Are there cases for long-term HD storage?

[MikeGn]

Hello,

I'm planning on buying another hard drive for my computer, solely to be used for data backup. I would likely backup my files to it once every week or two. However, in between backups, I would prefer to keep the hard drive off-site (in case of fire). Does anyone know of any cases that are designed for long-term HD storage? I would like a small case (probably plastic) that would hold my HD and protect it both from physical damage and other issues (static electricity and/or magnetic fields?). I'm hoping that such a case exists.

Thanks,
Mike Gnitecki

[RustyGT]

Mike,
Maybe a Removable Drive Drawer aka a Mobile Rack, is your solution.

This link shows a close up, if you've not seen one.

I've heard they are not really kind to hdd's in the long run, too much mechanical vibration.

Maybe other back up solutions tapes/ cds could be considered for reasons of better portability.

ChrsR.

[jrock]

Could build that HD into an external Firewire or USB 2.0 case. I have one WD 60gb I use just for the same purpose. I only have it on when I want to use it for a backup, so it gets alot less wear than a normal hard drive. Those external cases will cost you from 50-80$

Also - those external drives are fairly portable too...

[Bopper]

One thing that I would caution is do not think that one data backup to another HDD, offsite, or not is going to be enough redundancy for you if your data is truly that valueable to you. I would suggest backing up to DVD-Ram, RW, R discs also, or for added redundancy. one rule of thumb is if you do not want to lose it. back it up everywhere!
I personally have all of my data backed up on 3 HDD's as well as on CD-rw discs(wish I had DVD-Ram). that way I can restore from anyone of those sources. you never know when a HDD is going to fail regardless of how little you use it. it is a machine like any other with moving parts that can easily be damaged by alot of different factors such as Physical shock(from dropping), to Electrostatic discharge to a factory defect(maybe a microscopic fleck of dust went through the mfr filters, and deposited on the HDD platter). The point is you never know when a failure will happen, but guaranteed it will happen at the worst time...

[MikeGn]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not interested in one of the front drive-type hd holders, as that doesn't offer enough protection -- it's more designed for quick swapping of HDs, if I understand it incorrectly. Nor am I interested in an external drive, as I've heard far too many horror stories (data loss, mostly).

I have considered dvd-ram, but the relatively high cost (~$200 for the drive) plus the small dvd-ram disk size (4.7GB) makes it somewhat impractical. Dvd-ram does, however, offer a critical advantage over other cd/dvd-based backup mediums: data verification. I believe that it does the data verification automatically, too.

I'm still leaning towards my original idea: HD-based backup. But possible data loss from magnetic fields and the like worry me. I remember reading an interesting story a couple of years ago in a computer security book. It was about a system administrator who did tape backups every night and promptly moved them off-site. When data loss actually occured on the servers, though, he found out that the tapes couldn't restore the data. It turned out that during the moves of the tapes to the off-site location, he had the tapes somewhere near the heater in his car. The heater produced a magnetic field that slowly destroyed the data. Thus, all of his off-site backups were useless. I don't want to ever find myself in this situation.

So, once again, does anyone know of a hd holder that offers anti-static and anti-magnetic field protection? I'm sure that they must exist. I just can't locate them. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike Gnitecki

[Atomic Rooster]

The only thing that comes to mind is to keep it in the original anti-static bag and box the drive came in.

[MikeGn]

Quote:

Originally posted by Atomic Rooster
The only thing that comes to mind is to keep it in the original anti-static bag and box the drive came in.

Anti-static bags will not stop magnetic fields, though, right?

Regards,
Mike Gnitecki

[PresterJohn]

there is litle you can do to protect yourself from external magnetic fields. that is why you are cautioned against placing sensitive devices near such fields.

have you looked into getting an external fire-wire drive? they have come down in price a lot and they are sturdy, portable, and many offer backup software as well. i believe maxtor just released a 250+gb drive recently. of course, there are other models of smaller capacity to choose from.

[ziggie]

I have a extra IDE card with the cable going out a slot on the back and if needed, i just plug one on the cable and use it as ness and un-plug it again. almost forgot, i make up a long power plug also to use for it....matter of fact, sometimes i plug a couple of HD's into it.

[MikeGn]

Quote:

Originally posted by PresterJohn
there is litle you can do to protect yourself from external magnetic fields. that is why you are cautioned against placing sensitive devices near such fields.

have you looked into getting an external fire-wire drive? they have come down in price a lot and they are sturdy, portable, and many offer backup software as well. i believe maxtor just released a 250+gb drive recently. of course, there are other models of smaller capacity to choose from.

I understand your point about the magnetic fields. However, it's easier said than done. How would you transport a hard drive in such a way that there's a 0% chance it'll come into contact with a magnetic field?

I have researched external drives, but I've found them to be too unreliable. Look up any external drive that's been out at least a few months, and you'll find numerous reports of data loss.

Regards,
Mike Gnitecki