Maxtor 200 GB external harddrive

[Vesta]

I was just at Radio Schack and they have a Maxtor 200 GB external harddrive on sale for 79.99. Is this a good buy and if I wanted too could I put PSE4 on it and use it just for that with all my picture? Hope this isn't a sump question. The guy said I could just keep it plug in and use it all the time. If I can't put PSE4 on it and I do put my pictures on it will PSE4 recognize it. Hope this isn't a dumb question.

Thanks
Vesta

[BettyC]

Vesta,
I've been using my Maxtor for over a year now, but just to keep backups of my photos on. I think that several of the more literate computer guys here have said that you shouldn't put the actual PSE program on your external drive. But I put backups of my brushes, etc. there in case of a crash of our main computer.

[Vesta]

Thanks Betty,

I'll check back in to see if any of the other folks have stopped by this area.
thanks again

Vesta

[Ward Grant]

Just to echo the other answers.
Putting your program on an External Hard Drive-often does not work as there are software calls to other programs on your C:\ drive and the registry. I guess technically possible, but I don't think it is worth the trouble.

Putting your photos on an EHD--very doable and easy. If you use Organizer post back and we can walk through a couple of things to check. If not, just plug in the EHD and use Windows to drag the whole My Pictures over. Elements will open them fine.

[Vesta]

Grant I do use the organizer. Thanks so much.
Vesta

[Robyn]

I've got the Maxtor 200 GB. I bought it about a month ago just so I could back up my pictures, brushes, etc. I got a bit nervous about losing everything if the computer should crash. It was a thread here that prompted me to make the purchase.

[karen donnybrook]

Me too Robyn. I am doing a back up once a week.

Karen

[Red Sky]

An external hard drive is one of those things I keep thinking about doing but just haven't got around to it yet. There's no excuse not to with the price being so cheap.
Maybe I'm a bit paranoid but I keep a file in my PSE3 browser where I put all my layered work into. I titled it "Finished" (even though it isn't) and have sub files like "Since 6/1/06 and since 8/15/06 and so on. Every couple of months I burn the latest sub file to a DVD and put the disc in the bank box. I think about fire and theft, and how it could take away everything you have done. This way the "negative" is backed up and stored off site. It's pretty cheap insurance.

[Ward Grant]

Grant I do use the organizer. Thanks so much.
Vesta

Here is a quick how-to: (Assume External Hard Drive = D:\)
If you want to move your pictures off your C:\ drive and onto the D:\ drive.
Plug in your EHD and open Organizer.

File>Reconnect All Missing-You may not have any, but it helps to reconnect these before moving.

File>Catalog>Recover (helps tidy up the underlying MS Access database)

I prefer to work from the Folder View (bottom left).
Select All and then File Move and point to your D:\ drive. PSE4 will re-create the current folder structure.

Relax and have a beverage of your choice. It may take some time for the moving to take place.

This will move all your photos to the D:\ drive and update the Organizer database, which holds all the tags, collections and stuff.

[Vesta]

Thanks Grant I have copied this and will follow your directions. I am going to Radio Shack and purchase it tomorrow.

Vesta

[NRiceDesigns]

Hi Vesta,
My personal experience with Maxtor has been a nightmare. I purchased an external Maxtor H.D. with an extended warranty because I read that it was highly rated. Luckily I had purchased an extended replacement warranty through the reseller because in less than a month after I bought it, I started having problems with it. I returned it for replacement. I'd had it about 2 mos. before it started making a strange noise. I returned that one as well & purchased a LaCie. I've had the LaCie over a year with zero problems, so as you can guess, I'm sticking with the LaCie. One of my friends had a similar problem with his Maxtor external around the same time).

[mom to 4]

Vesta:

I have a Maxtor 300, I bought a few months ago at costco. I backed up about 4 times and so far so good. Glad I bought it at costco, 'cause if anything happens I can return it, doesn't matter how long I have had it. I also back up to DVD (2 sets). May be overkill, but I would rather be safe than sorry.



Karen:

IS THAT YOU???????????? That's not the avatar I'm used to!

[karen donnybrook]

Colleen,

Yes that is me :D I have just changed my avator - do you like it?

Karen

[Vesta]

Thanks so much for the comments. I will check into the LaCie.

Thanks Again

Vesta

[baderms]

I have some older hard drives laying around so I just purchased a hard drive kit (about $40) and use them. It's cheaper then purchasing a One touch drive or the like.

[mom to 4]

Yes, I do! You have done a great job with it! But, I must admit I miss that little guy waving to me!

[Wendy]

Oh so do I ...

The two Avitars that always stick on my mind are Karen's waving one and Carol's typist :)

Wendy

[Caroleen]

Vesta, I just purchased an external hard drive last Saturday. I bought a LaCie because the guy in Best Buy recommended it. He said the Maxtor (which was on a better sale) is heavy and has to be plugged in. Well, I have a laptop so I wanted it to be portable. The LaCie is only 60 GB but its very portable, only about the size of a calculator. The Maxtor weighs 3 lbs. so if you need to take it anywhere. Also, the LaCie you just use a USB plug and thats it. Works really nice, you can add to it or delete from it. I've already put several GB's on it. Just a few thoughts you might consider.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

We have several LaCie drives and are really pleased with them :)

Wendy

[Benny Pedersen]

Vesta:

I have a Maxtor 300, I bought a few months ago at costco. I backed up about 4 times and so far so good. Glad I bought it at costco, 'cause if anything happens I can return it, doesn't matter how long I have had it. I also back up to DVD (2 sets). May be overkill, but I would rather be safe than sorry.



Karen:

IS THAT YOU???????????? That's not the avatar I'm used to!

mom to 5: Maybe she got a new Avatar...
Ehmm, An extra backup is not overkill. If your backup is bad, then you got nothing the day that your daily HD crash... If a HD is bad, then it often crash after 1 or 3 month. Once I had an external HD that crash after 11 month. The reason it didn't crash after 1 or 3 month was that I only used it for backup and thereby it was in less use than my working HD.

if you are lucky, then a fine HD (a HD without crash in 3 month),
would only be good more than 5 years. In other words, if more than 5 year old, then you are lucky.

I do it this way: Remove the cover so I can see all the wires and other things inside my computer. Connect an extra HD. Backup all what I have and then removes the extra HD. Then I create an extra backup of the system and put it on the data partition of the HD. So if it crash, I would have a working system again after 15 minutes. Im able to recover data that are completly deleted, so I only need one backup of my photos. So, if one of you got a big problem (all deleted), then I could help with something like that, but to mail me a HD would be a bit difficult/overkill...

Benny