I'm confused, HHD backup [u]vs[/u] file image
My HDD appears to be on it's way out and I want to make a full copy of the HDD so I can swap them out if the old one stops working. I have a HDD like the one in use now, I want to copy the old direct...
Forum Discussion
You want backup software that will make an "image" copy as opposed to a "file backup" copy of your HDD. The new HDD you copy to should be the same size as the original. If you have a laptop, you will need to get a USB enclosure to put the new HDD in while you create the image. Like GordonThree said, most major brand HDD drives are shipped with utilities that will allow you to perform the "image" copy from your old drive. There are also quite a few free or inexpensive packages available on the internet. Just Google "image backup software".
You might want to check out this review.
http://www.backupreview.com/best-disk-imaging-software/
If you are thinking about SSD instead of HDD, pay close attention to sustained read and write speeds. Not all SSD are created equal. Also look at the warrantee, as they can vary greatly. I purchased the Samsung Pro 850 SSDs for my computers as they have a 10 year warranty and are among the fastest drives for sustained reads and writes. They are priced higher than some of the other SSDs, but you get what you pay for, I guess.
You might want to check out this review.
http://www.backupreview.com/best-disk-imaging-software/
If you are thinking about SSD instead of HDD, pay close attention to sustained read and write speeds. Not all SSD are created equal. Also look at the warrantee, as they can vary greatly. I purchased the Samsung Pro 850 SSDs for my computers as they have a 10 year warranty and are among the fastest drives for sustained reads and writes. They are priced higher than some of the other SSDs, but you get what you pay for, I guess.
