Comments on: Learn From My C: Fail

By: David M

David M — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:42:47 +0000

I have my boot drive on an SSD – if it goes, I use the install disks on a new drive. Everything else on that drive would be lost but not a problem.

I have two large HDDs on which I store all data and simply run a back up from one to the other of the data I don’t want to lose.

By: Peter Meininger

Peter Meininger — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:47:13 +0000

I use Time Machine to backup my 500GB SSD to an external 2GB Backup drive.
My x-plane archive (v8 – v10) is stored on 2 external 2TB SATA RAID-1 drives.
The home folder of my MBP and a few really essential files are mirrored off-site once a week via SSH/rsync to a server at the office.

I have yet to experience a complete drive failure myself but have seen friends loose their complete work all their digital images, contacts – everything – with no backup whatsoever.

peter

By: Harry G.

Harry G. — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:07:02 +0000

I bought a nice 2TB External usb 3.0 for backing up all my xp10 goodies 🙂

By: Wiggers

Wiggers — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:32:34 +0000

I use Macrium Reflect to take an image of the C: drive (Windows system and Program Files) weekly and that gets put on a NAS box. Takes about 5mins to restore the hard drive if there’s any problem, there’s a boot option to use the restore function. I also do a daily delta of all data files (d: drive) and a monthly full backup. This is all automated with scripts in Reflect.

By: Andras Fabian

Andras Fabian — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:40:52 +0000

In reply to carrotroot.

And lose it in the same way you can lose a HDD … or even worse, as SSDs tend to quit really suddenly (have seen this once), while at least in some cases HDDs give you a short grace period before everything is gone (have seen this happen more than once).

So, no, don’t bet your life on an SSD, and just backup it too …

By: Ben Supnik

Ben Supnik — Wed, 15 May 2013 03:09:55 +0000

In reply to Gary.

Also HD’s fail in other ways:
– Your laptop gets stolen.
– Your child introduces your computer to oatmeal.
– Lightning strikes.
– Cat experiments with gravity…

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:46:17 +0000

To those touting SSD’s. SSD’s also fail. However, unlike the spinning platters of rust, when an SSD fails, data recovery is very close to impossible due to the load leveling firmware on the drive, and the undocumented layout of the memory (manufacturers claim trade secrets). Also, some SSD’s internally RAID0 several smaller elements to achieve greater capacity. If one element of a RAID0 fails, the entire array is unrecoverable.

By: Ropeless

Ropeless — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:52:48 +0000

Ha! Thanks for the reminder, Ben.

I must be unlucky… too many HD fails to count. I now use SSD for important stuff (as well as your idea of external USB HD backups). SSD spec sheet MTTF looks great.

All the best…

By: carrotroot

carrotroot — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:57:22 +0000

Or you could go with an SSD for your mission critical data (i.e pictures of the pets and kids).

By: Dom

Dom — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:07:37 +0000

Ben; you been thrashing yourself again? LOL.

I remember when a backup was a casette tape.

Dom