Failed Hard Drive-advice please

[scoopd]

No doubt like a few others my Western Digital passport drive has dramatically failed with all my data on it.Reading the reviews this should come as no surprise to me!

I did have the data backed up but was just wondering what drives you would recommend?

Looking for something 250gb and upwards

ta

[CRAZY K]

No doubt like a few others my Western Digital passport drive has dramatically failed with all my data on it.Reading the reviews this should come as no surprise to me!

I did have the data backed up but was just wondering what drives you would recommend?

Looking for something 250gb and upwards

ta

Sorry to hear that--is it a particularly cheap piece of kit?

I have been using Seagate 320 gb HD (with another as back up) which cost £90 each but now down to about £60 I think at the Holiday Camp ( Maplins) no problems so far.

Havent used it a lot though.

CRAZY K

[scoopd]

It cost £58 for a 160 GB

[Corabar Steve]

I got one of these after my WD packed up, pretty good & doesn't run hot.http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1873009307.118753833 4@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccjaddljhjjmffcflgceggdhhmdfhk.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=133685&category_oid=-32889

[Penfold42]

Sorry to hear that--is it a particularly cheap piece of kit?

I have been using Seagate 320 gb HD (with another as back up) which cost £90 each but now down to about £60 I think at the Holiday Camp ( Maplins) no problems so far.

Havent used it a lot though.

CRAZY K


I got one of these after my WD packed up, pretty good & doesn't run hot.

Is this (http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?origin=gbase17.1&prodID=B60871) what you are on about?

And how many tracks will 320 gb hold?
What makes them give up?.....piece of string question maybe...:)

Just thinking of the future......:)

[Jiggles]

Here is a 750GB HDD only £129!!! (IDE)http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Hard+Drives/IDE/750GB+Seagate+Barracuda+IDE+16MB?productId=27365&noVat=0

[Vectis]

My previous recommendation stands (http://www.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=8208)

[Corabar Steve]

My previous recommendation stands (http://www.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=8208)

Stands?? I thought we were talking about hard drives :sj:

[djgordyp]

Here is a 750GB HDD only £129!!! (IDE)http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Hard+Drives/IDE/750GB+Seagate+Barracuda+IDE+16MB?productId=27365&noVat=0

Plus the cost of a caddy unless you use a desktop pc for your disco

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Plus the cost of a caddy unless you use a desktop pc for your disco

To be fair though, a caddy isn't a big expense is it?

[Penfold42]

To be fair though, a caddy isn't a big expense is it?

Tell Nick Faldo that......................:D :D :D :D :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Lol!

[Corabar Steve]

http://planetsmilies.net/sport-smiley-5543.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)

[Vectis]

Stands?? I thought we were talking about hard drives :sj:

:Sleeping:

[Thames Valley Discos]

Any car without power steering is a hard drive in my opinion

[Corabar Steve]

Darren! Have you got any more of those Alan Partrige Avatars?

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Darren! Have you got any more of those Alan Partrige Avatars?

I was just thinking that. Or perhaps a Peter Kaye one? :p

[Corabar Steve]

Oh yes Peter Kaye for Paul deffo!

[Thames Valley Discos]

Oh yes Peter Kaye for Paul deffo!
But Darren looks more like him than i do:D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

deffo!

You turned Australian? :confused: :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

But Darren looks more like him than i do:D

I always thought he was an attractive looking man. ;) :eek: :D

[Corabar Steve]

You turned Australian? :confused: :D

No, just lazy. (a bit like you, leaving the Have out of the questionhttp://planetsmilies.net/vicious-smiley-1763.gif (http://planetsmilies.net))

[CRAZY K]

Is this (http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?origin=gbase17.1&prodID=B60871) what you are on about?

And how many tracks will 320 gb hold?
What makes them give up?.....piece of string question maybe...:)

Just thinking of the future......:)

I was going to leave this to the experts--but they seem to be having the weekend off---:D

Far as I know--if you rip CDs at 320kb you will get files of a around max 10mb.

1000 meg is a gig --I think:confused:

So that would give you 32,000 tracks very approx.

Downloads are smaller generally so at 192kb a lot more could be stored.

Probably a bit theoretical now!

Dont know why hard Drives fail--apart from the usual abuse problems--dropping, banging, continual transit, no proper ventilation,

Also poor build, defective cheap parts etc.

I see Steve mentioned Maxtor, my son has one and that seems to have lasted---he doesnt look after things so must be reasonably rugged and taken a decent thrashing !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Might try one myself:D

HTH

CRAZY K

[Penfold42]

Far as I know--if you rip CDs at 320kb you will get files of a around max 10mb.

1000 meg is a gig --I think:confused:

So that would give you 32,000 tracks very approx.

CRAZY K

Thanks Crazy and Vectis,

Still being a bit thick and wanting to know more :o as i see it going digital is the way forward.......so i am thinking of ripping CD's to a hard drive and looking at Cortex or Denon....not sure yet!!

Looking at Vectis suggestion...that's only 160gb but small and neat but i do like the idea of 320gb for more storeage.....
Qustion is would you buy the 320gb and take that out or would you by one of each and use the smaller one to go out with and store the bulk on the bigger on???....or would you buy two 320gb?? also would the 320 look to big at gig's??......

Anyone?
Thanks.

[Vectis]

Here's how I do it.

I divide my music into "Archive" and "Master Playlist". As their names suggest, one is the least requested stuff and the other is my bible.

I have one 3.5" powered HDD and three toughdrives. The powered HDD is permanently fixed into my main rack and is connected to my d2. It contains a copy of the "Archive".

One toughdrive is a copy of the "Archive" and is kept in my kitbag for emergency use in case the other (or the d2) fails.

The other two toughdrives contain "Master Playlist" and are clones of each other. On arrival at the venue, one is attached to the d2 and the other to my laptop.

I also have a spare 3.5" HDD in the van with a third (not necessarily bang up to date) copy of "Master Playlist" on it.

At home I have a large NAS (about 5TB) with all sorts of stuff on there - movies, home videos, pictures and of course another backup of 'Archive' and 'Master Playlist'.

Can never be too careful!

Just to be even more anal, I have a copy of all the (useable) top 40 singles since about 1980 and all the Now! series on my laptop's internal HDD. The laptop I use for lighting control also has all the software on it to be swapped over if needs be for the main one.

So far I've had one 'funny' where one toughdrive got corrupted by a power failure - the directories were showing but not the tracks. I got through the night with the other copy without any probs, then a reformat and re-sync fixed it. Other than that I've been lucky with my drives.

About once a year I'll sit down and prune the archive, and copy over any frequently requested songs to the MP, and vice versa.

Just don't get me started on the legalities of multiple backup copies of the same stuff on so many drives ... my argument is that I can only play one track at a time :-)

[Corabar Steve]

Qustion is would you buy the 320gb and take that out or would you by one of each and use the smaller one to go out with and store the bulk on the bigger on???....or would you buy two 320gb?? also would the 320 look to big at gig's??......

Anyone?
Thanks.

I have 2 320 gig HDs (I use one for each deck, but that's because I like backup. If one fails I can still use the other for both decks, it's just a habit I've got into connect them both during set up then use on per deck)

Why would it look too big?

a) they are all pretty much of a muchness size wise
&
b) it's on the lower shelf of my Ultimax, out of sight behind the curtain.

[Vectis]

Just wanted to add... before the 2.5" USB powered drives became common >100GB and at 5400rpm I used the 3.5" external powered jobbies and apart from being bigger and more fragile there's the hassle of finding another power socket and plugging them in.

Sure it might only take 30 seconds but that's 30 seconds every night and the possibility of a failed PSU to take into account.

[Corabar Steve]

You can't use big USB powered HDs with the Denon unit, pen drives are ok, but any big 160 250 320 500 gig drives have to have their own power source.

[Penfold42]

I have 2 320 gig HDs (I use one for each deck, but that's because I like backup. If one fails I can still use the other for both decks, it's just a habit I've got into connect them both during set up then use on per deck)

Why would it look too big?

a) they are all pretty much of a muchness size wise
&
b) it's on the lower shelf of my Ultimax, out of sight behind the curtain.
That's OK then.....


Just wanted to add... before the 2.5" USB powered drives became common >100GB and at 5400rpm I used the 3.5" external powered jobbies and apart from being bigger and more fragile there's the hassle of finding another power socket and plugging them in.

Sure it might only take 30 seconds but that's 30 seconds every night and the possibility of a failed PSU to take into account.


You can't use big USB powered HDs with the Denon unit, pen drives are ok, but any big 160 250 320 500 gig drives have to have their own power source.

Didn't think about that......:o
But you would only need to find one power point as i only intend to use one and have the other as back up.....plus CD's and CD players that should be enough.....

Thank's guys.......things are becoming clear....slowly.....:)

[Vectis]

You can't use big USB powered HDs with the Denon unit

One up for Numark then :D

[Corabar Steve]

One up for Numark then :D

But you can use up to 4 at a time with the Denon, does the Numark do that?

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

But you can use up to 4 at a time with the Denon, does the Numark do that?

Ner ner ner ner ner!:D

[Corabar Steve]

Tht wasn't how I intended that to sound, it was a serious question.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Tht wasn't how I intended that to sound, it was a serious question.

Meh...how boring. ;)

[Corabar Steve]

http://planetsmilies.net/vicious-smiley-1763.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)

[CRAZY K]

That's OK then.....





Didn't think about that......:o
But you would only need to find one power point as i only intend to use one and have the other as back up.....plus CD's and CD players that should be enough.....

Thank's guys.......things are becoming clear....slowly.....:)

Oh--I see the experts have arrived now back from the weekend:D :D :D

I use Cortex (so does Dragonfly) dont believe the negative comments on the machine---its just that the others Denon etc are more sophisticated and have more facilities--- And cost more:D

We dont know about reliability ---yet---although there seem to be more Hard Drives going wrong than USB readers:eek:

I use a 320gb hard drive PLUS a spare Hard Drive, the HD goes under the deck stand or out of sight---must admit I dont have the spare ready or plugged in--that way I save 30 seconds :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I dont plug in the laptop back up either--thats another 60 seconds saved:D

You will need serious backup though, I just have a mini disc player available ready if anything blows up, then I can regroup;)

Of course there is the bonus of ripping all your CDs to the Hard drive:D
which takes time but theres a wealth of experience on here---

I dont use my Cortex every week as its not needed in my job all the time but once you are using it ---its magic!!!!!!!!

A bloke came up to me at a Country + Western Party and said have you got Johnny Cash--Walk the Line?

So I said let me see now==tap tap tap --hey were playing your song :D :D :D

CRAZY K

[Penfold42]

Thanks again guys.......



I use Cortex (so does Dragonfly) dont believe the negative comments on the machine---its just that the others Denon etc are more sophisticated and have more facilities--- And cost more:D

I've seen Dave's Cortex in action............:eek: .........must say, I was impressed....:eek: :D



We dont know about reliability ---yet---although there seem to be more Hard Drives going wrong than USB readers:eek:

How many have you gone through then?



I use a 320gb hard drive PLUS a spare Hard Drive, the HD goes under the deck stand or out of sight---must admit I dont have the spare ready or plugged in--that way I save 30 seconds :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

This is the way I would like to go.....:)


You will need serious backup though, I just have a mini disc player available ready if anything blows up, then I can regroup;)

I'm thinking 2 hard drives..(one back up)...Kam CD players as back up.....should be enough - shouldn't it?



Of course there is the bonus of ripping all your CDs to the Hard drive:D
which takes time but theres a wealth of experience on here---

I'm prepared for that.....got to be better than all the dics around the house!!



A bloke came up to me at a Country + Western Party and said have you got Johnny Cash--Walk the Line?

So I said let me see now==tap tap tap --hey were playing your song :D :D :D

CRAZY K

This is the bit I like.......looking for CD's at the moment can take a bit of time as I have to look for the track on the disc...and then double check that it is the right one...:o

I will also have to check the enteries are correctly spelt........:rolleyes: :D


But you can use up to 4 at a time with the Denon, does the Numark do that?

Why on earth would you need 4 plugged in....??

[CRAZY K]

Thanks again guys.......



I've seen Dave's Cortex in action............:eek: .........must say, I was impressed....:eek: :D



How many have you gone through then?



This is the way I would like to go.....:)


I'm thinking 2 hard drives..(one back up)...Kam CD players as back up.....should be enough - shouldn't it?



I'm prepared for that.....got to be better than all the dics around the house!!



This is the bit I like.......looking for CD's at the moment can take a bit of time as I have to look for the track on the disc...and then double check that it is the right one...:o

I will also have to check the enteries are correctly spelt........:rolleyes: :D



Why on earth would you need 4 plugged in....??

I havent lost any Hard Drives but Steve @ Corabar has and I think someone else posted on here about the same thing (same make as well-- Notebook something) the other day:eek:

DAVE CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT RIPPING CDs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CRAZY K

[Penfold42]

I havent lost any Hard Drives but Steve @ Corabar has and I think someone else posted on here about the same thing (same make as well-- Notebook something) the other day:eek:

DAVE CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT RIPPING CDs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CRAZY K

LOL.....think i've read that somewhere already.......
Good to hear you haven't lost a hard drive.....although still looking at Denon and Numark.....I've just not seen these in action yet, when that happens i'll make my mind up.

Thanks again.

[Corabar Steve]

But you would only need to find one power point as i only intend to use one and have the other as back upDo you plug each individual piece of your equipment into it's own socket? Finding Venues to play in must be hard!

[Corabar Steve]

I think someone else posted on here about the same thing

Er, yes Alan, it's this thread.

http://planetsmilies.net/not-tagged-smiley-13531.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)

To the corner with you & tell Propellerheadcase he can come out now, while you're there.

[Penfold42]

Do you plug each individual piece of your equipment into it's own socket? Finding Venues to play in must be hard!

I was wondering why so many people fall over at my gigs.....i thought it was the booze................:D :D

Point taken.......Crazy can come out and i'll swap.....:rolleyes: :)

[Adam_F]

still looking at Denon and Numark.....I've just not seen these in action yet, when that happens i'll make my mind up.

Thanks again.

Tony, if you can hold on until the next NADJ West Midlands meet you can have a play with both.

I'm buying the Denon one this week, only just started ripping my CD's, and it takes forever :bang: I ended up with a 400gb HD from Ebuyer for £63, seems to be fine, loaded it with about 15gb last night and it seems to be fine!

[Penfold42]

Tony, if you can hold on until the next NADJ West Midlands NADJ meet you can have a play with both.

I'm buying the Denon one this week, only just started ripping my CD's, and it takes forever :bang: I ended up with a 400gb HD from Ebuyer for £63, seems to be fine, loaded it with about 15gb last night and it seems to be fine!

Thanks....look forward to it....!!!!:beer1: :beer1:

[CRAZY K]

:D
Er, yes Alan, it's this thread.

http://planetsmilies.net/not-tagged-smiley-13531.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)

To the corner with you & tell Propellerheadcase he can come out now, while you're there.

Yeah just noticed that Steve :D :D :D :D :D :D

Tiring weekend :D

CRAZY K

[sleah]

Dont know why hard Drives fail--apart from the usual abuse problems--dropping, banging, continual transit, no proper ventilation,


The failure rate of hard drives is 100%. Every hard disk WILL fail sooner or later.
It's just some do seem to fail sooner:(
The only way to get the maximum reliability out of a hard disk is to NEVER switch it off. It's powering up and down that kills them prematurely.
That's why it's very rare for hard disks to fail in servers that are on all the time, but in comparison, external disks used like we use them, fail all the time, even though they are the same technology.

[PropellerHeadCase]

Good point.

Did you hear about the server at some US technical institute that built into a wall and no one notice for years because it never dropped a packet?

[CRAZY K]

The failure rate of hard drives is 100%. Every hard disk WILL fail sooner or later.
It's just some do seem to fail sooner:(
The only way to get the maximum reliability out of a hard disk is to NEVER switch it off. It's powering up and down that kills them prematurely.
That's why it's very rare for hard disks to fail in servers that are on all the time, but in comparison, external disks used like we use them, fail all the time, even though they are the same technology.

What do you think the average life of a Hard Drive being used by a mobile DJ twice a week might be?

Is there a figure to work on---i.e. number of times hard drive is powered on and off?

Say 250 times?

thanks

CRAZY K

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

What do you think the average life of a Hard Drive being used by a mobile DJ twice a week might be?

Is there a figure to work on---i.e. number of times hard drive is powered on and off?

Say 250 times?



I hope not!!:eek:

[Corabar Steve]

Me too! I listen to music off them when I'm in the office.

[CRAZY K]

Me too! I listen to music off them when I'm in the office.

Wouldnt you guys (Steve and Darren) dedicate your 2 Hard Drives to disco work only---like a laptop?

Thats what I do.

They only cost £60 a go now for 320gb.

Still waiting for an to answer the question:D

I would GUESS the on and off rate could be up to 5000 --anyone?

Actually thinking about how long the hard drives last on my PCs it should be a fair old time considering the number of on and offs it gets with powercuts, and other problems. Say 4 times a day --on- off twice--- thats 1460 a year so three years which I would reckon to get from my PC hard drive would be 4380.

Just my view.

CRAZY K

[sleah]

What do you think the average life of a Hard Drive being used by a mobile DJ twice a week might be?

Is there a figure to work on---i.e. number of times hard drive is powered on and off?

Say 250 times?

thanks

CRAZY K

Don't think there is a figure that can be put on it. Come one, were talking computers here - minds of their own!!!:D :D :D :D
I *really* wish there was an answer. I've had one's fail after little use, and others with slight abuse go on for years unstoppable.
It's just a gamble, like "how long will Windows last before it falls over?":rolleyes: