Advice on internal drives needed.

It's been two months since I've been here. Things have changed! I'm not sure what forum to post this in.
Besides my primary drive with just the OS and programs, I have in the case, a 750 GB drive that I'm outgrowing and a 2 TB drive that is over half full. I will likely soon replace the 750 GB drive.
First question:
Are drives larger than 2 TB less reliable?
My primary drive (it came with the computer) is:
Seagate ST3300657SS SCSI
It is 277 GB with 122 GB used and 155 BB free. I have my PS scratch disk set to my 2 TB drive. I started working with my photos from an external drive recently because Lightroom ran much faster that way for some reason.
So my second question:
I have forgotten the type of drive that acts like a flash drive, one better not being defragmented? Regardless, what is the fastest drive (and reliable) for the primary drive?
And would that make much difference in actually running programs like PS or LR; or is it just faster when copying files etc.?
I'm Using an HP Z800 workstation at home with 12 GB ram - about a year and three months old; photoshop 5.5 and Lightroom 3.
Thanks for Advice

If you're concerned with reliability, look into "Enterprise Class" high MTBF drives, such as the Western Digital RE4 line (I have only these drives in all the systems here at my business).
The type of drive you may be thinking of is called an SSD or "Solid State Drive", which is based on flash memory. They're generally very expensive as compared to traditional spinning drives.
Lastly, to radically increase performance as well as adding space, consider setting up RAID (e.g., RAID 0), which puts more hardware to work simultaneously.
-Noel

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Take it straight back to the store for replacement. It is faulty.. there is no fix you can do from outside. Even if there was, I would still say it is Apple's problem.. and a disk should never go bad in that length of time..
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The hard drive on my Time Capsule suddenly stopped working and where no longer visible or accessible, with the message “internal drive needs repair”. I googled the internet, called the apple service provider and more. They said that to go to a data extractor wouldcost me S$ 600-700, more than my Time Capsule cost me in the first place, on google they said you could open the Time Capsule and access the hard drive there, but I’m no computer wizard and would probably just mess things up(and mess up the warranty as well).
I read something about archive, but I am not sure if I have understood how it works completely. Can I archive the files on my disk(the filesis a bit over 1 TB) to an external drive, get a new Time Capsule(covered by thewarranty) and then just upload all my files, and it would be as nothing happend? Is it that easy? Would the archived files downloaded to my external hard drive be accessible files(usable from the external drive)? Or just one file that needs to be transferred back to the new Time Capsule? It is not the settings, nor the back up of the Mac that is important, but years of pictures taken on travels, documents from school etc.
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Hope anyone can help me! What is the best, easiest and cheapest way to get my files back?
Thank you all for your help

eivindaamli wrote:
Can I archive the files on my disk(the filesis a bit over 1 TB) to an external drive, get a new Time Capsule(covered by thewarranty) and then just upload all my files, and it would be as nothing happend?
Hard to tell, yet.
It's not clear whether there's a problem with the drive, or if the backups on it are corrupted. Try repairing them, per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting. The results of that should tell us something.
If the internal HD really has failed or is failing, you probably can't "archive" it, per the green box in #Q6 of Using Time Machine with a Time Capsule.
If the backups are corrupted beyond repair, the best you can hope for is to copy them "as is." But it's quite likely the copy will be even worse than the original.

Advice...Need To Backup and Replace Internal Drive

After a couple years, I have a bad feeling about my internal drive on the Mac Pro.
So....if I use SuperDuper to clone my entire internal drive, and I tell it to copy this to an external drive I have (which also has data on it, but has enough room to copy my internal), then once it's copied over there, and I install a brand new drive for a startup, how does one get the backup off the external drive back on the new blank drive? Do you just reverse the process and use SuperDuper to copy from the folder you copied everything into, onto the new drive?
My head is starting to hurt thinking about all this;)
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Boot to your restore DVD or a factory OS X disc released AFTER your machine was made. Make sure all externals are connected. Once you get to the desktop and see the "Install Mac OS X" stuff go to the 'Utilities" menu item and open Disk Utility.
Highlight the new Volume and Select Erase Tab, name what you want and set as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Click erase. You can also setup partitions if you need.
Then navigate to the "Restore" tab, click choose source and navigate to the superduper backup file. Click OK.
Drag the newly created "Named" volume into the destination field. Click restore and wait.
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boot is dead this will of course not work.

Replacing internal drive - advice needed

I use a desktop G5 with two internal (SATA) hard drives. The non-bootable second drive is full and I intend to replace it with a new SATA drive with more capacity.
The files on the drive that is full are also backed up on an external drive. I propose to copy the stuff from the external drive to the new larger internal drive. (Once removed, the old internal drive will be out of action until the day comes when I get a box to house external drives).
I'm reasonably confident about the hardware side of things, installing the new internal drive. However I'm concerned about OS X issues... For instance, can I give the new drive the same name as the one just removed? Will that confuse the OS? Will it wonder where all the files have gone? Later, when I copy all the missing files to the new drive will the system find them? And if in the future I use the old drive in a box can I rename that drive and still have the files it hold recognised by the system?
Given what I'm planning to do, what OS issues should I be aware of?
Thanks, iHope

BDAqua wrote:
Ideally, I'd clone the Old HDD to the New one, once installed....
Thanks for your comments. Since I can't clone the old HDD can I give the new drive the same name as the one just removed? And will it not wonder where all the files have gone?

Need more storage - larger internal drive, or external drive?

Good day...here's a little background before I head into my question.
I have a mid-2010 Macbook Pro with a 320 GB hard drive. I have an 2 GB WD External Hard drive...I've partitioned 500 GB that I use for my Time Machine backups and use the remaining 1.5 TB to store additional files, mainly music and video files. I rarely keep it plugged in to my MBP....I'll plug it in to do the odd Time Machine backup every couple of weeks, but that's about it. I like taking the MBP to the living room to use and the idea of having to plug and unplug an external hard drive several times a day is something I've decided not to do. Additionally, I access most of my photos/music/video through my Apple TV to play them on my TV/receiver. I also have no need to use the cloud as I don't require access to my media files when I'm out of the house.
My internal hard drive has been filling up over the last year and as it has, I've been dumping video files to my external hard drive. If I need them again, I'll simply transfer the odd one back to my MBP and add it back to the Itunes library. However, even with the odd purging, my internal drive is now filling up, mainly due to photos and videos of the little kids. The time has come, I need to do something.
I know that I have the option to store my Itunes library on an external drive (and this would quickly fix my storage issue as about half the 320 GB of space is my Itunes library), but I've been hesitate to do so. I do have an Airport Extreme Base Station downstairs and a PC Desktop as well. In reviewing these forums, I understand that I can transfer my Itunes library to my external hard drive, connect it right to the AEBS and access my Itunes files on my MBP from there. However, as I buy new music/videos from Itunes or add other media files to my Itunes on my MBP, would they automatically transfer to the Itunes library on my External, or would I have to add them each time? Is it still pretty seamless to transition to having my itunes library on an external hard drive without a lengthy list of things that you have to "put up with"?
In an effort to resist too much change, I've been thinking about simply replacing my 320 GB internal drive with a 1 TB internal drive so that I can keep things pretty much as they are...keep the Itunes library on my MBP and continue using the 2 TB external for backups and some additional storage space.
So, with that, I'm curious to hear any feedback on how to approach this...am I complicating things, are there any suggestions on how I could be organizing things way better? And finally, is your advice to increase the internal hard drive, or should I quit overthinking this and just move the ituens library to an external hard drive?
Thanks!
Lee

large external HD
A computer should never be considered a data storage device, only a data creation/ sending/ manipulation device.
All mega-storage should be a "grab and dash" item to store in a fire vault etc. Easily unhooked from a main computer capable of lightning strike, failure, easy erasure, etc.
And never ever rely on one backup ever. Recipe for disaster.
There are currently only 3 HD manufacturers, WD, Seagate, and Hitachi/Toshiba (recently acquired by WD).
No such thing as a "windows" Hard Drive either, .....only a Win formatted HD. A HD is a HD ... whatever it says or is formatted in when you buy it,... you can format it for Mac OSX extended journaled.
All personal conjecture aside, Hitachi/Toshiba are the best 2.5" HD, same used by Apple inside the Macbook Pro
..... also those running literally 1000s of HD in server farms agree on this.
That being said, WD are not recommended as an internal HD for a Mac.
Most reliable 3.5" class HD are Seagate
The LaCie drives carried in the Apple stores contain 3.5" Seagate HD
Most reliable 2.5" class HD are HItachi/Toshiba (same as used by Apple in the macbook Pro).
MUCH empirical data (and my own as well) says that Western Digital are the worst
WD has some compatibility issues with Mac.
Best bang for the buck in external 2.5" HD, is the Toshiba Canvio Basics HDTB120XK3CA 2 Terabytes 2.5" External Hard Drive
I have 4 of these tiny 2TB drives, ....theyre highly rated, and phenomenal
Currently theyre $120
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Basics-Portable-HDTB120XK3CA/dp/B00ARJD56K
People running server farms and see 1000s of HD, and failures will all tell you the same, in 3.5" class, get a Seagate, and DONT get a WD.
7 out of 10 HD failures have NOTHING to do with the HD.......if a HD fails (and they all fail) , its usually first 3 months or less
7 out of those 10 failures AFTER 3 months is NOT a bad HD, but a cheap/junk SATA connector and circuitry which connects the external HD to your computer.
Seagate large BACKUP HD 3.5" had gotten, for a while a bad reputation, but it had nothing to do with the HD, rather the cheap SATA connector interface that it was plugged into in the external casing.

ADVICE for running a "toaster clone" to internal drive in QNAP

i need to run a (presumably CCC) clone to a new QNAP drive with the two 1TB internal drives that I got in the mail from DMS today (thanks hatter).
can i please ask the list if there is anything special here in terms of running this which I am promptly going to mail off site to my brother? i'd like to make sure I am doing this right and so far (other than sitting down to re-read the QNAP documentation closer tomorrow) I am thinking that I format the drive as Mac OS Extended Journaled and that I somehow "ground" myself on concrete or keep the drives on a rubber mat or something and basically make sure I am not shuffling about on carpet or have my finger in a socket somewhere?
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thought to get some sea-faring advice before shipping them off from shore over here.
Thanks in advance for any consideration on this one.
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So clone them as bootable clones with CCC and try to boot from them to see if they are ok.
You really don't have to get overly paranoid handling the drives so long as you stay away from their pins.
As for shipping, yes, maybe there you can be a little paranoid. You probably don't have to buy anti static bags if you don't have any handy. Use some food baggies.

Need advice, one hard drive, or two, inside Mac Pro

I have several Mac Pro towers, (not the Mac Pro cylinder).
My practice going back for many years is to store everything on my primary (boot) drive in Bay 1.   I then will use hard drives in some or all of Bays, 2-4 for backup purposes.   The idea being that I would have a backup of everything on one drive.
I saw a training video the other day where the instructor said that only the OS and your other programs should go on the boot drive.   He said that your data should go on a 2nd drive in Bays 2-4.
I do see some logic in having your data on a separate drive. However, doesn't that double the backup requirements ?   I like to back up my programs because with the trend of software being downloaded it is usually not possible to purchase older versions of software so I keep them myself.
I appreciate suggestions.

Can it be that no one here runs Photoshop and/or other Adobe applications ?
< kind of a rant > The advice from that "instructor"/DESTRUCTOR described in the OP is totally wrong for someone like me who has been using Photoshop very intensively in excess of 60 hours per week, as well as Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat Pro for over 10 years.
For one thing, Adobe applications really, REALLY want to reside on your boot volume, where your OS resides. Adobe updaters and installers also look for your Applications folder on your root level or they just won't find them.
Then you really need a physically separate, dedicated hard drive for Photoshop's scratch. The scratch exceeds 250 GB at times when stitching large panoramas, and in one rare occasion I saw it exceed 800 GB.
Nothing affects speed more than insufficient RAM, and insufficient available contiguous scratch space.
To have your backups in an an internal drive won't do you any good if your motherboard or your CPU fails. A bootable, external backup volume you can boot a second machine with is essential, in my experience.
I wouldn't presume to be in a position to advise anyone else, but for me the advice doled out in this thread is way off what I need or what I would heed.
I tend to immediately put on the brakes as soon as I read someone asking "what's the best way…[to do anything]" as that usually translates to "I'm a clueless rank beginner and I have no clue as to how this program works". < /rant >
Personally, I stay away from that kind of question at the Adobe forums, and I know quite a few really experienced users who do the same.
Anyway, my apologies for interrupting. Please carry on.

How Big a Backup Drive is Needed for a 500 GB Internal drive?

I just bought a MacBook Pro (15 inch, mid 2012) with a stock 500 GB internal hard drive. I want to buy a USB 3.0 external drive for a Time Machine backup drive.
Bearing in mind that I don't keep photos or any significant quantities of big visual media (movies, etc.) on my Macs, it will take several years to even fill my internal drive halfway.
How large an external drive do I need for a backup? One vendor has suggested 1 TB, but I wanted to check with the community before purchasing.

See Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #1.
You also might want to review the Time Machine Tutorial, and perhaps browse the rest of the FAQs.

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Need some help with a Macally enclosure and a spare internal drive

Need some help with a Macally enclousure
Posted: Oct 1, 2010 10:55 AM
Reply Email
Aloha:
I have a Macally PHR-S100SUA enclousure that does not recognise,my WD 1001fals hard drive. It has worked just fine with other internal drives, but not this one?
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Hi-
Drivers aren't typically needed for external enclosures.
Macally has none listed for that enclosure.
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I need help using multiple internal drives

I have 3 internal drives and 24GB of Ram on an early 2009 G5. I've recently upgraded one drive to yosemite but my current applications are on the other drive; running 10.7.5.
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Is it advisable to do? Do the apps run any slower this way?
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M

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I was hoping to just somehow clone the volume on the old drive to the new, and blow away the old drive for other uses (TM) and fake out the OS to think nothing has changed. But when I looked in drive genius under duplicate volume, it warns me it will delete EVERYTHING on the target drive. Arg, no good. And in CCC it warns me it will make the target non-bootable. Double Arg. So what to do?
thx
coocoo
ps. I started a somewhat related thread here:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=8405889#8405889
as most of my aperture content is also on this FCP content drive and I need to move that too!
Message was edited by: coocooforcocoapuffs

Arg, I did that, just a simple copy to the new drive and some of the assets where found and some not so i had to use that dialog "reconnect media" which must be the most confusing dialog in all of Leopard, and managed to reconnect everything in this very large project in process (heaven help me if I ever have to go back to the others), but now the problem is there are many things that are unrendered. Mostly the Motion imbeds. But in the System settings FCP figured out to just change the drive name to all the cache definitions, so not sure what to do about that except re-render all the timelines. Well, I knew it was not going to be easy!
coocoo

Need advice on hard drive set up for a Mac Pro

Just changed over to a Mac and would like some advice on hard drive setup. Have a Mac Pro 2.8 with the 320 gig hard drive.
I plan to run Windows with MS Flight Simulator and Office 2007 through VMware Fusion/Boot Camp.
Will be transferring camcorder video to edit and make DVDs. Lots of music, podcasts, photos, and short videos will be stored.
I'm planning to buy additional hard drives.
Any suggestions on how many/what size hard drives to get.
What should the stock 320 hard drive be used for?
Where would I put the Windows stuff? What format/partion size?
Where should the backup go?
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Welcome to Discussions!
Here's my (current) setup.
4 x WD640AAKS. As Hatter says, brilliant drives. Whisper quiet and very fast. Plus extremesly good-priced.
Drives 1 and 2:
Raid0 boot volume. Also set as Photoshop scratch. I ran lots of tests on different setups and this is faster than having a separate scratch drive, almost the same as having a separate internal raid0 for scratch. But I felt I couldn't motivate that use of harddrive bays for the little extra it offered in speed.
Drive 3: User account on first partition and a second, 23GB partition for Windows XP.
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/p

How much space no I need to make Carbon Copy Clone of my internal drive?

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Hi Niel thanks for the quick reply,
My 250GB capacity drive is relatively full (at about 245GB). Given what you mentioned above, I assume I must need to have room for 20GB of surplus space for each backup I make?
And therefore, would I need 265GB (to backup the 245GB drive) for the first time I clone the drive?
Have I got that right?
Cheers

Advice on internal drives needed.

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