Anyone Using a 2nd Drive for Data?

A front drive for OS and programs, and a 2nd (rear) drive for data?
We'll leave the backup drive out of this question, for the time being.
The idea is the data is safer on the 2nd drive.
Anyone using this configuration?
Why, why not?

 

I use 6 drives , 2 for 2 different operating system , 2 for data , one for a backup for the data backup lol and the last one for everything I can think of . I like to be sure if one goes down I still have the other ones to back it

 

I have 1 internal drive partitioned as C,D,E,F,G and 2 external drives.

C = OS
D = Downloads
E = Music
F = games
G = Zips, utilities

The 2 external drives allows for 2 backups + whatever else.
Not sure what u mean by a rear drive? But if it goes out, you only
have backups left.
Since a drive can go out anytime, it doesn't matter where your data resides,
if it goes bad all you have left is your backups!

savagcl

 

The rear drive is the 2nd (phys drive).
The analogy is the C: (1st, or front drive) is the engine (OS & Programs), and the D: (2nd, or rear drive) holds data. (Like a car where the engine is up front and the passengers are in the rear, or passenger compartment.)

 

C: and E: 20 GB Windows XP Pro SP2 and Windows Server 2003.
D: and F: 250 GB Data, programs and such.
H: 250 GB Music, E-books and other related stuff.

And externaly I: my networkdrive.

Works like a charm, though it's about time for sATA drives!

Spreading your things over several drives is usualy safer, yes. Still, having a backup from really important stuff is a must (imho)!

 

Am I reading this correctly?
2 phys (internal) drives + ext backup


I'm about to setup a new configuration and right now will only have a single large drive, but considering adding a 2nd (internal) drive for music, photos, etc, along w/ an ext drive for backup.
At question is the 2nd int drive. Two people here who's opinions I respect have conflicting opinions of how to go. One favours the OS on one drive and the data on a 2nd, while the other prefers the OS and data on one drive. I'm not really wanting to buy the 2nd int drive since I'm already going to have to buy an ext, but I don't want to shortcut what will work best.

 

C 250 gig: OS and programs
D 250 gig: all user created data, and music
G 500 gig: back up

C and D is an internal sata2 drive
G is an external drive


Hill

 

This is one of the configurations that's been recommended.
Any comments on this vs. one int & one ext (for backup)?

 

Nope, 3 internal and 1 external. The 20 GB drive for the OS and 2 250 GB drives for other stuff. Plus an external (also 250 GB). Those are all physical drives, not partitions.

On what kind of drive (internal or external) you make your backups doesn't really matter I guess. Just depends a bit on if you need to travel around with your backups or not.

 

Chas,

You are seeing that we all have our own different versions of backing up. Each of us will have a different method.

When I worked out my method, I pretty much sat down with a pencil and paper and developed a system that suited ME.

I only have one HDD in my computers. I have three or four partitions on each one. I back up by synchronising the data drives (partitions) from one computer to another (using SyncBack). I also burn my data onto optical disks.

You can have one partition and keep all your data in My Documents, then just back up the My Documents folder. ALTHOUGH, my sister uses a camera program that hides the downloaded pictures in the Program Files folder, it took me some time to find them and back them up.

If you keep your whole system "imaged" onto another HDD, if it starts getting sick, and your image is taken when it is sick, if it fails you are going to replace it with the sick system again?

I suggest you get a piece of paper and a pencil, then work out what will happen if your OS needs to be replaced or your HDD containing your data fails. How will you recover?

All our methods of partitioning and system recovery will be different.

__________________________________________________________________

An internal HDD will transfer the data faster than an external HDD unless you use e-SATA.

Matt

 

Matt, my main question right now is...
What is the benefit of having the OS on one drive and the data on a 2nd drive,
vs. having the OS and data on one drive?
Forgetting the backup for now.
I'm told the data should be keep separate from the OS (The analogy given was the engine/OS is in one compartment, and the data/people are in another).
I don't understand why one config is better then the other.
As you said, the opinions vary.

 

Martijn, wherever did you find a 20 GB drive?
I never knew this even existed!

 

Chas,

I think Matt gave you some very good guidance and in one of your posts, Pete basically told you the same thing. You seem to want someone to layout a strategy for you based on your current plans (# of hard drives = Plan A) or (size of HDDs x # of HDDs = Plan B). I'll throw in my 2¢ and give you the same answer I provided in another one of your threads. Whatever blows your skirt up.

Your intellectual curiosity and quest for knowledge is admirable but let me try to explain a couple of things from a slightly different perspective.

Computer components including hard drives can fail. Similarly, software can become corrupted. Add to that, the threat of malware (which is becoming increasingly malicious) and today's computer environment carries with it, certain risks. Stuff happens. The challenge we all face is how to minimize the downside consequences in the event of a digital disaster. That puts a special premium on how we protect our equipment and the information on that equipment. Now we get into backup strategies and frequencies. I'm going to purposely gloss over that with regard to particulars but let's keep the general concept in mind.

Now, with one internal hard drive your only options are to backup to removable media, backup to an external drive or device, backup to another machine's hard drive on the same network or backup to a remote location. I personally see no advantage to having multiple partitions on a single drive from the standpoint of protecting the information on that drive. If the drive fails, the drive fails and it doesn't matter if there is one partition or ten partitions. This brings us around to the concept of having multiple drives. If we backup drive A or any part of it to drive B and drive A fails ............ well, we still have drive B. And, if we had a good backup strategy the only downside is the cost of a replacement for drive A and the time to rebuild it using whatever we had on drive B (or wherever) in the form of backups.

From my perspective, if you keep your OS on drive A and your data on drive B, then you better have a drive C for your backups. Then again, you have removable media & etc. as referenced in the previous paragraph.

I'm getting a little off track here but lets go back to Matt's post. You need to sit down and plan out a strategy which is going to give you the best "insurance" in the event that disaster strikes. The answer to your question depends on how you use your computer and what kind of information you are going to store on it. You are the one most qualified to answer this question. If you are planning on keeping an extensive MP3 library on your machine or lots of high resolution photos or a bunch of videos, then you can set up folders very easily on a second drive. If your documents folder rivals the Library of Congress, you can consider moving the whole folder over to a second drive. Don't forget to back it up though - this drive is also susceptible to failure.

So, with regard to your question. There is no one right answer that can cover all situations. Again, I admire your thinking and quest for guidance but you have to approach this from your own unique perspective based upon what you are going to be using your computer for and develop a "plan for failure ". That plan should include regularly scheduled Images of your system drive and more frequently scheduled data backups of things like documents, email, contacts, favorites, pictures, videos and music. If you are running financials or doing taxes, then backup those data folders as well. It really doesn't matter how you bake the cake as long as you can get to safe copies of all the ingredients and know how to duplicate the original recipe.

So, having said all of that - I'll give you another perspective. I run 36 Gig Raptors as my system drives in all but one machine which has a 40 Gig Samsung. All of my drives are single partitons. I image at least monthly and run daily automated backups to an internal drive mounted in a removable drive bay. I also run periodic backups from each machine to a server which really only functions as a depository and software warehouse. I store music, photos and videos on a different drive. I have another drive which stores downloaded drivers and machine details for a slew of individual machines. I have another drive for backups of backups and I could go on but the point is, its a system I developed and it works for me. If I lose my system drive which also includes all resident programs, I'm back up and running within a half hour and that includes the time it takes to physically replace the drive and restore everything.

The best guidance I can provide is to reread what Matt and Pete have already told you and follow that advice. Let us know how you plan to proceed and please understand, we're all trying to help you "plan for failure ".

 

A. I get that everyone is trying to help, which I REALLY appreciate.
B. I'm not sure what I want. (That's not too helpful for those trying to assist.)
C. Here's what I see...

My data files are extremely small and rarely change, so do not need backing up very often.
The bulk is music & photos which don't change often either.
Backing up 2x/month is probably adequate.
This issue of 2 drives vs 3, (+ backup drive), may be irrelevant, and seems to be more about personal preference, though I still don't understand why some say OS on one drive and data on another.

I now, through a comedy of errors, have 2 - 750 GB drives. It's my lucky day, what can I say!
So whether I use one for backup, or sell it and get an external, seems to be more of a question right now.
My thinking is that an external drive will reduce heat (in the box - a factor for chip and HD life), and power consumption. Since the external would not be hooked up other than for backups, I'd expect it would last much longer than an internal backup.

I'm unfamiliar w/ backup software, so I don't know about imaging and such. In the past I did my backups to removable media, but w/ so much music this is no longer an option. Protecting the OS seems to be more of an issue these days. My old HD died and w/ it my OS and desktop, etc. I don't even want to think about the time it'll take to tweak all those things to where I want them. So in this regard I have no plan for how I'll do this. Sounds like I need to get familiar w/ backup software.

Which I have, so why on a 2nd drive (assuming the one drive is 750 GB and the total current data including OS is say 175 GB?


All comments are welcome.

 

OK, But - Why bother w/ a separate HD when you can just partition off the OS?
This is the question you've been waiting for me to ask, now isn't it Pete?

And where do I get my ticket?
Hey, two failed drives w/in one yr, is this a new record?
If not, it's certainly a personal best!

You mind reader, you!

Any 1st hand info on a good external? Probably 500 GB.

 

Dont sell the extra 750GB drive - buy an external enclosure and fit the drive - will be cheaper in the long run. You can get enclosures that have IDE or SATA connections to USB.

I have my OS on a 500GB drive - with my documents (documents backed up daily using Backup Plus automated each night)

I have a separate 500gb internal drive for my Photography as this uses plenty space, this is backed up 1 x per week to one of two 500gb external drives (alternately)

I also have a 320GB internal drive for stuff I have downloaded, tutorials etc

Once a month I do an image of my hard drive using Acronis - or if I have added anything major in the current month.

 

I obviously misread one of your earlier posts, thinking you were using a single drive since you have stressed partitioning.
Well Pete, I think I finally see the light w/ regards to partioning. (Though I admit to you having already convinced me it was the way to go prior to just now. )

I appreciate the tips. I'll be checking into this tomorrow.

 

Pete, is this the program everyone refers to?
Acronis True Image 11.
http://reviews.cnet.com/system-utilities/acronis-true-image-11/4505-3680_7-32955477.html?tag=also
Is there a version you'd recommend, or are they pretty much all the same. They list several. (Factoring in that my demands are minimal. I'd do seldom backups, and image the OS maybe 2x/yr.