[CrackedHead]

An awesome deal if someone can buy one in the US - http://www.compusa.com/applications/...&sku=S130-9006

[allauddin]

Originally Posted by Guite

Thanks for the tip on partition and encryption. A few questions:-

1. Do you encrypt first and copy to external HDD, or the encryption process output can be directed to write to external HDD? What is the encryption output:- one single chunk of file or each individual files with same name and extension as original?

Plase follow the tutorial link provided here

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=tutorial

The tutorial is for creating VOLUME based file, which is not good, It will create a big file in your system, instead I suggest carete non-system partition/drive

This drive is always hidden and very secure.

Even a data recovery professional agencies cannot retrieve data from these kind of file systems, so be careful in case if the HDD gives any issue you cannot recover data by any method.

Once you create this encrypted volume then you can mount the volume whenever you want to using the given password while creating the volume.

After mounting the volume , you can use that Partition like any other partition, just open the folder , copy files that's it.

2. How do you prevent a TV or media player search through one partition?

If you wish to prevent TV or media player search through a partition, convert the parition to NTFS file system, most of the TVs and Media players will not be able to read NTFS file systems, but your computer can read NTFS file system.

[Guite]

Originally Posted by allauddin

Plase follow the tutorial link provided here

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=tutorial

The tutorial is for creating VOLUME based file, which is not good, It will create a big file in your system, instead I suggest carete non-system partition/drive

This drive is always hidden and very secure.

If you wish to prevent TV or media player search through a partition, convert the parition to NTFS file system, most of the TVs and Media players will not be able to read NTFS file systems, but your computer can read NTFS file system.

Thanks for the tips. I thought the easy way out for me is to go for NTFS partition. However upon checking up I founf that my external HDD is already NTFS and my TV is reading confortably from it. Not surprising because the TV media player supports MTS and other full HD videos, so it couldn't be constrained by FAT32 file size limit.

So I will either have to go for tedious volume encryption or new HDD. If you do volume encryption how do you add new files to the volume?

[allauddin]

You are right, if your TV is able to play mkv files, then it would read NTFS partition.

Originally Posted by Guite

So I will either have to go for tedious volume encryption or new HDD. If you do volume encryption how do you add new files to the volume?

Once you encrypt the volume, by default it will not be visible in the system.

To access the partition, first you will need to launch Truecrypt

Select any drive letter from the list it shows ( It will default to the drive letter last used )

use the automount button, it will prompt for password, once you give correct password the drive letter gets added to your file system.

Now you can go back to windows explorer and use that drive letter partition like any other partion. copy paste files like the way you do in your normal HDD.

One more simple file management utility I found is QDIR. Always check the files for viruses.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by mukeshgoel

Yes, it will work. I have been using a 2TB HDD with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 on different computers.

At tradus, they have the following categories in 'refine your search'

http://www.tradus.com/hard-disk-driv...apacity=500+gb

USB2
USB3
USB 2/3
Sata

What's the USB 2/3 category?

[mukeshgoel]

Originally Posted by carboy

At tradus, they have the following categories in 'refine your search'

http://www.tradus.com/hard-disk-driv...apacity=500+gb

USB2
USB3
USB 2/3
Sata

What's the USB 2/3 category?

USB3 and USB 2/3 is same.

They have categorized it just the manufactures specifications without using their own brain.

For example, I picked up this from USB 3.0 category and in the description, you will see that "It has backward compatibility with USB 2.0".

www.tradus.com/wd-my-passport-essential-500gb-usb-30/p/PDR0000004757528

[carboy]

Originally Posted by carboy

I am looking for an external disk mainly for storing software installers and backup my laptop. I am not sure whether I should go for 500 GB or 1TB - 500 GB should be enough but if there is not a heavy price diff, should I go for 1TB? What brands are good? And what features should I look for?

I got a Transcend 500 GB USB 3.0 drive.

I have a few questions
1) There are 2 usb jacks you connect to your Laptop - one for power & one for the actual connection. Does it make any diff which you connect first - i.e. should you first connect the thin one & then thick one - or does it make no diff.

2) Do you guys use the HDD as is or do you first format it as NFTS - i think by default it comes with FAT32.

3) What do you use for Backups - do you use windows backup or any other software? Transcend has this - http://www.transcend-info.com/Suppor...=3&Func2No=205 - I was wondering if it's any good?

[drmohitg]

Hey guys I am looking to buy a 1TB external HDD. I am confused between WD and Seagate. Price wise Seagate looks to be costlier by 500 Rs ( figures taken from Flipkart). Which one should I purchase?

[Sn1p3r]

Originally Posted by carboy

I got a Transcend 500 GB USB 3.0 drive.

I have a few questions
1) There are 2 usb jacks you connect to your Laptop - one for power & one for the actual connection. Does it make any diff which you connect first - i.e. should you first connect the thin one & then thick one - or does it make no diff.

No difference. And try connecting only single USB, it might be the USB2 and USB1. In my device single USB powers the drive.

2) Do you guys use the HDD as is or do you first format it as NFTS - i think by default it comes with FAT32.

Windows auto detects and you do not have to make adjustments if you are going to use it with your computer. However, certain devices (media players) need FAR32 only and thus you need to format it accordingly.
[/quote]
3) What do you use for Backups - do you use windows backup or any other software? Transcend has this - http://www.transcend-info.com/Suppor...=3&Func2No=205 - I was wondering if it's any good?[/quote]

I just copy and paste the data I want to backup. Windows Autobackup is good enough if you want to backup the complete computer. If my windows crash, I get it going from scratch rather than from backup. Your choice.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Hey guys I am looking to buy a 1TB external HDD. I am confused between WD and Seagate. Price wise Seagate looks to be costlier by 500 Rs ( figures taken from Flipkart). Which one should I purchase?

Buy the one with higher RPM speed and with USB 3.0 if available. Cheers!