Computer help please

Willow
Willow Posts: 11,044
in The Clubhouse
What I would like to do is use all 3 of my HD and 1 SSD (which is also boot drive) and use them in conjunction with my new laptop to be used as the real boot and main "brains" can I just buy a slim tower to power and house the drives? I want to get rid of the big tower desktop (it's also getting older and slower).

Thanks
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    Sounds to me like you should buy 1 large external HD, load it up with everything you have, connect it to your laptop/network, and dump the rest. 10TB WD go for ~$200US and are frequently on sale.

    Just my $0.02...
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,044
    The reason I like having a couple of drives is to protect me from disk failure. I have a drive of all my stuff, one for pics and videos then a backup drive for all.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    edited September 2020
    Get an NAS (or is that "a NAS"? ... or just "NAS").
    Network attached storage. Populate with 2 or 4 drives and have some fault-resistant storage on line.

    I have a small one now (graciously passed along to me by one of the local hifi gurus) -- two 2 TB drives -- and I've already decided to move to a bigger/more serious system soon. I love the danged thing.

    6fjb5f2ldo25.jpg

    This is the one I've got my eye on (and, courtesy of my kind and much-beloved son, I've already got two 6 TB drives to populate it with)
    https://www.newegg.com/synology-ds220/p/N82E16822108743

    The four drive NAS gives one maximum bang in terms of fault-resistant on-line storage, but will be commensurately pricier. :)

    Alternatively you can buy little interface boxes that will hold an HDD (or SSD) and inteface with a USB (2 or 3) port to keep (or get) a "surplus" disk online as and if desired.

    I have one of these, too -- mostly used to clone laptop HDDs when I "upgrade" to an SSD. :)
    This is the one I have, FWIW (acquired from Newegg years ago):
    https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Armer-RX202-Enclosure-Indication/dp/B011LZY56W

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    Willow wrote: »
    The reason I like having a couple of drives is to protect me from disk failure. I have a drive of all my stuff, one for pics and videos then a backup drive for all.

    Then make those drives your backups. Your security drives in case the new storage solution fails.

    What size are the other 4 HDDs? How much space do you need/want?
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CottageChz
    CottageChz Posts: 393
    If you don’t know already about them, look into RAID arrays. You can set up most (or all?) NAS as RAID. Basically you use multiple HDDs and it can mirror data in a variety of ways so that if one drive fails you lose no data. You just pop in a new drive and it repopulates it just like the old drive was. Redundancy.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
    What they said about the NAS and I would add that you should get a portable drive of the same capacity update as needed and leave it in your car or in my case in my backpack that goes everywhere with me.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • maximillian
    maximillian Posts: 2,144
    Retire the old HD's and get new ones. Whether a NAS or external drives, start with fresh drives so they are less likely to fail. You will need to address backup methodology and software to cover it. Also need to understand the level of fault tolerance versus the cost of the backup solution. You have the cheapest solution (an external USB drive), to a NAS, and then cloud storage for off-site security.

    I personally use a NAS myself (Synology DS218+ with dual 8TB drives) plus have a WD drive for occasional backup. It's manual, but OK for the files I care about.

    The NAS is my media "server" for streaming to Intel NUC media players.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,200
    I just store everything in iCloud now, with permanent backups all the time. At first, I wasn't sure how I would use it, but now my local drives are barely used at all (although I do still maintain a Time Machine locally. I can change computer in minutes, and everything is available instantly from the first login - from any device with the same login ID, including mobile devices.
    Alea jacta est!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 3,057
    I wish I had done backup drives...my pc is in the shop and fingers crossed they can save files for me. Won't be that lazy(ignorant) again!
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
    Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • maximillian
    maximillian Posts: 2,144
    Storing things in the cloud is a great option. If catastrophe strikes your home then your files are safe. Financial records, photos, novels, etc. Many types of irreplaceable files. Downside is cost, but you get what you pay for.

    Know a semi-pro photographer that uses cloud backup. It's a must have for him. Plus side is the files are available when he travels and doesn't have his machine handy.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,200
    maximillian wrote: »
    Storing things in the cloud is a great option. [...] Downside is cost, but you get what you pay for.
    It's getting more and more affordable these days. 2TB is now $10 a month from either Google or Apple, and can be shared with family in either case, and there's Microsoft 365 which includes Office applications and 1TB per person in a family.

    Once you've used the cloud storage, you'll never go back to local storage, especially for back-ups, cross device sharing, and new device activation.
    Alea jacta est!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • maximillian
    maximillian Posts: 2,144
    Agreed, but I wouldn't trust either of those companies with my data. Maybe Microsoft since it's integrated with Office. Know many people that use Backblaze or Carbonite.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    Yeah -- not a cloud fan.
    I do use a photo hosting service (heck, I even pay for it) -- but only for (my) convenience.
    I wouldn't leave anything important "in the cloud" without local backups, given that I have absolutely no control over "the cloud" nor the companies that offer the services.

    50124545971_c7101337de_h.jpgDSC_0915 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    Typical old guy attitude, I know, but I have (predictably) old-fashioned views about ownership.
    I'm a fan.




    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 3,057
    Was that the metoer that did in the dinosaurs?
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
    Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    muncybob wrote: »
    Was that the metoer that did in the dinosaurs?

    a4o4wk384z91.png
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter