Dual Hard Drives

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I'm in the market for an external hard drive and I remember someone mentioning these. It sounds like a no-brainer for me but I'm finding very little information about them. Do they even exist? Are they a good idea or should I just go with a standard ext hard drive? If I should get one, I'd really appreciate a link for one, ideally a 1 TB split into 500 GB halves, or even a 2 TB split into 1 TB halves.

Thanks!
 
hum; the original post didn't mention RAID so why reference it?

The subject "Dual HDs" and then the content of partition a single into two parts is confusing.

Google for "external USB HD" will find lots of drives that are easy to setup.
 
Yes the external drives are easy to set up. You can partition them any way you want, then format them. Some come with detailed instructions, some don't. Plug in the USB external drive, right click on My Computer, select Manage, disk drives and select the USB drive in the list. Delete the existing partition, and repartition like you want. Format and you are good to go
 
I think RAID got mentioned because of 'dual hard drives' and external, and it was compared with 'standard ext hard drive'.

So that made me think the dude is wanting to know about the single enclosure 2 drive externals vs the single enclosure single external that is most common.

Personally, I would just go with a single drive external. The dual ones have a RAID type setup and I'm not real well versed on what your options are to run them, but I'm sure it boils down to half the space, twice the reliability, or 2x the space half the reliability. Neither sound like a good option to me, but that is just my opinion.
 
I second that. With all the issues seen on Techspot re raid, I would strongly advise
against all raid for home users. If you want to ensure you can keep your data,
use either Reduntant Copy to a second media device or Simple Backups to a second media device.

Apply the K.I.S.S. principle :)
 
Sorry for the confusion... I'm a noob with most of this.

I want an external hard drive to keep important files as backup and to clear some space on my laptop. But I feel a lot better having two hard drives to back them up on, in the event that one of them fails. I just want a simple USB connection and, if possible, no extra steps in transferring the files to both drives. I was under the impression these "dual hard drives" (sorry if I'm misusing the term) automatically saved files to each drive.

I don't know if they make these or I have to build one myself. I have read a little about Raid and it's way over my head. Hopefully this clears up the confusion.
 
I would just get a single drive external that is large enough to duplicate your current setup to. Most store bought externals come with backup software (example. Maxtor OneTouch). Use the included software then to back up your system. I don't really see a need for an external with 2 drives in it, its expensive, and if you use the external as a pure backup drive then you already have your data in 2 locations. 3 locations, especially when all 3 are in the same physical location (your house) is unnecessary.
 
This is an example of the 2 drives in 1 external enclosure. It is what I would avoid: http://www.buy.com/prod/Cavalry_2TB..._External_Hard_Drive/q/loc/273/206461304.html

206461304.jpg

The CADA-SA2 Series offers an unbeatable combination of RAID data protection, 3.0Gbit/sec eSATA speed and a vast storage capacity of 2TB (1TB mirrored). This dual-bay disk array features swappable hard disks and a built-in RAID controller. The unit arrives preconfigured in RAID 1 to protect your important dataif one drive fails, replace it with an identical drive and the data will automatically rebuild.
Leave it in RAID 1 mode for automatic background rebuilding and optimum security for your files, or configure to RAID 0 for increased data reading and writing speeds. Factory default is RAID 1 GUI mode, but also supports RAID levels 0, 1 and 0+1(safe 33/safe 50). Its SATA interface provides a faster boot process and quicker loading of programs and data. Ideal for saving hefty files, video, music, protecting databases or working directly on the drive, it delivers high-capacity performance and data security.

The unit is factory pre-configured in RAID 1 and ready to use out of the box. Install the easy-to-use RAID configuration software and the included SATA to eSATA bracket kit to take full advantage of the incredible set of features.
 
I would just get a single drive external that is large enough to duplicate your current setup to. Most store bought externals come with backup software (example. Maxtor OneTouch). Use the included software then to back up your system. I don't really see a need for an external with 2 drives in it, its expensive, and if you use the external as a pure backup drive then you already have your data in 2 locations. 3 locations, especially when all 3 are in the same physical location (your house) is unnecessary.
I have used my internal hard drive to its capacity, so I need to start cleaning it out. And I just want the added comfort of having it backed up twice.

This is an example of the 2 drives in 1 external enclosure. It is what I would avoid: link
This is exactly what I am looking for. Why would you avoid it?
 
Because I don't like the idea of RAID. But that is just my opinion. Basically you have 2 drives in that situation and you either have them mirroring themselves (good if one dies) or you are using them as 1 large drive (very bad if one dies).

If you can accept that you are using half the storage capacity of the drives combined then that is probably a decent solution for you.

In light of you having your internal already filled up and are looking for another, it may be a good decision for you to get one like what I linked. I may have overlooked you saying that earlier, all my advice was based on your current internal not being almost at capacity.

It *might* be more cost effective to buy an internal that is the size you think you need, and then clone your current drive to it, then swap the drives, so your new internal is now your main system drive. Then hook up the old internal as just a secondary internal. Then get an external of the same size (or larger) of your new internal, and use it purely for backups. That is quite a bit of work though :D
 
Buying an external enclosure with 2 drives will obviously increase the price, but your files will be slightly more protected. The question of risk vs price is only one you can answer. If you do decide to get 2 drives and RAID them, make sure you use RAID 1(mirrored), do not use RAID 0(striped). RAID 1 will only protect your files in the event of an actual drive failure. If the files you copy to the external drive get corrupted, the corrupted file will be written to both drives.
 
I think I'll go with the one in the link SNGX provided. It comes preconfigured in RAID 1, I like the comfort of the extra drive, and I think the price is worth it. Thanks for your help everyone! And feel free to add additional comments.
 
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