CNET TechSpecials

Happy Friday everyone! This week's topic is external hard drives and how to use them to back up your data. Before I start, I'd like to point out a few things about this topic. While Ben's questions do ask for recommendations on what external hard-drive brands are reliable and durable, it's almost a moot point to say one brand is better than another, because everyone will have an opinion on their favorites. And we could probably go in circles trying to debate what company has a better hard drive. So, for those of you seeking a brand-name external drive, read what has worked for our members and keep those thoughts in mind, stick with a well-known brand, and run with it. The second point I have to share (which is mentioned in many of our members' answers) is if you are planning on using an external hard drive to back up your important data, you better darn well have another backup of that backup--meaning do not trust your data on your external hard drive to be foolproof, because hard drives can and will fail. And if your only backup fails, you will be miserable! I cannot express this enough. Here is a post by member and forum moderator MarkFlax, on why external hard drives aren't the best backup.

In this week's topic of discussion, a lot of ground is covered by our member answers to Ben's questions--the answers range from brand recommendations and the methods folks use to back up their own data to many great software recommendations to synch up your data for backing up. For instance, member kknudson posts his advice on having a backup plan in place, whereas member rlessmue advises on the simple balance of life regarding storage volume. These are only a few samples of what has been brought to the table. All in all, with this information at hand from our member contributions, it's a great starting point to get a glimpse of what external hard drives are available and what are some available solutions to back up your data. So pull up a comfy chair, and digest and discuss this with your fellow members. I've picked out a few great answers in the Q&A section to get you started, but if you have additional experience or advice to share, bring it on! Thanks everyone for your awesome contributions. Have a great weekend! And don't forget to play it safe and back up your data if you haven't already!