Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
I currently own five of these. If that isn't a recommendation I don't know what is
I currently own five of these.
If that isn't a recommendation I don't know what is.
One of the problems with recommending a specific disk drive is that drives change, capacities increase and what I might tell you about today may not even be available next year. The external drive I recommended some years ago is no longer even being made.
With that having been said, today the FreeAgent Go is an incredibly handy and valuable device.
The version I use has a capacity of 500 Gigabytes, all in a package that's smaller than a paperback book.
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One of its most appealing features is that it does not need an additional external power supply; this model is powered completely via its USB connection. As a result, it's perfectly portable. One of my five drives sits in my backpack for backup as I travel, for both data and photographs I take when on the road.
I use the other four for data storage at home.
Even though these drives are small and rugged, I take no chances. Since they're relatively inexpensive I actually have them set up as two pairs: one drive of each pair as the "primary", or drive that I actually use on one machine, and the other as "backup" on another machine, mirroring the primary via a script run automatically each night.
Now, while the drives are small and portable and convenient and relatively inexpensive, they're not particularly fast. They're perfect for backing up, for portability, and for redundant data storage, though, and that's exactly how I recommend using them.
If you're wondering what kind of external drive to get for your backups, it's hard to go wrong with the Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB external drive.
I recommend it.
Article C3834 - August 8, 2009
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
@Shah Faisal: I had this same problem. I solved it by opening Start > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management. Locate your plugged-in disk (the one with the problem), right-click on it and choose Change drive letter and paths. In the dialog box, click on either Add... or Change... (as appropriate) and assign a letter to the drive. Click OK and close the Disk Management window. You should be OK to go now.
Posted by: Frank D at December 29, 2010 9:15 AMI plugged in my Seagate 500GB Free Agent Portable hard Disk and it doesnt even recognize it and I am even unable to find it in "my computer"
Posted by: Sha Rahim at March 16, 2011 8:16 AMI've have a 1 TB Go-Flex from Seagate for a little over a year now. Having worked in the disk drive industry for 15 years (3 different companies-not Seagate) Seagate was always the top competitor and best engineered of all by comparison. HDDs are extremely high technology, and Seagate always seemed to have the best of all designs and well engineered quality. My Go-Flex is unbelievably quiet. I've never heard a drive as quiet as this one. How they've done it I don't know, but the only way to tell if it's running is to either hold it directly against your ear, or believe the lights. Great drive. I had difficulties when I first got it. Not the greatest of instructions, and extremely difficult to contact Seagate for help. But now, it works flawlessly (knock on wood).
Posted by: Skipperjack at October 25, 2011 9:19 AMI like to mention this when the topic is about external storage. Be cautious when plugging and unplugging them. One little "tick" of static discharge on the USB port can damage them. In fact, I've seen static discharge damage computers through the USB port too. Always keep your fingers back a good distance. I used to be in the habit of "feeling" with my finger which way to plug in the cable or device into the port #who's idea was it to make that thing symmetrical anyway, didn't they learn anything from the PS2 connectors...but I digress#. Just be cautious. Two mobo's and one external USB drive later, I no longer put my fingers close to the port. Computer Habits 101...always touch the metal case to discharge any static before plugging in peripherals.
Posted by: Gabe Lawrence at October 26, 2011 8:38 AMI use a Seagate Go Flex Home for 3 computers. Big Box setup...
Posted by: Jim Marris at October 26, 2011 10:10 AMA Memeo error occurs thus
Memeo Background Service.exe Application Error
"Instruction @ 0x74985dfe ref memory at 0x00000020 memory could not be read. click OK to terminate program.
Support wants me to uninstall the program..
As I did not setup the computers I do not wish to try to "fix" it as I do not know what is going on...and I have asked too.
So I "terminate the program" until it reappears sometime in several days.