0

So my initial idea was to keep all (!) my files in three external hard drives: One for essentials (1TB), and the other two - the exact copies of all the files (3TB each). By all files I mean including my first drawings with CorelDraw when I was maybe 5. So I have bought ADATA HM900 3TB (formatted as FAT32) portable hard drive (the one that needs the external power source), and copied all my data from different computers there (about 800GB), both Windows and linux (I've been using Windows for over a decade and now I'm on linux). I have done the same with another hdd - Maxtor M3 Portable 1TB (1TB will suffice for now), formatted as NTFS. I did not care about filesystem differences (including ext4 on my linux machine), and it all worked well for some half a year. However, although having used those hdds properly (no physical shaking, no holding upside down, safe removal, etc.):

[1] I started getting input/output errors on my 3TB drive when copying files, mostly, but not only(!) files containting .git foder. After that, copying process was terminated, and I could not reach the folder that contained the "bad files". Even after disk restore (the default Windows one, right click on disk properties) I did not manage to recover all the files. Btw, that was certainly not the reason of files over 4GB, since I have none of those.

[2] I started getting input/output errors on my 1TB Maxtor hdd (NTFS) with the same problem, with different folders and files though (there were no .git folders in this case)

[3] On copying files from linux PC to Maxtor hdd today I got a crash (the pc just froze, I restarted it), after which neither linux nor Windows PCs detect this hdd after plugging it in

[4] I have bought another hdd: ADATA HC500 1TB, and formatted it with ext4. However, windows PCs could not recognize this hdd (it appared on Control Panel->Disk management though). So, after having lost some files and some temper, I am wondering how could this situation could be improved. Basically, the problem statement is this:

How could I use at least two HDDs (and which filesystems should I format them to) for identical copies of all my files with the ability to plug them in both linux and Windows PCs (I still use Windows sometimes), and minimizing the risk of such occurences happening again. I have a Google Drive folder with all the necessary screenshots: gDrive_link

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

The best solution is probably a NAS or network attached storage.

Linux can mount it, and file sharing is a standard windows functionality.

Then you can implement RAID 5 or 6 on 3/4 drives, and if a drive fails RAID will rebuild it for you.

You can purchase NAS of different sizes.

Improve this answer
3
  • To clarify on "you can purchase NAS of different sizes." You buy the NAS housing, for example a Synology, which have various models with a different number of drive bays. You can then choose the size of the drive you want to use for the bays.
    – DrZoo
    Commented Apr 23, 2019 at 20:02
  • NAS is OK to store and share files but not a very good backup solution since it is exposed to the same risks (burglary, fire...) as the PC (still better than what the OP is doing,though)
    – xenoid
    Commented Apr 23, 2019 at 20:36
  • Thanks everyone for the responses. I was looking at this issue in a very simplistic way - there are external hard drives, they should be sufficient to store the data, is it not why they are for? However, the compatibility between different OSes and having lost some of my data really does make me consider more sophisticated options like NAS. Thank you for explaining :)
    – Riddle00
    Commented Apr 24, 2019 at 11:16
1

The simplest solution is to use your Google drive that you already have. You may need to purchase extra space but you do not have to worry about drives going bad, how to get access from different operating systems, or how to create a NAS & which RAID you want to set up.

Also, if you still want to keep your files on your own drives you can still do that as well.

Improve this answer
2
  • This is a good choice, although I would look into a way of creating volume images, etc. and encrypting them. No sense in letting google (or any other company) have access to your raw digital self.
    – ivanivan
    Commented Apr 23, 2019 at 21:09
  • @ DBADon Yes, that's a considerable option. However, as @ivanivan points out, all the data really does make my raw digital self, although I have nothing to hide, but it is still a fact that is not very pleasant for it to be accessed by Google. As with encryption, I have had trouble with it in the past, and I look at this option as bringing potential dangers of losing the data.
    – Riddle00
    Commented Apr 24, 2019 at 11:14

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .