Do I need to make a backup?
Yes.
How do you all typically store your data?
My data, including photos, is on my computers' disks and also backed up to two external disks.
If I had a fast internet connection I would certainly consider a single backup disk & a cloud storage backup.
When you need to buy a disk [HDD / SSD / M.2 card / USB memory stick / SD memory card] for backups, go to the maker's website and find the 'datasheet' / 'spec sheet' which they will post on their website or provide for download so you can check its reliability data.
This will probably be expressed as
Mean time to failure (Hrs) [MTTF] - the longer the better. It is a good factor to use when comparing your choices.
{We used to call this
Mean time between failures - MTBF}
And while you're at it, check the warranty. If they offer a 5 year warranty, which is quite common, then it means they think it will last that long without failing. That's also a good factor to use when comparing disks.
Personally,
- If I cannot find the maker's website then I judge the disks to be unreliable.
- If I cannot find the MTTF/MTBF then I judge the disks to be unreliable.
- If the maker's warranty is unknown or is less than five years then I judge the disks to be unreliable.
- If the maker's warranty requires you to pay for return postage on a non-refundable basis then choose a different brand.
Seagate-Samsung in the UK is the only maker I know of that imposes this despicable practice which affects all their disks, including internal disks, and which takes effect as soon as you've had the disk for too long to be able to claim against the retailer.
Their despicable practice involves UK customers paying non-refundable international postage to the Netherlands.
An additional factor to consider is how you will use the backup disks.
- If you are always on the go then the convenience of USB memory sticks might matter more to you than the greater reliability of external HDDs/SSDs.
As long as you have two backup disks and the ability to replace defective ones quickly, you will be well protected.
- Kelper's experience of duff disks is quite common. The first fault with USB memory sticks & SD cards is typically for them to become read-only [they might remain readable for a decade afterwards but that's hardly useful].
All the best,
Denis
