Creating backup copies is essential. It is very useful to have files available at all times, as well as free up space on other devices or even protect computers from attacks such as ransomware. However, it is important to choose carefully which discs to buy for those copies, in order to avoid problems, whether short-term or long-term. Let’s give you some tips.
You may have the option of purchasing an HDD, SDD drives, or external drives. Any option is good for creating backup copies, although they are not the same in terms of operation. There are faster alternatives, with more or less capacity, ease of transporting it to other places, etc.
What to look for when buying a disc for copies
We are going to focus on aspects that we consider essential when you have to buy a disk to create your backup copies. Avoiding confusion, avoiding purchasing a product that is not good, will be essential.
Reliability
This is essential. We recommend that you purchase disks to create backup copies that are completely reliable. You should not use devices from brands that you cannot trust, such as very cheap models that you can find on the Internet. Keep in mind that you are going to host your files here and you don’t want to lose them.
It is key to use reliable drives, since the files will be able to remain for a long time. You can inform yourself through forums, read ratings and comments from other users, analyze the brand’s specifications, etc. All this will help you choose a product that is really useful.
Storage capacity
Another factor to take into account is storage capacity. How much space do you need? Do you think you are going to have to save more and more files? You will have to analyze this, since buying a 500 GB disk is not the same as buying a 5 TB disk. In addition, you may need a 1 TB disk today, but expect that in a short time you will need double that.
Calculate the capacity you need currently, but also in the future. That will help you choose a drive that suits you and not have problems with running out of space when you have to create backups.
Transportable or not
You should also look at whether you will be able to transport that disk easily or not. An HDD hard drive that you have to connect to your NAS server or computer is not the same as a small external hard drive that you could even carry in your pocket. You will find models that are more portable than others.
This will vary depending on each case. You may need a disk to create backup copies of different devices, such as cell phones, tablets and other devices, but perhaps you simply want to create a backup copy of a computer, so whether or not you can transport that drive does not matter. It will be so relevant.
Speed
Of course, transfer speed may be another thing to consider. If you are going to make a lot of backups, and they are going to be very heavy, you are going to want the transfer to be fast. Therefore, take a good look at the writing speed of that unit you are going to buy, whether it is an SSD, HDD, etc.
Of course, also keep in mind that it will depend on the capacity of the devices. For example, you can have an external hard drive that works via USB 3.0, but have a computer that is only compatible with USB 2.0 and you will not take full advantage of the speed it has.
Therefore, you can take all this into account if you need to buy an HDD or an SDD for your backups. You always have the option to sync Drive files with your PC, in case you create backup copies in the cloud and want to have them physically as well.