USB thumb drive reliable for storage?

[Lou]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

My wife needs to make incremental backups of a word document she is working
on. The file size is less than 1mb. I gave her a CD-RW and showed her how
to use it (she has very little PC knowledge) to copy her files to but then
it had errors and stopped working. Not sure if she did something wrong or
the software (Roxio EZCD 6) caused the problem. I was going to try Nero
software, but then I thought why not just use a thumb drive because its very
easy to use and I have never had problems with them. I suppose a thumb drive
could be broken easy by dropping it so I was thinking of leaving it in the
USB port on the back of the PC.
Are thumb drives reliable (or at least as much as CD-RW) for file storage?

Thanks,
Lou

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Thumb Drives are as reliable as CD-ROMs because both require that an
amount of caution be exercised when protecting / caring for data is a
priority. Those devices are small and they easily get lost or
misplaced. CD-ROMs can scratch and break so you still need caution when
using them.

Anyway, from my experience the Thumb Drives are quite neat and handy
but there is one setback. If you buy one that is not backward
compatible with USB v1.1 you might run into problems when you stick it
on PCs without the newer USB v2.0 [high-speed] - those PCs that carry
only USB v1.1.

You should buy a Thumb Drive that is both USB v1.1 and USB v2.0
compliant. If you do not, a USB v2.0 Thumb Drive will require drivers /
software interfaces to work on PCs that only carry USB v.1.1 and vice
versa.

Simply put, make sure you buy a USB Thumb Drive that is USB v2.0 and
backward compatible with USB v1.1. Otherwise your wife might have to
learn how to install drivers / software interfaces when she tries to
plug that thing into different PCs.

I sometimes carry around a USB v2.0 hard drive enclosure with an 2.5"
80GB laptop drive and it bugs the hell out of me when I plug it into
PCs that have USB v1.1 and I get the message that I am plugging in a
high speed device into USB v1.1 and that the device cannot be set-up or
might not work properly.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Lou wrote:

> My wife needs to make incremental backups of a word document she is
> working
> on. The file size is less than 1mb. I gave her a CD-RW and showed her how
> to use it (she has very little PC knowledge) to copy her files to but then
> it had errors and stopped working. Not sure if she did something wrong or
> the software (Roxio EZCD 6) caused the problem. I was going to try Nero
> software, but then I thought why not just use a thumb drive because its
> very easy to use and I have never had problems with them. I suppose a
> thumb drive could be broken easy by dropping it so I was thinking of
> leaving it in the USB port on the back of the PC.
> Are thumb drives reliable (or at least as much as CD-RW) for file storage?

You might want to dig up a copy of the June PC World (I believe that that is
the current issue) in which they tried to break assorted devices. Two that
they tried to break were a Lexar Jump Drive and a Sandisk SD card. Testing
included dropping them, stepping on them, burying them in sand, running
them through the washing machine, and driving a car over them. Only
noticeable effect was that the Jump Drive fit a little tighter in the
connector after they drove the car over it.

The things are not fragile.

> Thanks,
> Lou

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Previously Lou <NospamLou@nospam.net> wrote:
> My wife needs to make incremental backups of a word document she is working
> on. The file size is less than 1mb. I gave her a CD-RW and showed her how
> to use it (she has very little PC knowledge) to copy her files to but then
> it had errors and stopped working. Not sure if she did something wrong or
> the software (Roxio EZCD 6) caused the problem. I was going to try Nero
> software, but then I thought why not just use a thumb drive because its very
> easy to use and I have never had problems with them. I suppose a thumb drive
> could be broken easy by dropping it so I was thinking of leaving it in the
> USB port on the back of the PC.

Dropping is not an issue with them. Unless it is from 10 meters high
onto concrete or into fire, coffee, etc.

> Are thumb drives reliable (or at least as much as CD-RW) for file storage?

Much better than CD-RW. But beware that they only have a limited
number of overwrites (good quality ones > 100.000 per sector). That is
one reason you should only insert them when you want to access
them. Still, this has gotten much better and should only become a
concern if you write often to it. Still you should get one form a
reputable manufacturer ro be on the safe side.

Arno

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Lou wrote:
>
> My wife needs to make incremental backups of a word document she is working
> on. The file size is less than 1mb. I gave her a CD-RW and showed her how
> to use it (she has very little PC knowledge) to copy her files to but then
> it had errors and stopped working. Not sure if she did something wrong or
> the software (Roxio EZCD 6) caused the problem. I was going to try Nero
> software, but then I thought why not just use a thumb drive because its very
> easy to use and I have never had problems with them. I suppose a thumb drive
> could be broken easy by dropping it so I was thinking of leaving it in the
> USB port on the back of the PC.
> Are thumb drives reliable (or at least as much as CD-RW) for file storage?
>
> Thanks,
> Lou

A lot of printers these days have card readers.

If you already have the card (from a camera or the like) you could use
that setup.

I've started using a 1GB flash device - seems to work ok. Certainly
better than the CD approach.


Odie
--
Retrodata
www.retrodata.co.uk
Globally Local Data Recovery Experts

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Lou <NospamLou@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:XEKje.1564$W51.11613@typhoon.sonic.net...

> My wife needs to make incremental backups of a word document she is working
> on. The file size is less than 1mb. I gave her a CD-RW and showed her how to
> use it (she has very little PC knowledge) to copy her files to but then it had
> errors and stopped working. Not sure if she did something wrong or the
> software (Roxio EZCD 6) caused the problem.

It would have been her doing something wrong. Its not the easiest
approach in the world for a relatively inexperienced user.

Its more reliable to use Creator Classic in that situation.

> I was going to try Nero software,

Its even more counterintuitive.

> but then I thought why not just use a thumb drive because its very easy to use
> and I have never had problems with them.

Some have.

> I suppose a thumb drive could be broken easy by dropping it

They arent easy to break by dropping.

> so I was thinking of leaving it in the USB port on the back of the PC.
> Are thumb drives reliable (or at least as much as CD-RW) for file storage?

Yes. But that wont protect against some risks like
theft of the PC or the house burning down etc.

Its safer to unplug it when you are out of the house
and hiding it, and safer again to take it with you.

 

[Lars]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

On 21 May 2005 12:33:55 -0700, modiftek wrote:

> there is one setback. If you buy one that is not backward
>compatible with USB v1.1 you might run into problems when you stick it
>on PCs without the newer USB v2.0 [high-speed] - those PCs that carry
>only USB v1.1.
>
>You should buy a Thumb Drive that is both USB v1.1 and USB v2.0
>compliant.

Is that really a common problem? I checked out my
favorite computer stores website which lists some
35 or so USB flash cards. *All* of them are USB 2,
and there is no mentioning of them being backwards
compatible or not.



Lars
Stockholm
http://web.telia.com/~u84406120/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

<Lars@fake.com> wrote in message
news:ghh49119dnnn5fb5cferf9of24p7e7v7i1@4ax.com...
> On 21 May 2005 12:33:55 -0700, modiftek wrote:
>
> > there is one setback. If you buy one that is not backward
> >compatible with USB v1.1 you might run into problems when you stick it
> >on PCs without the newer USB v2.0 [high-speed] - those PCs that carry
> >only USB v1.1.
> >
> >You should buy a Thumb Drive that is both USB v1.1 and USB v2.0
> >compliant.
>
> Is that really a common problem? I checked out my
> favorite computer stores website which lists some
> 35 or so USB flash cards. *All* of them are USB 2,
> and there is no mentioning of them being backwards
> compatible or not.
>
A USB 2 host MUST implement lower speeds, as input devices are still 1.5Mb/s.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Don't worry about overwrite wear. 100,000 is so many that the USB connector
will likely wear out first. I assume you overwrite the whole drive less
often than unplug it and plug to somewhere else.


"Arno Wagner" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:3f9uo2F6p12dU3@individual.net...
>
>> Are thumb drives reliable (or at least as much as CD-RW) for file
>> storage?
>
> Much better than CD-RW. But beware that they only have a limited
> number of overwrites (good quality ones > 100.000 per sector). That is
> one reason you should only insert them when you want to access
> them. Still, this has gotten much better and should only become a
> concern if you write often to it. Still you should get one form a
> reputable manufacturer ro be on the safe side.
>
> Arno
>
>
>
>