Storage Solutions External HDD From US?

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hahahari

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Hey Guys,

I am pretty much a noob when it comes to storage solutions. So I dont have a budget in mind. What is need is a 1TB to 2 TB External HDD. No need for it to be super fast or super light. It doesnt need to be portable. No need for any fancy security features or redundancies against data loss.

I just need a robust, cheap solution that wont break down on me for few years.
I know the request is vague but would certainly appreciate any help :D
 
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External drives these days aren't robust.
I would expect a life of 2 to 3 years tops, maybe less with the way external drives are handled.

Since you're buying it from the US, sort by user reviews from sites like Amazon or Newegg to figure out which series is reliable.
A WD Elements looks like a safe choice.
 
I don't suppose WD or Seagate would honor the warranty here. Would you want to risk it in the event of a failure? Spend a bit more and get it locally instead.
 
@Gannu Are you sure they don't honor warranty in India. I had a WD Elements bought in Aus and RMA'd in Chennai. Maybe the current scenario has changed.
@hahahari My choice since u said some cheap solution. Buy a external HDD it India and have a piece of mind since the warranty period is more. Also the price difference is not worth the risk involved in importing it. If importing, if u can get Samsung internal 2TB drive(Warranty not valid in India)...worth the risk.
 
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Not sure about the International Warranty part. I think I read somewhere here that a member was able to claim warranty for a drive purchased from abroad.
 
Optical disks can stay fine for decades if they have a stable dye, and are stored carefully.
But you will need to keep checking on them every year or so.

Hard disks wont last as long, but SMART statistics will keep you apprised of impending failure unless the disk itself suffers physical shock.

In both cases, the only safe option is monitoring and being ready to backup to a new source.

The Seagate Goflex lineup seems flaky.
 
A CD may last long, but requires an anal amount of care. It needs to be stored in a cool, shaded, moisture free environment. That's sort of hard to achieve here.
But that's not even the problem, it's the amount of CD/DVDs that you'll have to look after that makes it useless for mass backup.

Don't know what you mean by GoFlex flakiness, they use the same hard drives inside as the internals they sell. But the 1yr warranty is absolutely ridiculous, avoid.
 
Yup thats what I meant by "stored carefully".
Hard to achieve careful storage.. maybe.
Not practical for massive data.. agree.

Just wanted to correct you when you said optical disks suck for long term purpose, considering they are rated for a much higher shelf life.
And current gen hard disks barely make it past their meagre 3 yr warranty period as well.

Yes, I'm aware they're all mostly Seagate Green or LP drives inside, which makes it surprising.
But there is no denying there are quite a lot of complaints.
There are other factors like heat that affect hard disk life, so probably a poorly ventilated case design.
Or a poor quality adapter. Who knows.
 
We agree then! My bad at wording it (although my experience with CDs has been horrible enough not to suggest them for archiving).
I don't know whether the quality has dropped since the flood, or there are reduced reserve supplies, or it's just placebo, but the reduced warranty is absolutely junk. Seagate should be castrated for offering 1 year warranties.
I've been fortunate enough to never have an HDD die on me, except two which I enjoyed dropping a lot.
 
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