Reliable backup drive?

[gkroach11]

A relative has asked me to help her maintain her data, much of which is from her deceased husband. I state that to give an idea of her urgency.

The real question is I've read a lot of articles with varying opinions but would like some advice from first hand experiences. I have her data automatically backing itself to an external drive. She wants an additional copy she can relocate off-site and update occasionally. What I'd like is opinions on the most reliable drive for long term storage. As I stated, it'll only be used 4 or 5 times per year. I'm thinking she'll need 3 - 4 tb's. I've read about the dual HD system from I believe it was Seagate. Something along those lines is also viable.

Thanks for the advice!!!

 

[seagate_surfer]

Hello gkroach11, one thing you need to keep in mind is that all drives will fail one day, so keeping extra copies of your data backed up is extremely important. Some people prefer, a RAID system, others mechanical and SSD drives and there is the option of burning them onto a CD/CVD/BRD as well. It all depends on your budget and preference. A tip for you is that the conventional wisdom by tech experts on backups is known as the 3-2-1 method.

Basically you want:

3 copies of any data you don't want to lose
2 different mediums it's stored on (so 2 different drives in your computer, for example)
1 copy kept offsite, to prevent against disaster.

Seems like you have a decent back up plain in place already.

As for they type of drive, there are many manufactures out there and all can do the job you seek. Looks like an external drive would be your best fit. There is a dual HDD drive from Lacie which is probably the drive you are referring to in your question.

Let us know if we can answer any questions; we're here to help.

No matter what you choose, we thank you for considering Seagate.