Recommended Portable Backup Drives

I would like to purchase 2 types of drives.
1.) A 1TB+ drive that I can use as backup for my project and raw footage files, and would be able to transport back and forth from home to office.
2.) A smaller portable drive that I can use to dump raw footage on after my shoots on location, using the Canon 5D/CF cards/SD cards
Any reliable drives you can recommend? I know many that crap all over Lacie but the external drives ive been using have held up for a couple years.. Thanks in advance for your recommendations/advice

Hi,
Have a look at the Nexto Range, along with a Lacie Rugged.
depends on Budget.

Similar Messages

Recommended External Backup Drive Size

Hi,
My friend bought a new iMac, 500GB. What size backup drive ought he buy?
Thanks.

That depends on what backup app he's using.
Time Machine usually needs 2-3 times the space of the data it's backing-up (see #1 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum).
If he's using CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper, a 500 GB drive would be fine, unless he's having it also keep "archive"copies. If he is, then more space will be needed.
And yes, having two separate backups is highly recommended, as is having something off-site, either with a portable external HD or an app or service that will back up via the internet.

Creating a portable backup drive that's encrypted

I've been considering an off-site backup solution like Carbonite to protect my files, particularly now almost all of my photos etc are digital and on my mac. I use Time Machine to an external desktop drive for day to day backups, but want to protect against loss from theft or fire.
I'm not keen on paying annually for something like Carbonite, and instead have been thinking of a small pocket-size portable hard drive that I can take with me regularly if I'm away from home. However, I'm also conscious of losing the hard drive and not wanting anyone finding it to have access to the files on there. Is there an easy way, without buying any new software, of making a portable external hard drive encrypted, so that I can regularly backup files to it, but if it gets lost, others can't access the files on there?
Cheers

Use Disk Utility to create an encrypted sparse bundle disk image. Store the .sparsebundle file on your external drive. Mount the disk image by double clicking it. Copy your data to the mounted virtual drive. Eject the virtual drive when done. You can also store the disk image password in your keychain so that you do not need to re-enter it when you mount the image on your own Mac.
If your drive is lost, the contents will only be retrievable be somebody who knows the disk image password.

SimpleSave portable backup drive--doesn't start automatically

I have the SimpleSave portable drive (Model sd320a) and have used it successfully. However, although when I first starting using it the drive automatically started when I plugged it into my computer, it no longer does. I must have changed some setting on my computer, but I can't figure out what I did. I now cannot get the device to start. I followed the instructions in the user manual (to start it through Vista Computer and clicking on the icon), but four file folders just come up and nothing I click on will start the application.
I use a Dell laptop with Vista Premium. Can you tell me how to fix this problem so the drive starts automatically again? Thanks.

I deleted some files off my backup drive [Simple Save] and now I find I have nothing on the drive at all. How do I replenish it to when I bought it a few weeks ago? Lanc

Thunderbolt / USB3 questions about external backup drives for my new MacBook Pro

I have a new MacBook Pro retina 13". It has two USB3 and two Thunderbolt2 ports.
Until now on my iMac I've kept two backups on two WD USB2 drives. I have never had any problems with any of my WD Passport drives. One for Time Machine and one for CCC (a complete bootable clone incrementally created at 3:30 am every day).
I'd like to get new portable drives for my MBP for these backups going forward and have a few very basic questions, since this is the first time to have a device with a USB3 port, and the first time I even heard about Thunderbolt.
If I get a USB3 drive and need to use it to restore things on my older iMac, which just has USB2, will it generally connect and run with USB2 at a slower speed? Or would I have to get a drive with both USB2 and USB3 ports?
Is Thunderbolt just an Apple thing? Or is it a new standard widely used by peripherals now? I just never heard of it before. Is it faster than USB3?
Is it common for drives to have both Thunderbolt and USB2 connections?
Are there "hubs" for Thunderbolt like there are for USB? Considering the limited number of ports, I'm wondering the best way to connect 2 external drives. My iMac has 4 USB2 ports on the back, and I connect one drive separate to each of those ports, rather than going through a hub.
Is USB3 like USB2 in that if you have even 1 USB2 device (e.g. my Logitech headset) connected to a USB3 hub it will slow down everything on that hub to USB2?
Any recommendations for good, portable backup drives?
Thanks,
Doug

Hi Doug,
Lets see if we can address some of these:
If I get a USB3 drive and need to use it to restore things on my older iMac, which just has USB2, will it generally connect and run with USB2 at a slower speed? Or would I have to get a drive with both USB2 and USB3 ports?
USB3 is "backwards compatible" with USB2 so plugging a USB3 drive into a USB2 port should work, but at USB2 speeds.
Is it common for drives to have both Thunderbolt and USB2 connections?
Drives sold as Thunderbolt often (not always) have USB as well, drives sold as USB never (in my experience) have Thunderbolt connections.
Are there "hubs" for Thunderbolt like there are for USB? Considering the limited number of ports, I'm wondering the best way to connect 2 external drives. My iMac has 4 USB2 ports on the back, and I connect one drive separate to each of those ports, rather than going through a hub.
Yes there are (but don't expect them to be comparable in price to a USB hub) e.g. see here: http://www.belkin.com/uk/p/P-F4U055/
Is Thunderbolt just an Apple thing? Or is it a new standard widely used by peripherals now? I just never heard of it before. Is it faster than USB3?
I'ts an Apple technology (like firewire) and is far from widely used on peripherals. There ARE Thunderbolt drives etc by companies such as LaCie, WD etc but they are still very expensive (3 or 4x the price of an equivalent sized USB drive). For some this was a worthwhile expense since Thunderbolt is many times faster than USB2. But the arrival of USB3 has, in my opinion, changed the landscape. Yes, Thunderbolt is theoretically faster than USB3 (up to twice as fast) but benchmark tests have shown that in real world situations, the speed difference varies from no difference to Thunderbolt being 25 or 30% faster. When you take into account that USB3 drives are more common than Thunderbolt and are only a little more expensive than USB2 drives at present, then it's a "no brainer" as far as I am concerned.
Hope this helps.
Jon

Portable Hard Drive Needed

I seem to be out of the office more and more and I need to have my files with me. I have a Mac G4 and have been researching portable hard drives, the only thing is, not many of the reviewers consider the older macs.
PC Magazine did recommend a portable drive for "older mac users" but I thought that I would ask the experts before I make a purchase.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2349221,00.asp - Iomega
* Reviewer mentions that it works with older macs. * Firewire cable.
Click free portable back up drive (no firewire cable- excellent reviews)dual prong usb cable
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptop-hard-drives/clickfree-portable-backup-drive/4505- 9997_7-33497721.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody
Lacie Little Disk
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptop-hard-drives/clickfree-portable-backup-drive/4505- 9997_7-33497721.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody
If any of you have experience with a portable drive with a powerbook, I would greatly appreciate your advice. I'm getting a headache.
Thank you in advance for your help.
My Mac
Mac OSX 10.4.11
Memory: 2GB DDR SDRAM
Machine Name: PowerBook G4 17"
Machine Model: PowerBook5,7
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.2)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.67 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.9.1f1
Serial Number: W8507*RJ3
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled
Version: 1.0

Is this the one that your son has? It looks like it gets good reviews and the fact that the company stands by their products is a big plus.
The OWC drive I pointed to is the same one my son uses. He's had it about a year with no issues. I like the fact that it's got a 3 year warranty, while others are sometimes 1 year. I have several desktop external drives that use the Oxford chipsets, and others would agree they interface very well to our macs.
The other benefit to firewire is if you either copy your system to the hard drive, to make a backup of your internal drive, or just install an operating system on it, you have the capability to boot and use your system if there is any problem with the internal hard drive. You can even partition the external drive into one partition with an operating system/backup and the second partition with business data. If you think this approach would be one you might use, take that into account when you decide what size external drive to get, ie, get a larger one than you might normally go with just for data.
Also, on an external hard drive whose purpose is primarily data storage, I probably wouldn't spend the extra on a 7200rpm drive, instead going with a 5400rpm drive (which is probably the speed of what's in your Powerbook). So ... if you have an 80GB internal hard drive today, round it to 100GB for backup, then add 300GB? for business data ... maybe a 400GB or even 500GB external hard drive would work for you. It would be a backup for your internal drive as well as hold your business data. Just a thought ....

Best backup drive for college student

Need recommendation for backup drive for college student using MacBook Pro.

Basic Backup
For some people Time Machine will be more than adequate. Time Machine is part of OS X. There are two components: 1. A Time Machine preferences panel as part of System Preferences; and, 2. A Time Machine application located in the Applications folder. It is used to manage backups and to restore backups. Time Machine requires a backup drive that is at least twice the capacity of the drive being backed up.
Alternatively, get an external drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
Carbon Copy Cloner
Data Backup
Deja Vu
SuperDuper!
Synk Pro
Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.
Although you can buy a complete external drive system, you can also put one together if you are so inclined. It's relatively easy and only requires a Phillips head screwdriver (typically.) You can purchase hard drives separately. This gives you an opportunity to shop for the best prices on a hard drive of your choice. Reliable brands include Seagate, Hitachi, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Fujitsu. You can find reviews and benchmarks on many drives at Storage Review.
Enclosures for FireWire and USB are readily available. You can find only FireWire enclosures, only USB enclosures, and enclosures that feature multiple ports. I would stress getting enclosures that use the Oxford chipsets especially for Firewire drives (911, 921, 922, for example.) You can find enclosures at places such as;
Cool Drives
OWC
WiebeTech
Firewire Direct
California Drives
NewEgg
All you need do is remove a case cover, mount the hard drive in the enclosure and connect the cables, then re-attach the case cover. Usually the only tool required is a small or medium Phillips screwdriver.

Backup Drive for Time Machine FILLS UP FAST!

*Be forewarned!*
I have a new iMac 2.8 GHz with an internal 750GB drive (about 500GB free). I bought a 500GB external drive (Western Digital Book My Book™), and after just 4 days of running with Time Machine turned on, I get this error message, "Time Machine backup failed. Time Machine needs 175GB to backup, and only 150GB available." Huh?
I just spoke to someone at the Apple Store's Genius bar, and they recommend a backup drive that is twice the size of your internal drive. (which means a 1.5 TB drive: not cheap...LaCie costs $539)
Also, come to find out some programs simply "don't play nice" with Time Machine. A good example is MS-Entourage, which has a single database file (in the Main Identity folder) which holds all the info for your email, address book and calendar. Mine is 350 MB in size, and it is being backed up IN FULL every hour because, well...I use my email. And every time any changes are made to that single file, it is considered modified, which means it is backed up every hour on the hour, which can quickly add up.
The same is true for the Windows XP or Vista VM files created by Parallels or VMware Fusion. Each are single, 2+ GB files, and each time any change is made to this 'huge' file, it gets backed up repeatedly by Leopard's Time Machine.
_So the larger the backup drive for Time Machine the better_! I'm considering giving up on Entourage (kiss Microsoft goodbye!) and switching to Apple's excellent mail, address book and calendar programs!
Tim Liszt
LisZt Design

Tim,
I just switched from Entourage to Mail (for many reasons). Thus far, I love Mail. You may want to get the Widescreen plugin for it if you like the three-pane configuration of Entourage.
You should also be careful with Address Book if you have syncing set up in Entourage. In other words, probably should turn it off, along with any daemons you may have running. I lost data twice (once before my very eyes!) until figuring this out. Used Time Machine to restore a previous address book with all my contacts.
Thanks for the other information on this thread. Since I should be upgrading my old external drive anyway, it will help in purchasing a new machine for use with TM.
Message was edited by: SPD

How do I make a backup recovery using my portable usb drive?

I have an 8gb usb flash drive, and I tried to backup my system onto it, and couldn't. It said "Please insert a usb flash greater than 7.6gb". So I inserted another portable usb drive that had over 180gb of free space, and it still keeps repeating the same message even though the drive clearly has more than 7.6gb on it, it has 180gb. So how do I correct the problem so that I can backup my recovery system? My laptop is brand new, I just bought it a few days ago, I haven't even had it a week. Here is the computer stats
Toshiba Satellite L455D-S5976
OP: Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
AMD Sempron SI-42
2GB DDR2 RAM, 250GB HDD

Duplicating your post on the same Category won't help you much and it makes it difficult by
keeping track.
The problem you are having is related to the fact that your USB Drive format is FAT or FAT 32.
This type of format doesn't allow for a single file to be greater than 2GB and 4GB respectively,
and the single backup file you are trying to copy is greater than that so it doesn't allow it.
What you can do is format your USB Drive to be NTFS, which has no limit on what size a file can be
except the size of capacity the USB can store, but I'm not sure that's a good idea because of
the disadvantages of the format.
Also you can burn it to DVD's, which is recommended, or buy an external Hard Drive.
When you insert the USB go to My Computer and left click on the USB icon and go to properties
and there you will see what format it is.

Portable external drive recommendations

I'd like to use a portable external drive to store my referenced masters (about 15k jpeg images and growing), which I would back-up periodically to a 1 TB LaCie drive. Other than getting a drive with FW800 (compatible with my MacBook Pro), should drive speed (5400 vs. 7200) be a consideration? I've noticed that 7200 rpm drives generally max out at 500 GB (and are generally more expensive), but I'd like to get a 1 TB drive. Any recommendations or suggestions?
Also, any suggestions for backing-up referenced masters from one external drive to another (frequency, approach, tools/software)?
Thanks

I buy memory and mass storage from OWC at
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/.
Plenty of 7200 rpm choices available including 1-TB size, and yes I consider 7200 rpm worthwhile. I recommend drives that allow FW800, eSATA and USB for flexibility. Slow USB-only drives for backup only can save a few bucks, but drives are cheap and I like to be able to repurpose drives instantly if the need arises so I pay extra to maintain multiple connectivity choices.
As to backup, I feel strongly that originals should be backed up before import into Aperture or any other app. Frequency of offsite backup depends on how important the image data is to you. Personally I do not erase CFs until the originals are both on the hard drive they will live on and backed up to an offsite drive (which can be as simple as a drive that lives in the car). The point is that one theft or one fire or one whatever cannot forever lose enterprise-critical photos.
HTH
-Allen Wicks

Recommendations needed for portable hard drives

Looking for a recommendation for portable hard drives -
1. I'm buying a new 2TB portable hard drive to use with my iMac for my Time Machine backups.
2. Additionally, I am buying a second 2TB portable HD for the iMac for SuperDuper back ups (I'm adding a second layer of back up and bootable clone protection to my life).
3. Finally, I need to also purchase a 1TB portable HD for SuperDuper back ups for my MacBook Air.
I'd just as soon keep life simple and buy the same brand for all 3 drives. I want things easy.
(I have Mavericks on both computers and don't want to worry about Western Digital software inadvertently being installed without my knowing it, possible causing me to lose data on my computers. So maybe it would be simplest all around to avoid WD?)
Simple and easy and reliable - that's all I ask.

Information.
Best external hard drive?

Backup I-Tunes Music to another portable hard drive?

I would like to backup my music to a portable hard drive instead of multiple DVDs within the I-Tunes program. Is there another way to do this?

You can't backup to an externa hard disk in iTunes, but there is nothing to stop you doing it in Windpws Explorer.
Assuming you have a default installation i.e music files in the iTunes Music folder, just close iTunes and copy the iTunes folder to the external disk.
It more convenient to use backsoftware which can backup changes, so after the intial backup, further backs are fast.
There is an article on backup here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1522195&#1522195

Currently have 30K pics on PC Win. 7 laptop using PSE 8, corrected issues and did full backup on portable hard drive plus saved (Extensive) Keyword tags to file. Installed PSE 13 on PC Win 8.1 laptop. Will attach same portable Hard drive to new laptop.

Currently have 30K pics on PC Win. 7 laptop using PSE 8, corrected issues and did full backup on portable hard drive plus saved (Extensive) Keyword tags to file. Installed PSE 13 on PC Win 8.1 laptop. Will attach same portable Hard drive to new laptop. How do I import prev Keyword Tags from file and Restore catalog from port. HD to new PC and in what order? I have not opened PSE 13 on new PC yet. Would like to do it right the first time!

No importing needed.
See these instructions: Use Backup, Restore to move catalog | Organizer | Elements 6 or later

Restore Windows 7 backup file to portable hard drive

Restore Windows 7 backup file to portable hard drive
I have a full system backup on an NAS - 241 zip files.
The backed up Windows 7 laptop failed irreparably, and I now have a new laptop running 8.1.
I have attempted to create a mounted drive of the old backup - but get a compatibility error from 8.1
I would like to make an accessible copy of the original Win 7 drive on a portable hard drive and access the documents, .pst files, and music files.
Any suggestions very welcome.
Thanks

Hi,
To restore your file from Windows 7, you need to restore these file from Windows 7 system, then choose the feature of system restore to restore these file.
Please refer to the link below for more details about how to restore your file. Especially notice "To restore a backup made on another computer".
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-hk/windows/restore-files-backup#1TC=windows-7
Roger Lu
TechNet Community Support

Backup Library, Albums & Titles to portable hard drive

I read the posts but confused on best way to move an entire library to a portable hard drive so it not only would be backup but also could be taken to family who also have Macs with ilife6. So they wouldn't have to manipulate individual jpegs, put in albums and retitle.
Many thanks,
Ralph

Ralph
The item that stopped it had a long title and a /.
In OS X the slash '/' is a shorthand for New Folder (or Directory), so, for instance, Home/Pictures/iPhoto Library Folder reads to the Operating System as Home Folder -> In there Pictures Folder -> In there iPhoto Library Folder. If you use a / in a file name, the computer things in means new folder and that makes no sense, so the copying stops.
How long is the Filename? OS X can use very long names (tho' I can't recall the exact amount offhand). However Window formatted disks have a 32 character limit. I wonder if your external disk is formatted for Windows?
Regards
TD

Recommended Portable Backup Drives

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