Back up key data with external drives

One of the recurring themes you will find in my columns is backing up key data. Too many of our clients bring us PCs with dead hard drives and then tell us, sometimes tearfully, that they lost family photos, their doctoral thesis or something else of great import.

There are a couple of good ways to back up data. Dell is offering an option called "DataSafe" that basically is two hard drives (one hidden). The second hard drive automatically backs up the first in what geeks would call a RAID1 configuration. (RAID stands for "Redundant Array of Independent Disks).

So when your first hard drive fails (and it will), you will have a second hard drive containing the data.

Here's the downside of that theory: if something happens to the PC itself (a power surge, a fire, theft) then you lose both disks and therefore everything.

So in addition to a RAID1, I would also use an external drive connected by USB or Firewire port. You turn on the drive, plug it into the computer and it shows up as an additional hard drive.

You can use backup software (usually included with the external drive) to back up the entire primary drive, just the files you like or drag and drop the files that you really want to keep.

Here's the important (and often ignored) part. When you're not using an external USB drive, turn it off.

If you leave a USB drive running all the time you run a further risk of burning that one up. It's best to turn it on monthly for a while, but don't leave it running all the time.

I have liked the Western Digital models, which often are on sale after the dreaded rebate for less than $50.

But what to do for laptops?

You can bring your laptop over to a larger, full-size drive or invest in a smaller 2.5-inch external drive and carry it with you as needed.

I took a look at one 40 GB model, a "Dragon Drive" from US Modular (www.usmodular.com). The drive is a Seagate ATA 2.5" disk inside an 80-by-15-by-143 mm aluminum enclosure. It has USB 2.0/1.1 and Firewire 400 ports. The drive comes with a black plastic carrying case with pockets for the drive and connecting cables.

If you use the drive with a Mac you're all set; the drive can be fully powered by the Firewire socket.

However, if you use USB (as with most PCs) you will need to use two of the included cables, one for power and one for data. That means you will need two USB sockets on the PC. (If you only have one, you will need a 9V AC adapter, which is not included.)

The drive appears solid as a brick and doesn't get very hot, unlike some plastic models I have seen. (I think aluminum helps dissipate the heat.)

The drive costs about $100 for the 40GB model; larger ones also are available.

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James Derk is co-owner of CyberDads, a computer repair company, and a computer columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is jim@cyberdads.com.