Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

External Hard drives: Western Digital or Seagate?
APRIL 2, 2013 | max

Posted on 04/02/2013 11:20:43 AM PDT by max americana

Hi. Just wondering if anyone who owns one of these external hard drives (portable or desk) have a preference. Or if they had some bad experiences or better yet, swear by either one of the 2 if they crash easily or last long. We're changing our hard drives and prefer something physical to store for our staff, instead of relying solely on cloud-based storage. (Got rid of Carbonite when those clowns backstabbed Rush and we switched to Mozy)

It's almost 50/50 on people we spoke with (friends, co-workers, business partners etc). Some say Seagate sucks and crash easily while the other group say the same thing about WD. 4 TB is our storage target. Thanks.

PS Seagate sells the 4 TB ext HD on AMZ/best buy for $150 while the WD My Book is $180.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: harddrives; seagate; tech; westerndigital
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-72 next last
To: Errant

I recently bought a Seagate Goflex 3TB drive for $119 at Costco. Paid no tax because I got it on our states Tax free day. I bought this drive be cause I can later buy an adaptor that will make it a Thunderbird drive ( I have an iMac). My advice is get the most storage you can for what you’re paying. Both WD and Seagate make decent drives.


21 posted on 04/02/2013 11:50:57 AM PDT by JaguarXKE (Welcome to the new America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: max americana
I've had both brands and then some. No real difference all else being equal. Buy big.

Then start doing your own offline backups by using Macrium Reflect. It's free and it rocks. Do an image once per week and you'll be protected against virus infections, boot drive crashes and any data loss.

You can even use Macrium to mount an image and randomly retrieve any data in the image. As I said, it rocks!

You can then get rid of Mozy. Too slow. Macrium does an image of your boot drive in about 20 minutes.

22 posted on 04/02/2013 11:50:59 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (For me, I plan to die standing as a free man rather than spend one second on my knees as a slave.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: max americana

I had mulitple failures during the warranty period of WD. I went with Seagate and have had not problems in over 15 years. I replace each drive when I start to get sector errors but they all outlast the warranty by several years.


23 posted on 04/02/2013 11:51:16 AM PDT by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise (Learn three chords and you, too, can be a Rock Star!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: max americana

Had a seagate until one of their disgruntled employees pushed out bad code. Apparently there is software on the drive which allowed it to be upgraded without your knowledge.

Turned it into a brick and lost all my data.

Pretty bad set of controls at that company to allow this to happen.


24 posted on 04/02/2013 11:55:27 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]



Support Free Republic

25 posted on 04/02/2013 11:56:52 AM PDT by RedMDer (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: JaguarXKE
The Goflex is a great drive when portability is important. I've got one I'm shipping out west with a ton of family photos to a family member now.

The WD My Book is better for use as a Network File Server device, IMO, primarily because of the software.

26 posted on 04/02/2013 11:57:10 AM PDT by Errant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: stuartcr

***??? What did you buy it for?***

I got it as a Christmas present.


27 posted on 04/02/2013 11:59:35 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (The murals in OKC are destroyed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: max americana
I think it matters more WHO you buy the drive from than manufacturer. Warranties and such are a good thing. Some vendors will attempt to recover data from faulty drives they sold you for a very small fee or free.

My preference for multi-terrabyte drives:
OWC
http://www.macsales.com/

28 posted on 04/02/2013 12:02:32 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
Have you read the User manual?
29 posted on 04/02/2013 12:02:53 PM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

If you have a need for more storage, just plug it in like you would a thumb drive, then open windows explorer. If not, re-gift it.


30 posted on 04/02/2013 12:03:03 PM PDT by stuartcr ("I have habits that are older than the people telling me they're bad for me.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: max americana

My only drive that crrashed almost immediately was a WD. But I’ve had several kinds. The stuff in my netgear boxes now is Hitachis.


31 posted on 04/02/2013 12:07:21 PM PDT by Hardraade (http://junipersec.wordpress.com (Vendetta))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: max americana
To be taken with a grain of salt.
Retired electronic tech and help friends and relatives with their computers.
Have had to replace 2 Seagate Barracuda drives (both 1 TB) and no WD drives.
I prefer WD drives, have added second drives to several computers and no problems yet.
My external drive is WD, no problems in 3 years.
Not a big sample size, so grain of salt statement.
32 posted on 04/02/2013 12:07:59 PM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin......Nuff said.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: max americana

I had a WD My Book that died after about 5-6 years and just replaced it last month with a Toshiba 500G from Walmart ($59). Love it so far - backed up both my desktop and laptop onto the same drive, easy to use.


33 posted on 04/02/2013 12:13:16 PM PDT by Fast Moving Angel (A moral wrong is not a civil right: No religious sanction of an irreligious act.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bloody Sam Roberts

“You can even use Macrium to mount an image and randomly retrieve any data in the image. As I said, it rocks!”

Thanks for that. Our IT guy said something about Macrium but we thought he was talking about a nightclub.


34 posted on 04/02/2013 12:17:05 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company after the election, & laughed while they cried (true story))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: oh8eleven

I’ll try again. I don’t trust anything that wants to make changes to my computer.


35 posted on 04/02/2013 12:18:15 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (The murals in OKC are destroyed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Vendome

Ok, thanks. Now I’m hungry LOL


36 posted on 04/02/2013 12:19:33 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company after the election, & laughed while they cried (true story))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: justlurking

Thanks. I;m looking at the Amazon comments and there’s something about Seagate that there is a back-up problem if done auto but manually, it’s the best.

Just by reading the AMZ comments..


37 posted on 04/02/2013 12:22:03 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company after the election, & laughed while they cried (true story))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: spel_grammer_an_punct_polise

That’s an awesome streak. 15 years w/o no hiccups? That’s like my old Maxtors which I still use today. Sucks that Maxtor has been bought out by Seagate.


38 posted on 04/02/2013 12:23:41 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company after the election, & laughed while they cried (true story))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: rktman

Just asking, was it the Seagate back Up Plus? and how many TB’s please..


39 posted on 04/02/2013 12:26:28 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company after the election, & laughed while they cried (true story))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: max americana

I’ve had both, but long term WD has been best, lasting longer, and more importantly to me WD has been quick to replace dying or dead drives at no cost whatsoever in most cases.


40 posted on 04/02/2013 12:27:54 PM PDT by Ron C.
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-72 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson