Right!The time has come..

I'm constantly deleting or backing up stuff because I just don't have enough space on my 40GB HD and with all the P2P gear my son keeps installing I'm regularly down to less than 1GB of space despite all my housekeeping.So I need more space and I'm thinking of getting an external HD.

Are they easy to use.Do they just work like the flash memory sticks or is there more to it than that?

I did find this one which I think I can just about afford..

https://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/...html?FRE-23237

[Kliro]

I'd expect they would work in very much the same way, as a removeable drive.

Why don't you install a 2nd internal HDD?? cheaper and I think it is also faster.


Edit:

This site tells you how to install the 2nd hdd, a bit dated but still functional.

Originally Posted by Kliro

I'd expect they would work in very much the same way, as a removeable drive.

Why don't you install a 2nd internal HDD?? cheaper and I think it is also faster.


Edit:

This site tells you how to install the 2nd hdd, a bit dated but still functional.

Hmm!Perhaps because I don't have the capability to do it myself and I'd rather just have summat I can transfer to another PC further down the line.

[Stuart]

They do work in much the same way as flash drives (the only difference being that you may need an external power supply).

USB2 (and Firewire) external hard drives are not noticably slower than internal hard drives, and have the advantage that (if need be) they can be attached to other PCs (and Macs).

[greencreeper]

40GB I have 1GB free on my little 5GB drive. Have you tried tidying it up? Removing all those old programs. Emptying the temp folders.

Start... Run... cmd
del *.tmp /s
del *.dmp /s

Like Stuart says - you just connect the external drive and hey presto. Just remember to use Windows to disconnect it first, otherwise you can lose and/or corrupt data. And you can transfer an internal drive to another PC - just a bit involved than moving an external drive.

[Stuart]

But unplugging & moving a USB drive is easier than unplugging and moving an internal drive.

[greencreeper]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

But unplugging & moving a USB drive is easier than unplugging and moving an internal drive.

Exactly what I said - "just a bit involved than moving an external drive"

Originally Posted by greencreeper

40GB I have 1GB free on my little 5GB drive. Have you tried tidying it up? Removing all those old programs. Emptying the temp folders.

Start... Run... cmd
del *.tmp /s
del *.dmp /s

I'm regularly down to less than 1GB of space despite all my housekeeping

I do know how to do that.But with programmes like Photoshop,Daz studio,Bryce 5 and 5.5,Poser 6,Terregan and the plug-ins for these...even with a format of the HD I'd be back to this stage in a very short time.I need more space...especially as this is the only PC connected to the BB and someone keeps stashing their pron and P2P crap plus steam and other games related stuff on my HD.

I'm not even running ANY of my games and I had to remove Paintshop Pro and another two favourite graphics software.I''ve a stack of CD roms full of backed up stuff and I'm still being told that my latest creation can't be saved because I've not got enough memory..

Why am I having to defend myself for wanting to buy an External HD?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Why am I having to defend myself for wanting to buy an External HD?

You shouldn't have to defend yourself. I actually find it better to have too much storage than not enough.

[Dave Stones]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

I'm constantly deleting or backing up stuff because I just don't have enough space on my 40GB HD and with all the P2P gear my son keeps installing I'm regularly down to less than 1GB of space despite all my housekeeping.So I need more space and I'm thinking of getting an external HD.

Are they easy to use.Do they just work like the flash memory sticks or is there more to it than that?

I did find this one which I think I can just about afford..

https://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/...html?FRE-23237

i have a maxtor onetouch 2 USB2/firewire external jobber. it is 120gb, however i have dismantled it to see what is inside, it is just a normal 7200rpm maxtor diamonmax drive. so they are the same technology as normal hard drives, just with an external power supply and USB connection instead

write speeds are as fast as you would expect, though power saving can get irritating... after about 15 mins the drive spins down, and takes abuot 10 seconds to get back up to speed...

i have a laptop so there is no alternative than getting a external one though even if you have a normal computer, if you can't be bothered with the hassle of taking things apart, they make life very very easy

They work like flash memory, plug them in, power in, plug into USB and let the OS do it's job of detecting it. Mine appears as "Z:\" cos i'm weird like that... it comes up as another hard drive, rather than flash drives do and come up as a removable drive.

hope this helps

Originally Posted by Dave Stones

i have a maxtor onetouch 2 USB2/firewire external jobber. it is 120gb, however i have dismantled it to see what is inside, it is just a normal 7200rpm maxtor diamonmax drive. so they are the same technology as normal hard drives, just with an external power supply and USB connection instead

write speeds are as fast as you would expect, though power saving can get irritating... after about 15 mins the drive spins down, and takes abuot 10 seconds to get back up to speed...

i have a laptop so there is no alternative than getting a external one though even if you have a normal computer, if you can't be bothered with the hassle of taking things apart, they make life very very easy

They work like flash memory, plug them in, power in, plug into USB and let the OS do it's job of detecting it. Mine appears as "Z:\" cos i'm weird like that... it comes up as another hard drive, rather than flash drives do and come up as a removable drive.

hope this helps

Thank you dave...I think I'll get it while I have the cash..We'll just have to live on baked beans for a while.

[AndrewJ]

Incog my tower did not have a space for a 2nd HD internally, so mines in the slave section where a 2nd cd drive would go, it was simple set the jumper on it to slave, screw into place, plug a power lead in ( all labelled in diagrams ) insert the idea lead to the point of motherboard (again labelled but tell us and we could circle it out for you ) once done close pc up, turn on and done.

[ian@huth]

You can always fit a hard drive caddy into a spare 5.25" drive bay and fit a new hard drive into this. This has the added advantage of being able to easily remove the drive when you are not using it and keep its contents safe from prying eyes and unwanted interference.

[punky]

Or instead of all that screwing you can just do what I do, and let the hard drive dangle down at a 45° angle, held up by its IDE port

[Graham M]

Originally Posted by punky

Or instead of all that screwing you can just do what I do, and let the hard drive dangle down at a 45° angle, held up by its IDE port

That HDD is gonna have a long life then