Back Up Your Computer With a Portable Hard Drive

Pin It

What Happens If Your Computer Crashes?

With this handy back-up drive, it won’t be your worry! This should be a required purchase for every computer owner.  Don’t forget your high school and college students either.  Each computer should have one, whether or not you travel with it.

Have you ever run a simple software update only to find you’ve lost months of photos? Have you had a problem in your computer that required reinstallation? Have you deleted something you realize you desperately need six months later? I’ve had all three issues. The first time, I was out of luck. No back up. Over one hundred photos lost.

For years friends told me to get a back-up hard drive for my laptop. In my mind as they were talking I would picture the old huge hard drives that came with desktops, wondering where on earth I would keep something that big plugged in. My friends showed me the smaller models they used for desktops, but even those seemed too big. So I held off. It’s a purchase many of us put off–it doesn’t seem particularly urgent–until we realize how important it can be. That’s often too late.

Back Up Before Service

When I got my first MacBook Pro, it had a useful preinstalled program called the Time Machine that will automatically back up your computer weekly. That was intriguing. Looking into it, I ran across this cool, very small back-up drive, conveniently located right down the aisle at the Apple store. I plugged it in to the USB port, set up the Time Machine, and it proceeded to back up every single thing on my computer.

Previously I had used thumb drives or cd’s to back up important documents and photos, but for some reason music and audiobooks wouldn’t cooperate. The G-Drive backed up iTunes along with everything else. By the way, they make them for MAC’s and PC’s.

For the Time Machine to automatically update, naturally the drive must be plugged in. Since I don’t keep it connected as you would with a desktop computer, the Time Machine will remind me daily when it’s overdue. If that feature isn’t available to you, your phone or computer calendar alarm can be set for every week. It’s so easy, I’ll let it do its thing while I check my email. Now I back it up before any trip, before updating any software, and certainly before I take my computer near any Apple store for service or questions.

The last time I went in to visit the Genius Bar at the Apple Store I thought I had a minor setting issue. Turned out some software was damaged. When I left the store my computer was totally blank. The helpful people at the Apple store would have reinstalled it for me, but I hadn’t thought to bring the drive with me. I went home and with a click the G Slim Drive had me up and running again. Everything was there. You know that feeling, when dread turns to relief? That was me.

Statistics on the G-Drive

It is so compact! This drive measures a mere 5″ (h) x 3.27 (w) x .71 (d). It is only about one ince wider than my iPhone, same length or height. It’s lightweight, fits anywhere, and provides storage up to 1000GB. I’ve been using it for two and a half years and still have plenty of room left on it. It’s been such a worthwhile behind-the-scenes gadget.

The price on it is excellent too, nearly half what I paid for mine. It’s a great gift for everyone in your family using their own computer. I highly recommend it. By the way, it fits quite nicely in a Christmas stocking.

WD My Passport Back Up Drive in 2TB Size

Back Up Drive for PC

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merry Citarella, often writing as Merrci, writes on a wide range of topics. Recently relocated to the Oregon Coast in the northwest United States, she frequently writes travel features on the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She specializes in health and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, food, lifestyle, and book reviews. For more information you can see her on The Writers’Door. You can read more articles here or at her websites Mystery Suspense Reviews .

Author: Merry Citarella

Share This Post On

1 Comment

  1. Wow Merry, I think about this all the time, but have never made the investment for a back up. Now you’ve got me thinking even harder. Thanks for the info 🙂

Submit a Comment