Best filesystem for external hard drive?

I just bought a Maxtor Basics 1 TB external hard drive. I think the current filesystem it is using is NTFS. Should I stick with it, or should I reformat it to ext3( or something better?). What are the advantages and disadvantages?. Primary use is in linux.

xfs is great for big files, but so is ext4. xfs sucks with small files, ext4 doesn't. ext4 by default offers safer journaling, but it will be easily available only with the next kernel release, which should come soon, and might be regarded as more hazardous than well-tested xfs. Converting a filesystem from ext3 to ext4 is trivial, but you'd have to move the old files around to make them use extents.
I myself have moved my /home partition, holding mostly big files, to ext4 from xfs, but that's because of its better small file performance.

Similar Messages

Best setup for external hard drive and iMac?

Just purchased a Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1TB external HD for my Mac OSX 10.5.8. Would like to use it to backup all my pics/writing (I am a writer/photog), videos, and music - about 400 gigs worth at present. As an analog person, I am confused as to how best I should format the drive:
option 1 being to use drive with Time Machine (just now heard of it),
option 2 to use drive for storage and backup (what's the diff) using Memeo software,
option 3 to use for storage by reformatting with Disc Utilities.
This, no doubt, is easy language for most of you, but Japanese to me, a Nuyorican.
Again, I mainly would like to have backups for what's on my iMac, in case that dreaded day comes and it goes kaput. What would be the best option for me to simply transfer everything, unplug it and put it in a safe place? And if and when I do that, could I, two years, months, weeks later, plug it back in and add what pics or whatever I've accrued to it and replace it in that safe place once again? Looking for what is most practical for the safe keeping of my precious files.
Hope my old tactile-inclined *** is making sense.
Appreciate any and all assistance here. Thanks in advance.

I have to agree with JG, I'd strongly recommend using Time Machine as your primary backup. BTW there is a forum specifically for TM that has a FAQ section and if you need it (most never do) a troubleshooting section. You can find that forum at:
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1227
Many people like myself believe in redundant backups, in other words 2 is better than one. If you decide to go that route you will need a second external HD and then use software like SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner. What these applications do is create bootable clones, so if your iMac's internal HD dies you have a bootable clone that you can use to run your machine until the internal HD is replaced. Dual backups are also good if one backup's HD dies.
Below are links to 3 articles I found in MacWorld magazine, what they are is backup strategies of 3 individuals to give you some ideas so you can figure out what is best for your needs.
Operating any computer without a backup plan is a recipe for disaster. Many people put their digital life on their computer (photographs, music, movies etc..) without a backup and then cry and moan when their computer dies. These days there is no reason one shouldn't be backing up their computer.
http://www.macworld.com/article/157414/2011/02/mybackupplanlex.html
http://www.macworld.com/article/156643/2011/01/howi_back_up_frakes.html?lsrc=top1
http://www.macworld.com/article/141363/2009/07/backup.html
Roger

Thunderbolt Dock for External Hard Drive

Hi there,
I'm trying to find a Thunderbolt Dock for External Hard Drive.
One of these http://www.topbuy.com.au/tbcart/pc/External-SATA-Hard-Drive-Docking-Station-USB- Interface-937p3180.htm
But with Thunderbolt connector instead of USB, Firewire, eSATA etc.
Do these exist?
The only thing I could find close is the Seagate Go Flexi Adapter, but that only works for those drives.
Thanks,
Grant

I would suggest this:
http://www.belkin.com/thunderbolt/
It will do more than you need and require, and you still would need to get an eSATA docking station, but that's what you really want anyways.
Thunderbolt is a bleeding edge tech still (as evidenced but the fact that nobody yet has a good dock for it) but if you go the modular approach you can still pickup your docking station with eSATA and FW800 and USB etc. and take it to a friend's and have more chance of being able to plug it in. and since you're getting a dock and not a drive you want it PC/Mac friendly because you can swap drives to ones formatted for the system. Plus this accessory will be really great if you ever get a Mac Book Air or Retina Display MB Pro that just don't have ethernet or eSATA or even firewire anymore.
And i know that tbolt is faster than eSATA natively, but if you're plugging in a SATA HD then, well i don't think i need to finish that sentance.

AC cords for external hard drives?

okay! everyone uses external hard drives, yes?
It's great that they connect to computers via standardized ports & cables: USB, firewire, eSATA.
but why is it that the power cords for external hard drives are completely unstandardized?
I have an external USB enclosure that I can't use because I misplaced the AC cord (my bad!)
my question: is there a chart somewhere that shows the different types of power cords for hard drive enclosures (they're the same batch of options for monitors, external CDR burners etc, optical drives etc.)
thanks
Will

I think nerowolfe was referring to the types of AC "mains" appliance power cords, specifically to the connector on the end that attaches to an AC powered device like a computer or power brick. While there are a lot of connectors used for this, there are only a few commonly used in the computer industry. The two most common are the "universal" 3 blade ones used on Mac & most PC desktops & the "figure 8" two pin ones used on many laptop power bricks, as shown below.
It would be no problem to find one of those at a Radio Shack or similar store, but as Network 23 says, most external hard drives use separate DC power supplies, & they can be fitted with one of many types of small plugs. Gumsie's advice more or less applies to these, with the following important exceptions:
• Most drives require DC, not AC power. (Thus the plus & minus polarity markings.)
• The DC power supply characteristics are not completely specified by voltage & current numbers. Some power bricks supply a well-filtered, electronically regulated voltage that doesn't vary with the current drawn from it; others a poorly filtered voltage with substantial AC "ripple" components and/or an unregulated voltage that varies from well above the rated one at zero current down to the rated voltage at the rated current. The second type is intended for devices that do not have critical voltage requirements or contain built-in filtering & regulation. They will most likely damage or cause mis-operation in voltage-sensitive devices like hard drives even if their nominal ratings are correct.
• It is not always easy to tell the two types of power bricks apart but in general the regulated types use switching supply technology & as a result are much lower in weight than the cruder ones, which use relatively heavy iron core transformers. Also, because switching supplies can easily be made that accept a wide range of mains voltages, essentially all of the "universal" power bricks rated for 100 to 220 VAC inputs use switching supplies & often are fitted with a "figure 8" type mains connector so the same brick can be sold in different countries with a mains power cord supplied with an appropriate plug for that country's wall outlets. Typically, cheap "wall wart" supplies like those sold at Radio Shack are not the regulate kind & should be used with caution with sensitive electronics. It is especially important when using them to match both current & voltage rating as closely as possible to avoid the over-voltage problem.
• A few of the more sophisticated external supplies have special features like "fold-back" current limiting. In most regulated supplies, if an over-current situation is encountered, the supply limits the current by reducing the voltage to whatever level causes its maximum rated current to be supplied. This protects the supply but not necessarily the powered device, which may be damaged by a sustained low voltage condition. (This is particularly true for electric motors.) Fold-back current limiting basically shuts down the supply until the over-current condition is corrected, which protects the powered device more completely.
• Because of all of the above, it is always safest to use the power brick furnished as original equipment with the drive or to obtain a new one as a replacement part from the vendor. If you use anything else, you do so at your own risk & you may very well damage the drive if you are unlucky enough to make a bad choice.
• A little humor to lighten this up a bit: Did you know that all electronics devices are really smoke-powered? It's true! This explains why, if you let the smoke out, they quit working!

What is the best pre-installed external hard drive for my macbook pro?

I need advise on what kind of pre-enstalled external hard drive which supports both usb and firewire to get for my new macbook pro? I would like to stay in the $100. range but am willing to go higher .

giftshopgurl wrote:
pre-enstalled external hard drive
Pre-installed with what?
Your best bet is to always format a new hard drive, so there are no surprises.
If you buy an external HD specifying ready for Mac ( or some such) it will cost you more for nothing.

Would like some opinions re: best backup software/external hard drives for windows xp and windows 7

Recently tried to restore a corrupted hard drive with a Toshiba canvio hard drive with NTI Backup Now EZ I purchased in 2010. Was only able to restore a few files, had a very hard time working with the software, even contacted NTI, still not much luck. Am unhappy with the NTI software, and want to know what external hard drives and what software the community has used and would recommend for Windows XP and Windows 7? Thank you so much in advance for your time and opinions.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

It doesn't matter which external drive you use.
Let's talk about backing up the entire drive. Be sure to burn the disc that enables you to restore.
Windows XP does not have a decent image backup built-in. I understand this free one works well.
EaseUS Todo Backup Free
Windows 7 has a decent one.
Learn more about system image backup
Windows 8 contains the same backup. Open "Windows 7 File Recovery" (sdclt.exe).
-Jerry

Can anyone suggest best 500 GB external hard drive for MAC PRO?

Genius Bar rep told me to back up hard drive before delving into whirring tower... Any suggestions for a 500 GB automatic external hard drive? I've researched several, but they all seem to have drawbacks. Reliability and a quiet fan are priorities. Thanks.

Thanks so much for sharing that. Just talked to Apple support .... MAC PRO apparently has 4 slots for drives, and they would be covered under the Apple Protection Plan. With Leopard, they could be set to back up automatically. Thx again!

Best 1 tb external hard drive for imac intel?

Hi, any recommendations for an external hard drive that is really compatible with the imac? I'm considering the Western Digital My Book. Many thanks.

Most external hard drives should be compatible with your iMac however you may need to reformat the drive if it comes pre-formatted for Windows(which is easy enough to do). Also know that some drives are designed with auto power features where the drive does not have a power switch and is just supposed to power on/off automatically with your computer. However these are the drives that most people have complaints about. My recommendation is to get one that has a power switch instead of the auto power feature. I would also get a FireWire drive over a USB only drive. The Mercury Elite drives from OWC are of excellent quality and are designed primarily for Mac users: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/400+USB2/
George

What's 'best-practice' with external hard drives?

Hello folks,
I just got myself a 500GB LaCie d2 'Quadra' hard drive, and it works great - just as I was led to expect. Now I've connected it to my iMac with a FW400 cable. I've a few questions regarding general usage and 'best practice' when using an external hard drive like this:
1. Do I need to disconnect it (pull out the cable from my iMac) every time I Shutdown - and reconnect on Startup? Or can I leave it it and pretty much just forget about it?
2. Can I turn it 'on' and 'off' any number of times (using the on/off switch on the back) when working on the iMac? I might like to switch it off if I'm not using it for an extended period of time while still working on the computer. Is this okay?
3. When I'm not using the drive and the drive switch is 'off', can the drive still remain connected to 'mains' power? Or is it necessary to disconnect it from the 'mains' entirely?
4. I understand it's best to disconnect when 'Repairing Permissions?' Can this be confirmed?
Thanks so much.
Cheers!
Steve.

1. Do I need to disconnect it (pull out the cable from my iMac) every time I Shutdown - and reconnect on Startup? Or can I leave it it and pretty much just forget about it?
What I do is shut down my Mac, leaving it connected to the mains: the external HD, external speakers and other peripherals are all connected to a mains switch and I turn these off. There's no need to disconnect the cable: some disks spin down when the computer is shut down, some don't. It probably wouldn't hurt to leave it spinning anyway, though I prefer to shut it off at the mains. Incidentally I shouldn't disconnect the computer from the mains when you shut down: doing this will run down the PRAM battery and hasten the day it needs replacing, which is expensive.
2. Can I turn it 'on' and 'off' any number of times (using the on/off switch on the back) when working on the iMac? I might like to switch it off if I'm not using it for an extended period of time while still working on the computer. Is this okay?
I shouldn't do this: the most strain on a hard disk is when it is starting up, not when it is running: I should leave it running all the time the Mac is on. If you do switch it off, make sure to unmount it first (drag it to the trash) otherwise you will have all sorts of problems.
3. When I'm not using the drive and the drive switch is 'off', can the drive still remain connected to 'mains' power? Or is it necessary to disconnect it from the 'mains' entirely?
No: I see no problem in leaving it plugged in to the mains: the 'off' switch disconnects it anyway.
4. I understand it's best to disconnect when 'Repairing Permissions?' Can this be confirmed?
I've never heard this, and I can't see that there's any neccesity: the repairing process will be confined to the disk you have nominated to work on in any case.

Recommendations for External Hard Drive?

Would appreciate hearing people's suggestions for an external hard drive to use with my current Mac. I see that some brands have longer warranty than others, and some may have bundled software for Mac use, while others don't. Reliability is essential.
I'll be using the the drive to back-up files for safety, documents and especially photos. I think a drive 500GB or greater is probably appropriate.
Eventually I'll upgrade to a newer, faster machine, so buying a drive that works with what I have now as well as the computer I move to in the future would be nice.
Please let me know if I need to provide you with any other information to help you make your suggestions.
Thanks!

dflow:
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Excellent move. Regular backups is the best thing you can do for your valuable data. A 500 GB HDD will give you plenty of space for quite a while. You want to be sure to get a drive with an Oxford chipset. The firewire bridge is usually the first thing to fail in a firewire HDD, and the Oxford chipsets are the most reliable available. The previous poster mentioned OWC. I agree. The Nepune is their economy version, but a very reliable drive. The better quality Mercury Drives offer a wider range of options and the same rock solid reliability. You can choose Firewire or Firewire/USB, as well at Firewire 400/800 depending on your computer.
Once you have the HDD you will need to format and partition it, but more of that later. Look through the offerings above and post back with questions.
cornelius

Recommendations for External Hard Drives?

This is the first time I am buying an external Hard Drive. I am looking for a 200GB-300GB
What would be considered the best of the best? good? fair?

I use and recommend the Mercury Elite Pro drives from OWC found HERE. They do ship internationally, but if you do not want the customs hassle, look for a drive that features the Oxford 911 chipset and avoid at all costs the cheaper and more common Prolific chipset that has shown itself to be unstable with Macs and PCs alike.

Minimum connection for external hard drive

Hopefully this is the correct subdepartment for this question.
I'm shopping for an external hard drive to which I'll be saving and storing movies and digital videos. The playback method will be a Powerbook G4 (15-inch FW800 1.5GHz) running DVD Player connected with composite cables to a TV -- any TV.
I'm searching for best value in terms of GB per dollar in the 300GB range. There are so many variables, but I think connection type is biggest factor. Are the USB 2.0 drives fast enough for what I need or would FW800 be a more reasonable minimum? Are there other more important factors?
2GHz Mac OS X (10.4.4) 23"17"PB15

Here's a portion of what I posted to a similar question. First, regarding FW400 vs FW800, if I were going to be reading data off a FW connection for immediate usage as you described, I'd want to use the fastest connection possible, FW800. From the other post....
A Western Digital 320 gb external enclosure (USB/FW 400) goes for around $200. However, all have one year warranties.
Another option, assemble your own, requires the hard drive and case: A 320 gb Western Digital, with a 5 year warranty, 7200 rpm ultra ATA interface (you can't use a serial ATA interface with a pre-Oct PB), cost for the drive around $140. They also make drives for a few bucks less with 3 year warranties. I prefer Western Digital drives over Seagate drives, as I've found them to run cooler.
Add a Rosewill RX30 external case (includes power supply and USB/FW 400) $60. This brushed aluminum case looks like it was made to sit right next to our PB's (I've got one). You can see it at their web site at http://www.rosewill.com/product/product.aspx?productId=80 or also at Newegg at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817173003. So for $200, you can have a 320gb hard drive with a 3 to 5 year warranty, and a stunning case. If you want, the Rosewill case also comes with FW800 for another $35.
Assembling it is very easy - you can read the directions on Rosewill's site at http://www.rosewill.com/RosewillSoftware/RX30_eng.pdf , for example. You disassemble the case by taking out 4 screws on the bottom of the Rosewill case, plug the included plug into the hard drive, secure the hard drive with 4 screws to the case, and reassemble it.

Improve Support for External Hard Drives

I have tens of thousands of images, so many that they won't fit on a single hard drive size that comes in laptops, and yet I like to have all of the thumbnail images in a single database along with the keywords so I can search. Just today, a client emailed wanting me to check on some photos from last fall, and I'm out of the office right now.
Yes, Lightroom will come up even though the external hard drive is missing, *BUT* its checking each of the images that aren't there, and since there's tens of thousands of them, its taking forever.
I will leave it up to the designers to craft a solution, but offhand I'd say the best solution is to make the program smart enough to notice when images are stored on an external hard drive, and not freak out when that hard drive isn't there.

It is not freaking out. It is just checking, but as you say there are 'thousands'. What I think they will be doing is moving it to more of a background process like they do preview building, so it won't be as much in the way. I think this is what can be hoped for.
Don
Don Ricklin, MacBook 1.83Ghz Duo 2 Core, Pentax *ist D
http://donricklin.blogspot.com/

Help with icon for external hard drive

I am in need of the AUTORUN.inf File for the toshiba 593400-E 320 Gb external hard drive. I am missing the icon that shows up with the drive.

Just to clarify - when you run Disk Utility (in your Utilities folder) the drive you bought doesn't show up in the window under your boot drive?
If it appears on your desktop, you should see it in the Disk Utility window as this displays all mounted drives.
You then click on the drive (Mybook3.0 or whatever it appears as), and choose Erase from the options on the right.
Best Wishes.

Disk repair for external hard drive

Hi, I gave my son an external hard drive to back up his school work, besides the normal backups of on the Time Capsule. So how he managed to hget the external hard dirve disappear from the screen while there is no back up left on the TC.
I have tried disk utility an number of time on several computers to get the External hard drive working. No luck there. I have tried restore in disk utility, but I cannot get the source and destination righty for a reason.
I have read an advice of Francine Schwieder dating back to 2007 where she advised to run terminator, this is the result I get while the xternal hard drive was connected to my Imac.
Last login: Sun Oct 9 22:14:37 on ttys000
imac-chf-baak:~ charles2008$
Last login: Fri Dec 7 20:58:20 on console
iMac:~ charles2008$
iMac:~ charles2008$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *1.0 TB     disk0
   1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Macintosh HD            999.3 GB   disk0s2
   3:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s3
/dev/disk1
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:     FDisk_partition_scheme                        *1.0 TB     disk1
   1:                  Apple_HFS lucas hard drive        1.0 TB     disk1s1
iMac:~ charles2008$
Last login: Fri Dec 7 21:19:20 on ttys000
iMac:~ charles2008$
With my limited knowledge, was a partition placed on this external hard drive ? I cannot see or acces the external hard drive.
Is there anyone who can help me with this ?
Hope to hear from you.
Charles
Francine Schwieder Southern Cal

If you wan to give Data Rescue 3 a spin (I'm testing it out now for the first time) you can get it - and a number of other apps - for $50 from MacUpdate's December Bundle.
Because I have redundant backups, I've never used either DiskWarrior or Data Rescue 3 - but I wanted to try it so that I will be able to know how well it works (or doesn't).
Clinton

Best filesystem for external hard drive?

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