External Hard Drive vs. Backup Drive: Is there any difference between an external hard drive that I can plug into my MacBook Pro and what is labeled a back up drive? The reason I ask...

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Is there any difference between an external hard drive that I can plug into my MacBook Pro and what is labeled a back up drive? The reason I ask is that when I try to copy my photo files over to the backup unit, either it doesn't want to transfer them, or it completely scrambles the order of the photos so I almost can't find anything, and the thumbnails are so small they're very hard to see. Any suggestions?

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

Wingpilot wrote:

Is there any difference between an external hard drive that I can plug into my MacBook Pro and what is labeled a back up drive? The reason I ask is that when I try to copy my photo files over to the backup unit, either it doesn't want to transfer them, or it completely scrambles the order of the photos so I almost can't find anything, and the thumbnails are so small they're very hard to see. Any suggestions?

a backup drive is formatted to back up your computer, not storage. you may be able to use it for normal use if you are able to reformat it.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

orrie smith wrote:

a backup drive is formatted to back up your computer, not storage. you may be able to use it for normal use if you are able to reformat it.

That's what I was wondering about.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

Wingpilot wrote:

Is there any difference between an external hard drive that I can plug into my MacBook Pro and what is labeled a back up drive? The reason I ask is that when I try to copy my photo files over to the backup unit, either it doesn't want to transfer them, or it completely scrambles the order of the photos so I almost can't find anything, and the thumbnails are so small they're very hard to see. Any suggestions?

Actually it may or may not matter. If the drive labeled as Backup, it means nothing it could be a regular drive with a backup label.

What brand is the backup drive, how is it formatted. Use Spotlight to open Open Disk Utility and select the drive, then click on the info button. You should see a screen like the snapshot I provided. Post the snapshot.

Are you saying this is an internal or external drive?

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Capture48 wrote:

Actually it may or may not matter. If the drive labeled as Backup, it means nothing it could be a regular drive with a backup label.

What brand is the backup drive, how is it formatted. Use Spotlight to open Open Disk Utility and select the drive, then click on the info button. You should see a screen like the snapshot I provided. Post the snapshot.

Are you saying this is an internal or external drive?

I'm asking about an external drive.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Wingpilot wrote:

I'm asking about an external drive.

I can't speak from a MAC perspective, but in general a drive is a drive, internal, external or network accessible. It's not the location of the drive but how it is identified and how the backup software recognizes it.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Peterff wrote:

I can't speak from a MAC perspective, but in general a drive is a drive, internal, external or network accessible. It's not the location of the drive but how it is identified and how the backup software recognizes it.

:thumbup:

A "back-up" drive is a regular drive that runs software to perform the back-up. I have a 1Tb WD passport (USB) drive that I use as a back-up, but I do not run the backup software that is on it, I manually copy (transfer). I also use it to transfer MANY files from the desk-top to the laptop (or vice-versa) as encrypted WiFi is SO much slower. Back-up software probably compresses the information, thus giving the illusion that the drive is formatted differently. (Files backed up with the old Windows backup program were not usable as regular files because of storage method.) The Passport is a regular drive that I can create directories (folders) on like any other drive.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

Wingpilot wrote:

I'm asking about an external drive.

OK so give me the drive snapshot as requested so I can help.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Longshadow wrote:

:thumbup:

A "back-up" drive is a regular drive that runs software to perform the back-up. I have a 1Tb WD passport (USB) drive that I use as a back-up, but I do not run the backup software that is on it, I manually copy (transfer). I also use it to transfer MANY files from the desk-top to the laptop (or vice-versa) as encrypted WiFi is SO much slower.

A drive doesn't run software in my experience, a computer runs software and is able access any drive that is internal, external, LAN or WAN or cloud-based that the software has privileges to access.

Backup is a function not a device or location-based situation. The transfer mechanism is important from a speed / time perspective, but whether hardwired, WiFi, or internet-based depends upon the bandwidth available, not the technology in use unless that creates a bottleneck.

This is sometimes a complicated discussion. Not trying to disagree, but there can be many dependencies.

sloscheider Loc: Minnesota

Wingpilot wrote:

Is there any difference between an external hard drive that I can plug into my MacBook Pro and what is labeled a back up drive? The reason I ask is that when I try to copy my photo files over to the backup unit, either it doesn't want to transfer them, or it completely scrambles the order of the photos so I almost can't find anything, and the thumbnails are so small they're very hard to see. Any suggestions?

I've got several external drives, all of them work for Time Machine backups and all of them allow me to copy files to them at will.

Time machine does require a certain type of file system to make use of a drive for backups but that doesn't preclude the drive from normal use.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Peterff wrote:

A drive doesn't run software in my experience, a c... (show quote)

Correct, the "drive" does not do the backup, the software on the drive does, which is run by the computer. Most people have auto-start enabled, the default, (I do not, I hate it.) so that when you plug the drive into the computer, it starts the backup program stored on the drive by the manufacturer.

My WiFi (router) is encrypted, it IS much slower than wired. I can connect the laptop to the desktop with a cable, and it transfers lickety-split, but I have to turn WiFi off on the laptop, for some reason it takes precedence over the cable.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Longshadow wrote:

Correct, the "drive" does not do the bac... (show quote)

Sure, but that is your specific situation, and not necessarily related to anyone else. The software on the drive does not do the backup, the computer(s) that are connected do the backup. A drive is merely storage, and even if it has some storage related intelligence it is not actually in control. A drive does not need any backup software on it to be a target device for backup, it just needs to be a recognized storage device.

I doubt that most people actually have autostart enabled. Unless you have some evidence to support that how do you know how people configure their systems? It may be a default configuration but many people know enough to modify their systems, networks and storage.

Not good to make too many assumptions, many people on UHH have strong IT / computer backgrounds.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Capture48 wrote:

OK so give me the drive snapshot as requested so I can help.

How do I do that?

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

So, in my basic understanding of what's stated here, is that an external drive is an external drive, the difference between a backup drive and just a storage hard drive is the software installed on the drive. But it would seem that either could be used for either purpose.

Sorry, to those who have a lot of IT experience and computer savvy, I don't. At least not a lot of technical knowledge.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Capture48 wrote:

OK so give me the drive snapshot as requested so I can help.

Sorry, I left this out. Which drive do you want a snapshot of, the computer's hard drive or the external one? And again, I don't know how to do that. I appreciate your assistance here. Thanks.