the employee authorised to forward it to the addressee, be advised that any dissemination, copying, distribution or any other similar activity is legally prohibited and may be punishable. If you received this e-mail by mistake please advise the sender immediately by using the reply facility in your e-mail software and delete permanently this e-mail including any copies of it either printed or saved to hard drive. 


BRE Bank SA, 00-950 Warszawa, ul. Senatorska 18, tel. +48 (22) 829 00 00, fax 
+48 (22) 829 00 33, www.brebank.pl, e-mail: i...@brebank.pl
Sd Rejonowy dla m. st. Warszawy XII Wydzia Gospodarczy Krajowego Rejestru Sdowego, nr rejestru przedsibiorców KRS 025237, NIP: 526-021-50-88. 
Wedug stanu na dzie 01.01.2012 r. kapita zakadowy BRE Banku SA (w caoci wpacony) wynosi 168.410.984 zotych.


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Re: OT: Backup drives for a PC

[Rick Fochtman]

On 1/20/2012 11:40 AM, Clark Morris wrote:

I have an external 2 terabyte hard drive that I use as a back up
device by plugging it into each of the two computers I have and then
returning it to a fire safe.  I am planning to get a second drive so I
can rotate the backups off-site and was wondering if the portable hard
drives are worth the additional price for this usage.  I am assuming
that better shock protection is given the hard drive in the portable
versions.

Clark Morris

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My own experience has been very good, using Western Digital drives. I 
use them in exactly the manner you describe.


Rick

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Re: OT: Backup drives for a PC

[Shmuel Metz (Seymour J.)]

In <7f9jh753g211qjd3n3it85al7bd8buv...@4ax.com>, on 01/20/2012
   at 01:40 PM, Clark Morris  said:

>I have an external 2 terabyte hard drive that I use as a back up
>device by plugging it into each of the two computers I have and then
>returning it to a fire safe.  I am planning to get a second drive so
>I can rotate the backups off-site and was wondering if the portable
>hard drives are worth the additional price for this usage.  I am
>assuming that better shock protection is given the hard drive in the
>portable versions.

Why are you taking the backup? If it's to protect against finger
checks, you don't need a removable drive. If it's to protect against
disasters, then the removable drive isn't enoughl you need to store it
where it won't be affected by the same disaster.

I find DVD backup adequate, but I only have a small quantity of data.
 
-- 
 Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, SysProg and JOAT
 ISO position; see  
We don't care. We don't have to care, we're Congress.
(S877: The Shut up and Eat Your spam act of 2003)

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OT: Backup drives for a PC

[Clark Morris]

I have an external 2 terabyte hard drive that I use as a back up
device by plugging it into each of the two computers I have and then
returning it to a fire safe.  I am planning to get a second drive so I
can rotate the backups off-site and was wondering if the portable hard
drives are worth the additional price for this usage.  I am assuming
that better shock protection is given the hard drive in the portable
versions.

Clark Morris

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