External HDD Questions

[BarkingPup]

I have a external hardrive and some questions.

1) Is it ESATA (or whatever)? When I click properties it tells me it is a: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-T10N ATA Device

2) If it is a SATA can I put games on there and safely run them off the drive? Can I install programs (like itunes or skype) and have them run properly?

3) It came with a reeeeally crappy backup system that I quickly realized was waaay too stupid to use. Unfortunately, this was after it had backed up (or what it considers backed up). I was wondering if I could safely delete the backup folder and not compromise the actual drive. It tells me this in a notepad labelled: DO NOT MODIFY!! (with both exlamation points... how sad)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>
<!--This file is automatically generated.-->
<DataCladFileStore>
<Message>This directory is being used as an AutoBackup File Store. MODIFYING OR DELETING ANYTHING IN HERE WILL CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO YOUR BACKUPS. DON'T DO IT!</Message>
<Version>2.5.0.0</Version>
<BuildVersion>2.50.2012</BuildVersion>
<BuildType>wd</BuildType>
<eSellerID>STR0320759589</eSellerID>
<ProductType>autobackup</ProductType>
<Lang>en-US</Lang>
<OwnerToken />
<EncryptionKey />
</DataCladFileStore>

But if I'm not using the backup than I assume it is safe to delete or 'modify'.

4) I use Windows Live One Care on Vista and it's what I'm currently using for backing things up. Supposebly it backs all of the computer onto the hardrive you tell it to (in my case this external one). But all of the files are zipped and I have no idea what this means and if it IS a backup or if it's backing up both hardrives.

So, anyway, those are my questions.

 

[PC eye]

1) The type of connector going from the drive's housing to the case will tell right off what type of external drive is in use. If it goes to a usb port it's an external usb drive. eSata is simply an extension of a sata port running an internal cable to an eSata port on the case or seen on an adapter card installed in a PCI slot. There are also combination drives seeing usb, eSata, and 1394 Firewire.

The properties screen is displaying the HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-T10N information for an optical drive not a hard drive however. You may have right clicked on the wrong drive listing in the device manager.

2)Installing softwares or even an OS to an external drive is very ill advised. External drives are intended for extra drive space in order to backup and store data never intended to see programs run from them.

3) + 4) For Windows users not planning on running Mac the manufacturers's recommendations upon first buying a new external hard drive is reformat/covert the factory Fat32 partition to see that become an NTFS type before starting to copy files onto. You can then take the drive from pc to laptop and back running 2000, XP, or Vista and not have to worry about installing or reinstalling the program since Windows will simply detect and install it as a new logical drive.

The WD external usb drive here came with extras like Memeo or some off name like that for backing things up. Both XP and now Vista have their own scheduled process for that. With Vista you can schedule a full system backup that will see a large compressed archive for system restoration.

Once a backup is created you have to use that same feature to restore the system from the designated archive created. The archive contains what is seen on the Host drive/primary partition only and not any second or third drive or partition. Where the archive is placed however is where you specify when using the feature.

 

[BarkingPup]

Thank you

It apparently does have an Esata (or whatever) plug in thingy but I didn't recieve a cord for it. I don't really plan on using it as such anyhow...

Damn, so I should have formatted it like I usually do. Erm, at least that's what I assume you mean (Drag and drop?). Fortunately, I have two backups of my personal files on different external devices so losing the backup on the big one won't affect anything.

I never thought of there being a problem with the OS but now that I think about it... yeah.

I'm supposing what Live one Care is doing is zipping the computer into portions... it doesn't do one big file... is it doing it right?

Erm, yeah, it came with what I believe is WD Everywhere Backup (which only scanned one hardrive, didn't back everything up, and took two hours for four GB's). I have a smaller Maxtor portable one that I reformatted to be drag and drop because I realized that not every computer will recognize the program and it backed them into weird files when I wanted to be able to click on a specific document (it couldn't fit both Hardrives anyways because that goddamn Maxtor stuff took up almost five GB's).

 

[PC eye]

What Vista does is create one large archive you will see dated. That will only back up the primary partition/drive for the most there. But you have to designate where that will be.

Backups do take quite a bit of time no matter if you the Windows option or a 3rd app for this. Besides the read/copy time you also have to look at the time it takes to compress a large range of files and folders. Businesses will simply schedule regular backups during non busy or off hours while the home user would have to see this overnight or when away from the system all day not while running games or apps.

The main problem with installing anything on anything removable like an external drive is the likely failure of detection when replugging one in. If you boot up without the drive plugged in the next time you go to boot with it the installer for the drive appears. The only time anything installed could work is always having the drive plugged in. With 3rd party boot loaders the often seen advice is to first unplug any external drives/devices to avoid OS hangups.

By reformatting to NTFS for Windows use only the drive is automatically detected even in XP when you plug it in but simply see the auto play popup while Windows still detects and installs it as a logical drive. With the original Fat32 seen on most one small thing can knock the drive out with seemingly no way to get it going again without a FaQ section advice from the support site while you actually won't need any installer once reformatted to NTFS and you plug it in first before powering up.

If you just Windows without it it will then be seen as a new hardware and see the "Windows will now install your new hardware" message as the drive then sees a drive letter assigned to it. In order to see any backup restored if you have to reinstall Windows the drive will have to remain plugged in before and after a fresh copy of Windows to see that work.

For eSata some cases seeing an eSata port will have a cable on the inside that plugs into a sata port on the board. Then all you need is one you can find at a local Circuit City, Staples, CompUSA, or other place that carries pc accessories as well as drives. Even a local Walmart may have a few onhand depending on store. If you can't one right off at a retail store there's always a vendor like TigerDirect, CA. or memoryexpress where you are.