The ultimate portable backup system.

[Padhead]

Hello PadHeads, I want to purchase a portable backup system for my T43P which currently has a 60 GB 7200 drive, that I am thinking of upgrading to a larger hard drive. If I get a bigger hard drive, can I still clone it to the smaller 60 GB? I presume that I can, but does that cause any unforeseen consequences?

1. I want a solution that clones my hard drive, AND can be used to completely boot from, AND use while I replace or restore the main hard drive. This is a work and home computer for me. I am on it over 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. So when it goes down, I need a quick and and effective solution. Cost is not an issue.


2: What's best and easiest to use software for cloning?

3: How are those hard drive caddys that are listed in the banner ad section of this web site? Since I am buying I might as well buy from this site.

If anyone on here sells this stuff. PM me.

Thanks

[Thomcat]

Like you said, get an ultrabay slim hdd drive bay and a compatible hard drive.

It should achieve all your requirements. Add a software solution for cloning the main drive to it (norton ghost, acronos backup, etc....). I don't think there are any downsides.

[Padhead]

Padheads, Anyone have a preference between Norton or Acronis? I don't have time for difficult to use software, ( Lord knows I have enough software learn) so unless there is a compelling reason, which product is easier to use?

I went to newmodesus for a look at their hard drive caddies. Their solution is a couple bucks more than some of the ones on ebay, but probably worth it if Bill has them as a vendor on this site.

However, one serious issue that I had with their solution is that it can't be used on SATA AND PATA drives. I think that you have to choose between them. This isn't ideal for me since I will be getting a T60 soon.

Some of the products on ebay seemed to support types of drives. Any comments?

Thanks

[Padhead]

In fact, I just had an idea, since I am migrating to T60, why don't I put a SATA drive in the T43 ultrabay? Does that work?

Thanks

[bill bolton]

since I am migrating to T60, why don't I put a SATA drive in the T43 ultrabay? Does that work?

It will work in terms of making backups, but you wont be able to boot from a SATA drive in the main drive bay on a T43 (which was part of your original spec in message 1).

You will also have to do a small physical modification to the SATA Ultrabay Slim driver carrier to get it to insert in a T43 Ultarbay Slim slot.

However, as you said cost was no particular constraint, and the cost of drives is pretty low now a days, it would be much more straightforward to have PATA base backup solution for the T43 and a SATA based backup solution for the T6x..... that's the way I opted to go.

In terms of ease of use, Acronis True Image is hard to beat and is the core of my in the field backup solution.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[Padhead]

since I am migrating to T60, why don't I put a SATA drive in the T43 ultrabay? Does that work?

It will work in terms of making backups, but you wont be able to boot from a SATA drive in the main drive bay on a T43 (which was part of your original spec in message 1).

Thanks Bill sounds like great advice.

What if I set up the backup drive to boot-up from the slim ultradrive? Would cloning a PATA main hard drive to a SATA Ultrabay hard drive even work? Would there be driver, file structure issues, BIOS, etc. issues?

If so, has anyone actually done this?

Looks like a solid couple votes for Acronis in this thread so far.