Larger HD vs external HD?

Hi Guys,
I'm looking for advice. I recently dropped my external HD and it's failing now (I can't write too much without getting a writing failure from windows).
Anyway, I was thinking that may be, instead of getting another external HD to back up my data, I could just get a much bigger internal HD, and then set a second partition as a back up space.
I wonder of the pros and cons. According to my experience, my laptop HD have resisted much longer, while moving the external HD from place to place sooner or later was going to bring a drop. But then, I wonder if the second partition on the internal HD would be a true back up. I mean, does it really work almost as an independent HD, so I can format one partition and have it as new as with a full HD?
I hope I made myself clear, sorry the precarious English, and thanks for the help.

 

for backup, you need a second hd. internal or external are a minor thing (but for those notebooks that allow 2 disks in them, the chance of dropping them at the same time, and thus killing both, is quite high )

so something external is way to go. if you have family around, may i suggest a windows home server?

besides backup, yes, i'd suggest internal storage. it's faster, always there (shortcuts and such allways work no matter what) and you don't have to think about 2 devices to take with you and arange on your leg and desk and such.

 

Consider a Western Digital My Book. I have my connected to my wireless router and configured to back up the hard drive in my laptop whenever the wireless connection in my laptop is not in heavy use. It is like having an external backup drive that you never need to connect to your laptop. Any other machine on your network can also be configured to back up to it.

 

Thanks a lot,
Although I'd appreciate a more technical answer. Something like: Defragmentation is not independent among two partitions. Or: virus can pass from one partition to another. Or: a physical error might affect two partitions.
Thanks anyway.

 

The answer to partitioning question is yes. You can create as many partitions as you like. You can make them accessible through your primary partition through a drive letter and drag/drop file accordingly or they can be hidden. I have used multiple partition schemes to store ghosted compressed backup images of my primary hd and others for just storage. All your partitions can be maintained independently, scan disk, degrag, etc.

Drawbacks are catastrophic failure or loss of the drive (which I've never had) that would take your backup files along with it.

 

Thanks, I see. I have never had a catastrophic failure of my internal drives either, so that was the point. May be backing up on the internal is a better idea, than risking them on the external. I know having the data on the internal AND the external would be the best, but also the most expensive option.

 

IDK if this has been said but couldn't you use the current internal as an external HDD, with an enclosure?
EMZ=]

 

May be, that's a very good idea

 

A second copy on your internal drive is not a backup and won't save your data if the drive fails. The safest option is to get an external 3.5" drive and preferably make copies to DVD as well.

 

I think unless you have a eSata port, an external is not a replacement for your internal drive. THe only reason you have an external is to make sure your internals won't fail.

 

It can be a backup depending on the problem. Sometimes you can just get a corrupt MFT that keeps you from booting. You can still restore your primary from a extended partition or transfer files from it. If it's fubar, sure you're cooked, but in his case it's his backup that gets knocked around. It depends on how valuable your files are. Things are pretty inexpensive these days.

 

Errr?

He states that having one on the INTERNAL and one on the EXTERNAL is safer, not having two copies on the internal

If he saves on both the internal and external he will always be safe as if one fails (doesnt matter wich) the other drive has all the data left. Because i can't see a reason why the external HDD will brake if the internal does and vice versa.

 

Thanks guys,
I think I'll get a big internal, and back up most stuff in a separate partition there. On the other hand, the most important stuff I'll also back it up in my old HD, that I just converted in external (through a case, as Emor recommended)