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CLOUD storage for external HDDs that get used with different computers

D

Dcschwartz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 4, 2013
24
0
So I have a Mac and a (3/4ths full) 1TB External HDD that I frequently disconnect and use with other computers. I've had too many internal and external HDDs die this year, so I've finally decided to embrace the cloud.

I tried Crashplan, but every time that I disconnected the external HDD and made any changes to it on another computer, Crashplan failed to see the changes and required that I first have Spotlight reindex the drive and then have Crashplan backup almost the entire drive again. Clearly this isn't going to work.

Does anyone have any better suggestions? Thanks!
 
Dcschwartz said:
Thank you for this. I'm looking at the website and it does not appear to be "in the cloud". Don't I run the same risk of hard drive failure, theft, and disaster?
Click to expand...

Bump - I can't be the only one with this issue. Thanks!
 
If you're going "cloud," why bother with the external HD at all?

I use Dropbox, and while I've only got 35GB of stuff on there - not 1TB - it does everything I need without having to carry around an external HD. It's linked to both my home iMac and my mini at work. Put a file on it at home, it's right there for me at work...

Time Machine will backup the local copies on each Mac (if you choose to have local copies) and for a little more $ each month, Dropbox has a "Packrat" option that gives you unlimited old versions and deletion 'undo's.
 
xraydoc said:
If you're going "cloud," why bother with the external HD at all?

I use Dropbox, and while I've only got 35GB of stuff on there - not 1TB - it does everything I need without having to carry around an external HD. It's linked to both my home iMac and my mini at work. Put a file on it at home, it's right there for me at work...

Time Machine will backup the local copies on each Mac (if you choose to have local copies) and for a little more $ each month, Dropbox has a "Packrat" option that gives you unlimited old versions and deletion 'undo's.
Click to expand...

I used HDD's because I have small internal HDD's on my computers and because I like to have multiple copies in case a HDD fails. Dropbox and Google Drive simply cost too much, but even if they didn't (and prices will fall eventually), do you know if they will work with an external HDD that has been disconnected and then reconnected? My main problem with crashplan was that while it advertised itself as playing nice with external HDD's, every time I disconnected and reconnected, it took days to "resync".

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Dcschwartz said:
I used HDD's because I have small internal HDD's on my computers and because I like to have multiple copies in case a HDD fails. Dropbox and Google Drive simply cost too much, but even if they didn't (and prices will fall eventually), do you know if they will work with an external HDD that has been disconnected and then reconnected? My main problem with crashplan was that while it advertised itself as playing nice with external HDD's, every time I disconnected and reconnected, it took days to "resync".

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Depends on what you're using it for. You don't even need to keep a copy locally of you don't want, but you'll have to download the file you want to use then upload it back manually if you don't keep local copies.

I know DB will complain if you disconnect the volume containing the local copies, but it certainly doesn't take days to re-sync if you do.
 
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