External Hard Drive

MikeVic · 07-14-2008, 03:44 PM

The second hard drive in my home computer is making horrible noises, so I want to back up all of my stuff (yeah I know, I should've had a backup in place already)...

I'm looking to get an external drive to keep as a backup of files, and was wondering if anyone had experience with this Western Digital:
http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product....4298*&topnav=#

Rich1033 · 07-14-2008, 04:00 PM

Yep, I have the 500gig My Book. Works great and have had no problems.

MizzouRah · 07-14-2008, 06:42 PM

I have the same, love it.

MikeVic · 07-14-2008, 08:38 PM

So... is there some lock against copying .ISO files? I bought this thing, and when I try copying a .ISO file, it tells me there's not enough space (which there is)... other files seem to be working.

MikeVic · 07-14-2008, 08:41 PM

Dola,

It seems to be .ISO files over 4GB in size?

Fidatelo · 07-14-2008, 09:35 PM

You probably have it formatted as FAT, if you want files over 4GB you need NTFS on there.

Rich1033 · 07-14-2008, 09:39 PM

Huh, never heard of anything like that. I dont have any .ISO files of that size to test out. All I can say is that I have never had any sort of trouble moving any files over.

Edit- Well never mind, looks like Fidatelo found the problem.

MikeVic · 07-14-2008, 10:09 PM

That's weird. Why does it come as default FAT?? I'll have to look into this.

samifan24 · 07-14-2008, 10:16 PM

I just started a similar thread a few weeks ago. I picked up a Western Digital 500 GB MyBook to use with Time Machine. I clicked one button and that was it. Smooth sailing ever since.

MikeVic · 07-14-2008, 10:38 PM

Looks like I have to format it to NTFS. I just find it weird that it came as FAT by default!

I looked at the one-touch software that came with it, but I don't want to use it as a regular backup thing. Just kind of a place to manually put some files.

Fidatelo · 07-14-2008, 11:05 PM

They come as FAT to be compatible with older operating systems. It is frustrating though, the first time I got a drive I did the same thing, just started copying files onto it without even thinking. Several weeks, and about 150GB of data later, I tried a 4+GB file and couldn't get it to go. At that point I had nowhere else to offload the data, so I was stuck. That drive is still my main personal storage drive, and still on FAT, and I hate it for that.

MikeVic · 07-15-2008, 08:35 AM

Thanks for the answer, I don't think I'd even bother to check for the format. You'd think drives now wouldn't care for the older OS.

I copied a bunch of data from a dying drive at home, but luckily it's not dead (yet) and I can just format the My Book and do the copy again.

lordscarlet · 07-15-2008, 08:43 AM

Microsoft's eternal curse is backwards compatibility.

MizzouRah · 07-15-2008, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeVic

That's weird. Why does it come as default FAT?? I'll have to look into this.

Yeah.. they come that way for some reason. Format it as NTFS and you'll be good to go.

sabotai · 09-05-2008, 06:37 PM

Bump,

I'm looking to get a large, external hard drive. Is the consensus still that the Western Digital My Book drives are the best out there?

MizzouRah · 09-05-2008, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai

Bump,

I'm looking to get a large, external hard drive. Is the consensus still that the Western Digital My Book drives are the best out there?

I haven't had any problems with them.

Matthean · 09-05-2008, 08:26 PM

Western Digital, or Seagate are the way to go. Those are two I recommend for costumers at were I work. Both have 5 year limited warranties, which is as good as anybodies. I got a 160GB Seagate for my birthday and I've had no real issue with it.

MikeVic · 09-05-2008, 10:23 PM

I am happy with mine so far.

Godzilla Blitz · 09-09-2008, 12:25 AM

If anyone's looking for cheap alternatives, I got this drive from NewEgg to use with TimeMachine and it's worked out great.

07-14-2008, 09:35 PM	#6
Fidatelo Pro Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Winnipeg, MB	You probably have it formatted as FAT, if you want files over 4GB you need NTFS on there. __________________ "Breakfast? Breakfast schmekfast, look at the score for God's sake. It's only the second period and I'm winning 12-2. Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, the Whale, they only beat Vancouver maybe once or twice in a lifetime."

07-14-2008, 09:39 PM	#7
Rich1033 High School Varsity Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sylvania, Ohio	Huh, never heard of anything like that. I dont have any .ISO files of that size to test out. All I can say is that I have never had any sort of trouble moving any files over. Edit- Well never mind, looks like Fidatelo found the problem. Last edited by Rich1033 : 07-14-2008 at 09:40 PM.

07-14-2008, 10:16 PM	#9
samifan24 Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: NC	I just started a similar thread a few weeks ago. I picked up a Western Digital 500 GB MyBook to use with Time Machine. I clicked one button and that was it. Smooth sailing ever since. __________________ "You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball...and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." -Jim Bouton

07-14-2008, 11:05 PM	#11
Fidatelo Pro Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Winnipeg, MB	They come as FAT to be compatible with older operating systems. It is frustrating though, the first time I got a drive I did the same thing, just started copying files onto it without even thinking. Several weeks, and about 150GB of data later, I tried a 4+GB file and couldn't get it to go. At that point I had nowhere else to offload the data, so I was stuck. That drive is still my main personal storage drive, and still on FAT, and I hate it for that. __________________ "Breakfast? Breakfast schmekfast, look at the score for God's sake. It's only the second period and I'm winning 12-2. Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, the Whale, they only beat Vancouver maybe once or twice in a lifetime."

07-15-2008, 08:43 AM	#13
lordscarlet Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Washington, DC	Microsoft's eternal curse is backwards compatibility. __________________ Sixteen Colors ANSI/ASCII Art Archive "...the better half of the Moores..." -cthomer5000

07-14-2008, 04:00 PM	#2
Rich1033 High School Varsity Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sylvania, Ohio	Yep, I have the 500gig My Book. Works great and have had no problems.

07-14-2008, 06:42 PM	#3
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	I have the same, love it.

07-14-2008, 08:38 PM	#4
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	So... is there some lock against copying .ISO files? I bought this thing, and when I try copying a .ISO file, it tells me there's not enough space (which there is)... other files seem to be working.

07-14-2008, 08:41 PM	#5
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	Dola, It seems to be .ISO files over 4GB in size?

07-14-2008, 10:09 PM	#8
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	That's weird. Why does it come as default FAT?? I'll have to look into this.

07-14-2008, 10:38 PM	#10
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	Looks like I have to format it to NTFS. I just find it weird that it came as FAT by default! I looked at the one-touch software that came with it, but I don't want to use it as a regular backup thing. Just kind of a place to manually put some files.

07-15-2008, 08:35 AM	#12
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	Thanks for the answer, I don't think I'd even bother to check for the format. You'd think drives now wouldn't care for the older OS. I copied a bunch of data from a dying drive at home, but luckily it's not dead (yet) and I can just format the My Book and do the copy again.

09-05-2008, 06:37 PM	#15
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	Bump, I'm looking to get a large, external hard drive. Is the consensus still that the Western Digital My Book drives are the best out there?

09-05-2008, 08:26 PM	#17
Matthean Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Aug 2008	Western Digital, or Seagate are the way to go. Those are two I recommend for costumers at were I work. Both have 5 year limited warranties, which is as good as anybodies. I got a 160GB Seagate for my birthday and I've had no real issue with it.

09-05-2008, 10:23 PM	#18
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	I am happy with mine so far.

09-09-2008, 12:25 AM	#19
Godzilla Blitz College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	If anyone's looking for cheap alternatives, I got this drive from NewEgg to use with TimeMachine and it's worked out great. __________________ Current Blog Projects: Final Fantasy: Lost in Japanese Kaboom Review

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