A Cramped Hard Drive is a Sad Hard Drive

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://lifehacker.com/5517688/how-to-upgrade-your-tiny-hard-drive-to-a-spacious-new-one-and-keep-your-data-intact' target='_blank'>http://lifehacker.com/5517688/how-t...our-data-intact</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"To upgrade your hard drive without reinstalling everything, you'll need to use a utility to make an exact copy, or clone, from the old hard drive to the new one. A number of commercial tools will do this for you, and even some free Windows utilities can make a copy of your drive while your PC is running."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1271366169.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>There comes a time when that trusty hard drive just cannot cut it anymore.&nbsp; Sure, it has seen you through many years of faithful service.&nbsp; It was there for you when you wanted to save a copy of your vacation at Sealand.&nbsp; It was there for you when you completed your dissertation on the Dread Tomato Addiction.&nbsp; But now, even hard drives have limits, and you must say goodbye.&nbsp; When it comes up upgarding your hard drive, cloning it is probably the fastest and easiest way to do it.&nbsp; However, I would like to propose one other solution that is not mentioned.&nbsp; If you do not need all the files on your computer at any time, a NAS may be a better solution.&nbsp; With a NAS, you can offload all those files that are really there just for archival purposes and just keep what you need on your hard drive.&nbsp; It can also help keep your folders much cleaner!</p>

[Reid Kistler]

If you do not need all the files on your computer at any time, a NAS may be a better solution. With a NAS, you can offload all those files that are really there just for archival purposes and just keep what you need on your hard drive.

The problem is that I never know what files I will need UNTIL I need them! ;)

Also have the impression that NAS boxes tend to be rather expensive: $500 & UP?

Assume that you run such a system (?): what is your experience, in terms of cost, convenience, & reliability???

[Hooch Tan]

The problem is that I never know what files I will need UNTIL I need them! ;)

That's fair enough. I'm in a situation where I have some files for clients that I haven't dealt with for years. Also, DVD rips of movies and TV shows get dumped on there. Pictures, what few I have of them. But I understand what you mean. That's why I have a system where I can retrieve files remotely if I absolutely have to.

Also have the impression that NAS boxes tend to be rather expensive: $500 & UP?

Assume that you run such a system (?): what is your experience, in terms of cost, convenience, & reliability???

The cost all depends on what kind of NAS you want. You can even repurpose an old computer if you really want to. For a brand new dedicated device, the price will range from $250 for a quality 2-bay empty NAS device (I'm thinking the Synology DS209j) to $300 for an Apple Time Capsule to $400 for a Acer EasyStore H340 or $650 for an HP MedisSmart Server.

What kind of NAS all depends on your needs and what sort of environment you want. Most of them are designed to be set and forget as much as possible these days too. For example, I have an EasyStore with 3TB of storage. It handles the redundancy, sharing and file spanning on various hard drives, so I don't have to worry about it. The cost so far has been about $500 including the two extra hard drives I bought.

The software that comes with it allows me to backup all my systems and have network shares. Network performance is pretty good as well, able to stream things at 1080p without a hiccup. I haven't had any problems with the NAS yet. It's even handled power outages without any issues. None of the drives have failed, and I have not needed to restore a computer yet, so I can't give personal experience on that. But knowing computers, I'll have a tale next week now that I've mentioned it.

Were there any specific questions? We also use a Synology at work, so I can answer personal questions about that too.

Me, I'm sold on it because for sharing files, it helps consolidate files, and makes managing things much easier!