The Crucial X6 SSD I bought in 2022 held a disk clone until 2024, whereupon it refused to accept anything. Crucial replaced it. The replacement failed immediately. Pete's warning about leaving SSD's unpowered is news to me. So now we need a schedule to power the SSD's. Maybe disks aren't so clunky after all.
@@PeteMatheson I understand replacements are likely to be refurbished units. And maybe Crucial sent me a replacement that had been unpowered for a couple of years. I have no idea how to refurbish an SSD.
In the last 32 years working in IT and building my computers for my self or for other business, I have found that when it comes to SSDs(and even HDs back then), I tend to buy a new SSD(HD back then) with a bigger size, every 2 to 3 years, and copy the most important Data to the new SSD. Then if the old SSDs which are still working but they have small storage sizes, I just disconnect them. I try to buy SSDs with 3 to 5 years of warranty, so I know they will my Data for longer. The same with my m.2 Storage, I also do the same, get a new one, clone C Drive to it, and then use it as my Primary windows m.2. So basically having your Data on a 2-3 years rotation, will guarantee not SSD will probably fail, and it works. But as Pete says, would be best to double store your most crucial data into different places like in the Cloud or an external SSD or combination of both. So for me, atm I am fine with having 3x m.2 Gen 4, 2TB, 2TB, 1TB. 3x SSDs 2TB, 2TB, 1TB, and a couple mechanical HDs which now are barely used on an external enclosure. So Rotation of data into new Storage is your friend IMO :) and every 2-3 years getting a new storage shouldn't sink your Wallet :) I would also encrypt anything going to the cloud. But I personally wouldn't expose my family pictures to a cloud service, as there are always privacy concerns :)
@@doelbaughman1924 You have many ways but you can encrypt a zip file and give it a password. is not super fail proof but it will give another layer of protection. Or you could find some special software to encrypt files or full directories.
@@SportsIncorporated i try back in the time backup to cdr an after to dvdr, only to fin me nowadays with hundreds of discs that i cannot use again.seems nothing read them anymore. i'm frustrated and sad
@@NoMore12345-z Not really. Cloud services encrypt your data. But they will take hashes of your files before encrypting them, so if you upload anything illegal that you've previously downloaded and the hash is on a law enforcement database, they'll instantly know about it.
I wonder why plain old external HDDs were not mentioned in the video. Mechanical drives have their weaknesses, too, but in general do not need to be plugged in regularly to keep the data. They have much simpler firmware that doesn't tend to wipe all your data and they are cheaper, too, and more eco friendly as long as you don't keep them spinning 24/7 for 10+ years. The speed is not really an issue for just bulk storage (for most people they match or exceed the Internet connection speed anyways).
@@fintux i had two external hdds. And they both died. But thats because im clumsy and i dropped both of them lol. Meanwhile my hdds that are over 10 years old still working fine so far. Wonder if i should replace them with hdd or ssd now.
@@ziljin if you can afford and you have important data, it might not be a bad idea to get one of each and keep a copy on both. HDDs may keep the data for longer, but SSDs survive dropping better. Still I guess you will need to replace the devices somewhat regularly. And yea it still makes sense to have a copy in a different physical location, be that on a thrid device or in a cloud service.
@fintux i checked my case i dont have any more room for hdd. Guess i just need to bsck up the important data and wait until they die to get new one. Or get new one and transfer all the data from old drive to new one. I could get a case and turn the old drive into external harddrive then it wont matter if i drop it 😅
@@ziljin yeah I just recently bought an external HDD drive for backing up some photos. I do have also a NAS, but the RAW photo files would fill it up instantly, so I'll dedicate that for other files.
Not everyone wants to pay a subscription, and there are privacy concerns around storing data in "the cloud" I just have encrypted backups on multiple HDD & SSD drives
@@GO_GO_60 how do you manage dealing with the concern of loosing your data if your sdd stops working? Please, help I need some advice, I am in between both sides of fearing loosing my data and being concerned about my privacy.
Really? I am also skeptical, and will not 100% rely on it. But in 15 years, I have never had this happen to me! If anything, I found files that i thougt "hah, I think have seen this 10 years ago, I didnt now I (still) had it"
So far, Internet has never broken beyond repair, whereas countless of SSDs have. Sure there can be intermittent blackouts with Internet, but they can, have been and will be fixed. The biggest issue is that your cloud service still might go e.g. bankrupt or they might have a failure. But when a cloud service is combined with a local backup, it's quite unlikely that both go boom at the same time, so you will have time to make a new backup using a different cloud provider / local device.
There being hacked or password and account issues that worry me. Usb and ssd as long as you chamge 3 to 5 years. I got a 4gb sony usb stick given to me in 2008 still works
Another (albeit slower) method is to get a Blu-ray burner capable of writing M-Discs and archiving project files to them once you have the "final" version. When stored properly they should last as long as you do.
All the options with which, you keep full ownership of your data are the best ones. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Plus, the rules of what is legal for them to do with your data can change overnight and you're up a creek. Best to pull back from always online. Especially with very important and private data. Always privacy/ownership over convenience.This coming from someone that still uses cloud services for quick transfers of data to friends that I don't mind dropping on someone else's servers. That will be less and less common once, I set up my own servers lol.
I rather build my own NAS server and put it at a family or friend's house. Then use SyncThing to keep stuffs sync'd in real time. Cool thing about SyncThing is that you don't need to mess around with the firewall or anything. Just put the NAS anywhere you'd like and it will do it's thing in the background.
I use a NAS with a friend who has another NAS across the US we get monthly backups and we are both semi techy so if a drive fails we can replace it our selves.
You had me until you mentioned cloud. I run mostly Linux at home and I do my absolute best to keep as little of my data in the cloud. I do local backups a few times a month.
My external SSD is stuck to my computer case, never lose it. Backup is once a month. I'm retired and don't have such a need anymore really to do all that 'multiple' stuff you mention. I back up to an internal hard drive and to the SSD - both of which have hefty headroom. I also have great restore options, and really if you can't reliably restore with confidence then the whole process is black water. Also, I absolutely never have used 'cloud' for backing up. I do from time to time send smaller files to an e-mail address where they nest until needed. It's a great way to get files from A to B when needed when, say, my laptop is in use somewhere.
Thanks for waking me up. I had this backup running. However it actually is something i forget checking, once in a while, if it is running properly. It wasn't... Now it is 🙂
Firstly make sure you are keeping stuff you actually need to keep and categorize the level of security required - Clean house. Have a strategy for that first. Take responsibility for the security of your data by doing it yourself or trusting someone else to have access to it while making sure it's kept safe with a resilient backup strategy. Once you come to terms with that, there's what's the financial and time cost on a strategy that meets you needs and risks.
I have 50 years of photos. They include scans from my early 35mm B&W negatives up to my current 42MP digital files. I have them stored across 12 local 20TB USB drives with matching backups in a bank safety deposit box. I rotate every 6 months to keep the writes fresh. I'm adding two more drives to hold my new photos, one for local and one for the bank. Currently, this is the only cost-effective means I have for so many images. When I'm gone, these will go to my grandson, who I trust to protect and share with the family.
i am gonna just get one big external SSD and make it into THE vault that stores everything related to family that has till now been stored in numerous DVD-RWs, old cellphones, USBs and external hdds scattered all around everywhere, and once i am done organizing everything i will maybe also duplicate it for safety.
At least you do talk about using NAS drives. Using Cloud storage is not only expensive but extremely vulnerable in a way that having physical drives are not. Never buy more cloud storage when a NAS works just as well and is much cheaper in the long run than paying a subscription.
I just own 2 free google drive accounts, free Onedrive, 2x 500GB HDD, 1x 500GB SSD, And 2x 64GB Thumb drives for extra backup. Crucial files have 6 backups, work files have 4 backups and media,games, music, movies have 2 backups. I backup everything new twice a year. Crucial data are stored in 2 different houses.
Internal SSD is perfect, mixing it with double or more external HHD storage is even better, I use SSD as internal because they don't give a the best warnings before they die, HHD give better indications when you hear them run and sound. Both can be recovered with SSD having slightly more risk as they don't have internal disk you can recover from. I got 16TB HHD and 10TB SSD I do animation and programing and need storage as I also do gaming, I had to constantly uninstall programs and get reinstall other programs, so I was getting tired of having to do just that as it took longer than just install record, then close out, glad I upgraded to an 8TB SSD with it's own backup.
I've always held the idea tha storing your data in your physical drives to be more superior than the cloud, really. I understand the need for the convenience of cloud storage, but there's a certain peace of mind that comes with knowing your data is physically in your possession. Call me old-fashioned, but there's something reassuring about being able to touch the hard drive that holds your memories, documents, and projects. Plus, with physical storage, you're not at the mercy of internet connections, server outages or subscription. You control access to your data entirely, without relying on third-party providers. Sure, it might not be as accessible from anywhere in the world, but sometimes a little inconvenience is worth the added secrity and control.
You're not the only one. I have never used cloud-storage so far (it will probably be quite expensive to have 4TB of storage as well) but also don't like the idea, just like you. Just like I already hold a certain grudge against certain applications/companies. I like paying for software instead of 'the program is free, but we collect all your data and usage in return' kind of programs that are so prevalent these days. But many programs these days require you to register first to be able to buy it at all (which defeats the whole idea in my opinion) or when you do not have to register, do require a 'periodic' internet connection to verify the program license. I understand that piracy is still a thing (and if you have never been a victim of it yourself like I have had with my (only) hobbywebsite) I can understand people find it intrusive or unnecessary, but I still think it should not be necessary. The two back-up discs (HDD's) are swapped and one of them resides at work. Every last day of the weekend I run a full backup, the first working day the disks are swapped. The fresh back-up stays behind at work, the week-old back-up goes back home with me.
Can you guarantee that the cloud storage is never accessed by someone else?. Can you guarantee that the cloud site is never hacked?. Can you guarantee that the internet never goes down?.
As for "cloud" storage, if you do not pay your "rent", won't they "evict" you and put your stuff out on the street? I sometimes use flash drives to copy or move stuff from one device to another one. I do not use them for permanent storage.
You've left out OneDrive, mate. I use that, as for the price of roughly Google's storage, I get the Office 365 Suite AND 1TB each, for 6 people in the family.
Minimum requirements in data security? 3 copies/backups. 1 local copy (the original) 1 offsite backup (cloud, FTP, external file hosting of your choice etc) 1 external backup (NAS, external SSD/HDDs, heck setup a NAS at your parents' place) But nothing is perfect, so just choose which ever is the most economical for you. Offsite backups are REALLY costly over time especially if you want more storage than the pathetic offerings the cheapest plans give you, though while the rest are far far cheaper.
FINALLY done my semester so I can start catching up on everyone's videos 😂 So facts though, I literally have so many SSDs and external hard drives because I'm out of storage on EVERYTHING! I'm so scared of losing my data and I really need to invest in a NAS once I can afford to do so! The new UGREEN ones look DOPE! And ya, I tossed my Sandisk immediately after those article came outs as I was already facing issues where my Macbook wouldn't read the drive sometimes! Samsung T7 Rugged FTW! Lovely video Pete! 😁
What happens when subscribing to one of these cloud services and you die? Does your data get deleted or can a family member take over your account? Can you name a person in advance, just in case this scenario happens? I am just thinking about all those family photos/memories. Thanks
The best option is to backup to HDD instead of SSD. They are cheap and even when the drive brakes you can still salvage the data from the disks at a repair shop. You can then pair it with a cloud service if you really wanted an extra layer of data loss protection.
One day, the internet will be gone. All archives that contain valuable data will be inexcessabel. Therefore I use a SSD drive, that will last for almost a decade and after that we shall see.
Have you heard about HDDs, those with rotating magnetic platters? Much cheaper than SSDs and just as easy to use for backup. Put them in a NAS to be cool and convenient. SSDs are not designed for backing up, they are designed for speed. There are tape drives and optical discs (DVD, BD) specifically designed for archiving, though these are losing popularity and support, so practical for only few situations.
We need memory crystals!!! A dirt cheap medium, maybe slow, but almost indestructible, a write once/read only medium, capable of continually storing your lives memory onto one single time machine backup - backed up to a bigger crystal in the cloud, which is backed up to a even bigger thing holding all of humanities memory, duplicated to different locations/planets.
Most people won't trust online drive privacy; prices will always increase over time. Yet, we must determine how safe our data is when the company switches personnel or gets bought out. The interface and the update changed without notice over the years is guaranteed. As a drawback, SSD is no different than other storage formats, so it is not SSD's fault but that of any other drive technology. Safeguarding your data requires cost and work. There is no way to get around it.
Like other cloud storage providers have done from time to time. Even in Ubuntu (ooh boon tooh) Linux world this happened before some here were even born.
I don't use cloud storage mainly because of internet speed. If you have to backup something really important you should use miltiple drives and buy new one after 5-6 years, these backup drives are not stressed out constantly like main ones, you will be okay to use them for a long time i guess.
buying a NAS (or building your own) will be cheaper than using cloud storage. Sure the upfront cost will be higher but your ongoing cost will be much much cheaper.
A NAS is still, by definition, a form of local storage. So while it's what I'm doing, you're still not protecting in case of on-site catastrophe. Cloud is a bit more akin to rotating your backup, to have a spare kept elsewhere.
@@PawFromTheBroons The point is , I ain't storing my company data on someone else's drives but my own. 3-2-1 backup includes OFFSITE OF MY CHOICE, not a cloud connection.
There is a simple solution to getting around data privacy: encrypt your data and then upload it to Google Drive, etc. That way all they have is a file they can't do anything, it's just binary data. We of course can then decrypt it at point of use. I have Google Workspace Basic £6 a month, 30GB storage plus all the features of Workspace. 30GB is plenty to store my Tier 1 important data. Tier 2 data I keep on solid state, replicated to two different braded drives. I also use 256GB and 512GB USB thumb drives, rather large terabyte units. Tier 3 data (music, movies, etc) go on multiple 1TB drives. Tier 3 I can re-download at any time.
A couple of points. I do Time Machine backups much more often than just when I upgrade my computers. Doesn’t every sensible person? Did you actually mean what you said about Time Machine backups in this video? And secondly, regarding cloud services, it seems incredibly optimistic to think that all of the major cloud storage companies will still be in business in 20, 30, 40 or 50 years time. Big business has never worked that way in the past, and won’t be operating that way in the future. Surely any cautious person must anticipate scenarios where some customers lose their data over the long term due to business failure, malfeasance, natural disaster, or other unforeseen cause.
Do you mind if I point out a possible logic erring comparing Sandisk SSD to Crucial SSD’s in regard to reliability? What if Crucial sold 200,000 units and Sandisk 20 million units. If the reliability is equal, Sandisk is likely to be in the spotlight 100 times more often when a failure happens. Every jet airliner that crashes makes news, but every automobile that crashes does not. The frequency of news about failures can lead to wrong and even totally opposite of a correct conclusion.
Try using mylio photos. Can use ssd or even a nas or a google drive as backup so very secure and has edit tools and etc like Apple photo and google photo but you control the photos and if you want online at all or not
Why on earth would anyone want to give other people their data to store???? Oh! I just remembered.... So that I can check it anywhere in the world...... Dohhhh so can anyone else if they've a mind to!!!! If you want a reliable source of storage KEEP IT YOURSELF! Just don't forget where you keep that HD, SSD or memory stick.
Better idea, get a bluray burner, back up everything, then store the discs in a vacuum-sealed indoor environment. Or, just do a NAS and back that up from time to time.
Move cloud providers ? what a nightmare....different formats, penal charges, no certainty its deleted or sold on......best to keep dta in your own hands by nas on your router,next cloud, tec. Best solutions are solris 11 or openindiana or maybe a software solution which may provide such solutions
Why doing a backup? It’s all about restoration! SSD gives the fastest restoration time! Cloud? it’s slow uploading and crawling to find what to restore! 3-2-1 backup from the same source directly put a lot of processing pressure to your computer and unless you’re using Wi-Fi 6e or 7 , or 10GbE to the NAS, the main task of your computer/Mac is doing the backup hour by hour every day.
I wanted to stick with 'easy to use' solutions. I use AWS myself, but I'm a techie and wouldn't expect general people to understand how to setup / configure / store & access etc
I also use my cloud storage in addition to the ssd drives that I own. On vacation or a travel job you may not have the best internet service so local storage is crucial
Okay, but what if I don't trust cloud storage with my data due to their privacy policy of openly selling my data to whoever asks without my consent and leaking it continuously to everyone?
That's when you use one of the secure services I mentioned that don't have access to your data, and can be secured with your own encryption key that the provider themselves don't even know or store. I'm not saying cloud storage is for everybody - but I do keep seeing people store their life memories on SSD's and only SSD's, and just assume it will all be there in 20-50 years time when they want to re-live old memories.
I simply use Apple's Time Machine on MacOS to backup my data, and then I backup the Time Machine's backups to a second device. iCloud is also active, automatically storing my most important data.
I,ll stick to avoiding paid for cloud services..I can buy the cheapest laptop configuration going and use an external back up drive that I,m in charge of..I can also rip a cd as back up and not have to pay for cloud services.
I like to upload photos from SD card to SSD, then tag and cull on the SSD, then upload the keepers to my iCloud-backed hard drive, which also has a Time Machine SSD. Photos taken:kept may be 5:1 or even 10:1, so it’s nice to have intermediate storage for that data reduction step.
Great video! I am coming from the corporate as well as the consumer world and I have been preaching this for like 5 years plus. Great to see others saying the same thing. I store my data in 2 clouds as a variable backup. Although I do need some local storage capability so going to check out the Crucial recommendation, so thanks for that one :)
Thanks Jacob! Local is great and fast and everything but I've seen too many horror stories of dropped, broken, lost etc. Cloud is always a safe bet as long as you make sure it's secure etc Glad to hear you think the same! Thanks for watching and commenting man, appreciated!
Soooooo……. You’re saying I could have all my data backed up on an external ssd and then encrypt that before backing them up to my Google Drive? Got it.
The problem is cloud storage is it assume you need a higher speed connection which may not be an issue if yoi don't need it fast but of you neednit the you need ultra high speed connection.
sometimes building your own ssd with an enclosure and picking your own ssd to put inside is cheaper and faster I have a few of those and they haven't failed
external SSD not just for storage but mainly due to insane storage prices at apples lineup. If MBA or MBP had a NVME-Slot accessible it would be built in. so the external SSd is not the secons instance but in fact first instance (or say better instance 1,5. Instead of NAS external big external hdd as second instance (much faster than a connection via the ISP) a cISP connected cloud service is only viable for pure storage (usually fire and forget). The external SSD is in a TB capable housing and slightly faster than the built in storage.
Geezer here (80.977 years). There is a coax cable buried in the ground running 120 feet between my house and a utility pole. It goes up the pole and joins some cable 25 or 30 feet in the air. It then wanders miles up in the air to some repeater sitting on the ground somewhere. Eventually it reaches someone's computer, and gets switched through other computers, probably via underground cables, to someone's computer running TH-cam servers somewhere on planet Earth. That's the cloud. It is astonishing that these contraptions work at all.
My storage was full, so I "rm -rf"-ed my 1TB HDD, and I deleted some apps on my 500GB SSD. I have enough storage to download the english wikipedia 5 times, and some other languages too!
Depends what you are using them for! SSD Faster & More expensive and less risk with damage. HDD = Slower, but much cheaper for bigger drives, but can be fairly easily damaged if moved.
Get NAS. That's the best solution if you are just aiming for backup purposes. A bit overkill if for personal use but does exactly the same thing without having the risks of connecting to external servers.
I get the pros of cloud storage services, but private and and clients projects should not be on someone else computer, I rather have my own storage system and keep that data with me and have multiple backups
ironically enough, my external SSDs are for my NAS, which is built into the Asus router I use (a tired but trusty AT-RX56U) running Asuswrt-Merlin. It's just now getting old enough where Upgrading to a bespoke setup that can run the latest security patches is tempting.
Don't waste your money on the Crucial X10 which uses USB 2x2 and is obsolete. Only a handful of PC's and no Macs support it and will downgrade from 20 to 10gbps in use. Either wait for USB4 or get the Crucial X9.
Unfortunately hardly anyone has their photos printed now. They often reside on a hard drive. Personally I have family photos going back to early 1900s . Most photos taken now probably won't be accessible to the family from various electronic devices due to encryption, corruption of data, or unknown password protection of the device. Photos are better being printed as well as electronically stored if you want your family to access them after you depart this world.
Not really sure I want to try and explain to my parents how tape storage works, or how expensive it is to buy the tape drives, a bunch of tapes that then require rotating, and on the off-chance you want to restore something in 20 years time, you'll have to find a working tape drive that works with the LTO versions of tapes you were using at the time.
No thanks. iv had a mechanical Harddrive that hasnt had a issue in 18 years. cost me one time 50 bucks. il upgrade this year for another 50 bucks and wont spend more. zero reason to buy monthly cloud services.
Yarr matey. I disagree. I like to own my data and not have the potential of a 3rd party or even the host also having access and or the ability to delete and or corrupt files that they deem not fit for their service. Use IPFS or IPNS. Use IAG. Decentralized service.
There are too many subscription "services" around whose real purpose is to collect information about their users to sell to other companies and to supply on demand to governments. We see breaches of supposedly secure servers almost weekly; often we don't learn about them for months after the fact. For that matter, what stops your trusted cloud service from simply shutting down and taking your data with it? No thank you. I'll back up my truly irreplaceable files to local drives and to removable drives that I store elsewhere.
Cloud costs money, you pay every month and year, and once you don't pay anymore, you will loose everything. Instead, invest your money in to HDDs or a NASs (plural, for off-site Backups too)
I wish the cloud were more reasonable. I did buy some storage, but we are not on high-speed, and uploading or downloading is incredibly impractical. SLOW!!!!
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The Crucial X6 SSD I bought in 2022 held a disk clone until 2024, whereupon it refused to accept anything.
Crucial replaced it. The replacement failed immediately.
Pete's warning about leaving SSD's unpowered is news to me. So now we need a schedule to power the SSD's.
Maybe disks aren't so clunky after all.
Thanks for this, insightful! That's crazy they failed so quickly.
@@PeteMatheson I understand replacements are likely to be refurbished units. And maybe Crucial sent me a replacement that had been unpowered for a couple of years. I have no idea how to refurbish an SSD.
In the last 32 years working in IT and building my computers for my self or for other business, I have found that when it comes to SSDs(and even HDs back then), I tend to buy a new SSD(HD back then) with a bigger size, every 2 to 3 years, and copy the most important Data to the new SSD. Then if the old SSDs which are still working but they have small storage sizes, I just disconnect them. I try to buy SSDs with 3 to 5 years of warranty, so I know they will my Data for longer. The same with my m.2 Storage, I also do the same, get a new one, clone C Drive to it, and then use it as my Primary windows m.2.
So basically having your Data on a 2-3 years rotation, will guarantee not SSD will probably fail, and it works. But as Pete says, would be best to double store your most crucial data into different places like in the Cloud or an external SSD or combination of both.
So for me, atm I am fine with having 3x m.2 Gen 4, 2TB, 2TB, 1TB. 3x SSDs 2TB, 2TB, 1TB, and a couple mechanical HDs which now are barely used on an external enclosure. So Rotation of data into new Storage is your friend IMO :) and every 2-3 years getting a new storage shouldn't sink your Wallet :)
I would also encrypt anything going to the cloud. But I personally wouldn't expose my family pictures to a cloud service, as there are always privacy concerns :)
Blu-Ray?
How do you encrypt your data before storing to the cloud?
@@doelbaughman1924 You have many ways but you can encrypt a zip file and give it a password. is not super fail proof but it will give another layer of protection. Or you could find some special software to encrypt files or full directories.
@@SportsIncorporated i try back in the time backup to cdr an after to dvdr, only to fin me nowadays with hundreds of discs that i cannot use again.seems nothing read them anymore. i'm frustrated and sad
If you're going to use the cloud i.e someone else's computer, store it as encrypted files. The encryption should be done on your end and not theirs.
Facts, else anyone can snoop your data.
@@NoMore12345-z Not really. Cloud services encrypt your data. But they will take hashes of your files before encrypting them, so if you upload anything illegal that you've previously downloaded and the hash is on a law enforcement database, they'll instantly know about it.
I had to get 2tb of Google photos storage but I just couldn't use cloud storage for everything I definitely prefer having actual files on a drive
Local files are great for the most part, but make sure you have enough backups, with one of them ideally cloud based!
I wonder why plain old external HDDs were not mentioned in the video. Mechanical drives have their weaknesses, too, but in general do not need to be plugged in regularly to keep the data. They have much simpler firmware that doesn't tend to wipe all your data and they are cheaper, too, and more eco friendly as long as you don't keep them spinning 24/7 for 10+ years. The speed is not really an issue for just bulk storage (for most people they match or exceed the Internet connection speed anyways).
AND they're the cheapest per terabyte option!
@@fintux i had two external hdds. And they both died. But thats because im clumsy and i dropped both of them lol. Meanwhile my hdds that are over 10 years old still working fine so far. Wonder if i should replace them with hdd or ssd now.
@@ziljin if you can afford and you have important data, it might not be a bad idea to get one of each and keep a copy on both. HDDs may keep the data for longer, but SSDs survive dropping better. Still I guess you will need to replace the devices somewhat regularly. And yea it still makes sense to have a copy in a different physical location, be that on a thrid device or in a cloud service.
@fintux i checked my case i dont have any more room for hdd. Guess i just need to bsck up the important data and wait until they die to get new one. Or get new one and transfer all the data from old drive to new one. I could get a case and turn the old drive into external harddrive then it wont matter if i drop it 😅
@@ziljin yeah I just recently bought an external HDD drive for backing up some photos. I do have also a NAS, but the RAW photo files would fill it up instantly, so I'll dedicate that for other files.
Not everyone wants to pay a subscription, and there are privacy concerns around storing data in "the cloud"
I just have encrypted backups on multiple HDD & SSD drives
Agree with you.
@@GO_GO_60 how do you manage dealing with the concern of loosing your data if your sdd stops working? Please, help I need some advice, I am in between both sides of fearing loosing my data and being concerned about my privacy.
@@Plazmal Not only that but the fees involved for a decent amount of storage that you will likely keep for decades is extortionate.
google drive has deleted my work twice, never trusting it again or anything that isint the nas that lives in my network rack
could you tell how it happened
Really? I am also skeptical, and will not 100% rely on it. But in 15 years, I have never had this happen to me!
If anything, I found files that i thougt "hah, I think have seen this 10 years ago, I didnt now I (still) had it"
Sorry cloud backups require ... Internet which is less reliable than SSDs
So far, Internet has never broken beyond repair, whereas countless of SSDs have. Sure there can be intermittent blackouts with Internet, but they can, have been and will be fixed. The biggest issue is that your cloud service still might go e.g. bankrupt or they might have a failure. But when a cloud service is combined with a local backup, it's quite unlikely that both go boom at the same time, so you will have time to make a new backup using a different cloud provider / local device.
@@fintux It takes very little to lose your cloud backup like missed payments or a stuff up with 2FA.
@@kienhwengtai8113 but I was addressing your point on the reliability of the Internet vs SSDs.
@@fintux tape. niche, slow and expensive, but they are about as reliable as a storage medium can be
There being hacked or password and account issues that worry me. Usb and ssd as long as you chamge 3 to 5 years. I got a 4gb sony usb stick given to me in 2008 still works
Another (albeit slower) method is to get a Blu-ray burner capable of writing M-Discs and archiving project files to them once you have the "final" version. When stored properly they should last as long as you do.
Be aware: Verbatim might no longer make M Discs. Google for "Verbatim no longer sells real M Discs reddit". Very concerning.
All the options with which, you keep full ownership of your data are the best ones. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Plus, the rules of what is legal for them to do with your data can change overnight and you're up a creek. Best to pull back from always online. Especially with very important and private data. Always privacy/ownership over convenience.This coming from someone that still uses cloud services for quick transfers of data to friends that I don't mind dropping on someone else's servers. That will be less and less common once, I set up my own servers lol.
I rather build my own NAS server and put it at a family or friend's house. Then use SyncThing to keep stuffs sync'd in real time. Cool thing about SyncThing is that you don't need to mess around with the firewall or anything. Just put the NAS anywhere you'd like and it will do it's thing in the background.
@@Darkk6969 I would never let someone store their backup here and eat up my bandwidth. My tech friends and I backup on Backblaze. Done.
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
I use a NAS with a friend who has another NAS across the US we get monthly backups and we are both semi techy so if a drive fails we can replace it our selves.
You had me until you mentioned cloud. I run mostly Linux at home and I do my absolute best to keep as little of my data in the cloud. I do local backups a few times a month.
Only put data you do not care about in the cloud!
a backup is not a backup if there is only one copy!
The only issue with the cloud aren't you just putting your data on someone else computer
@@Kevin-on1ez yeah, and also what if it rains?
My external SSD is stuck to my computer case, never lose it. Backup is once a month. I'm retired and don't have such a need anymore really to do all that 'multiple' stuff you mention. I back up to an internal hard drive and to the SSD - both of which have hefty headroom. I also have great restore options, and really if you can't reliably restore with confidence then the whole process is black water. Also, I absolutely never have used 'cloud' for backing up. I do from time to time send smaller files to an e-mail address where they nest until needed. It's a great way to get files from A to B when needed when, say, my laptop is in use somewhere.
I am old school. Mirrored internal drives, M Disc, and cloud backups. Covered all the bases.
Yes seems like no one method is 100% safe. Need to use all methods.
Thanks for waking me up. I had this backup running. However it actually is something i forget checking, once in a while, if it is running properly. It wasn't... Now it is 🙂
Welcome!
Firstly make sure you are keeping stuff you actually need to keep and categorize the level of security required - Clean house. Have a strategy for that first.
Take responsibility for the security of your data by doing it yourself or trusting someone else to have access to it while making sure it's kept safe with a resilient backup strategy. Once you come to terms with that, there's what's the financial and time cost on a strategy that meets you needs and risks.
You cannot boot up off a cloud drive, though.
Cloud storage is not possible for me. My internet is so slow, it takes nearly a full day to download an average size game.
I have 50 years of photos. They include scans from my early 35mm B&W negatives up to my current 42MP digital files. I have them stored across 12 local 20TB USB drives with matching backups in a bank safety deposit box. I rotate every 6 months to keep the writes fresh. I'm adding two more drives to hold my new photos, one for local and one for the bank. Currently, this is the only cost-effective means I have for so many images. When I'm gone, these will go to my grandson, who I trust to protect and share with the family.
i am gonna just get one big external SSD and make it into THE vault that stores everything related to family that has till now been stored in numerous DVD-RWs, old cellphones, USBs and external hdds scattered all around everywhere, and once i am done organizing everything i will maybe also duplicate it for safety.
Absolutely definitely duplicate it for safety. They can fail too and not years later, but sometimes within a few months.
At least you do talk about using NAS drives. Using Cloud storage is not only expensive but extremely vulnerable in a way that having physical drives are not. Never buy more cloud storage when a NAS works just as well and is much cheaper in the long run than paying a subscription.
I just own 2 free google drive accounts, free Onedrive, 2x 500GB HDD, 1x 500GB SSD, And 2x 64GB Thumb drives for extra backup.
Crucial files have 6 backups, work files have 4 backups and media,games, music, movies have 2 backups.
I backup everything new twice a year.
Crucial data are stored in 2 different houses.
Internal SSD is perfect, mixing it with double or more external HHD storage is even better, I use SSD as internal because they don't give a the best warnings before they die, HHD give better indications when you hear them run and sound. Both can be recovered with SSD having slightly more risk as they don't have internal disk you can recover from. I got 16TB HHD and 10TB SSD I do animation and programing and need storage as I also do gaming, I had to constantly uninstall programs and get reinstall other programs, so I was getting tired of having to do just that as it took longer than just install record, then close out, glad I upgraded to an 8TB SSD with it's own backup.
I've always held the idea tha storing your data in your physical drives to be more superior than the cloud, really. I understand the need for the convenience of cloud storage, but there's a certain peace of mind that comes with knowing your data is physically in your possession. Call me old-fashioned, but there's something reassuring about being able to touch the hard drive that holds your memories, documents, and projects. Plus, with physical storage, you're not at the mercy of internet connections, server outages or subscription. You control access to your data entirely, without relying on third-party providers. Sure, it might not be as accessible from anywhere in the world, but sometimes a little inconvenience is worth the added secrity and control.
You're not the only one. I have never used cloud-storage so far (it will probably be quite expensive to have 4TB of storage as well) but also don't like the idea, just like you.
Just like I already hold a certain grudge against certain applications/companies. I like paying for software instead of 'the program is free, but we collect all your data and usage in return' kind of programs that are so prevalent these days. But many programs these days require you to register first to be able to buy it at all (which defeats the whole idea in my opinion) or when you do not have to register, do require a 'periodic' internet connection to verify the program license.
I understand that piracy is still a thing (and if you have never been a victim of it yourself like I have had with my (only) hobbywebsite) I can understand people find it intrusive or unnecessary, but I still think it should not be necessary.
The two back-up discs (HDD's) are swapped and one of them resides at work. Every last day of the weekend I run a full backup, the first working day the disks are swapped. The fresh back-up stays behind at work, the week-old back-up goes back home with me.
Can you guarantee that the cloud storage is never accessed by someone else?. Can you guarantee that the cloud site is never hacked?. Can you guarantee that the internet never goes down?.
As for "cloud" storage, if you do not pay your "rent", won't they "evict" you and put your stuff out on the street?
I sometimes use flash drives to copy or move stuff from one device to another one. I do not use them for permanent storage.
i burn some data in a DVD in 2000+ , still readable , i make a copy each time i buy another pile of DVDs because i know that they are not eternal.
You've left out OneDrive, mate. I use that, as for the price of roughly Google's storage, I get the Office 365 Suite AND 1TB each, for 6 people in the family.
Yeah that's a great one too, mentioned it early on with Google / Microsoft. Great if you value all the extra bits!
However, all of these storage providers do not guarantee data security. So you also need a backup disk.
Minimum requirements in data security?
3 copies/backups.
1 local copy (the original)
1 offsite backup (cloud, FTP, external file hosting of your choice etc)
1 external backup (NAS, external SSD/HDDs, heck setup a NAS at your parents' place)
But nothing is perfect, so just choose which ever is the most economical for you.
Offsite backups are REALLY costly over time especially if you want more storage than the pathetic offerings the cheapest plans give you, though while the rest are far far cheaper.
I’m using Backblaze and love it! Had to restore a few times and their service was great!!
FINALLY done my semester so I can start catching up on everyone's videos 😂 So facts though, I literally have so many SSDs and external hard drives because I'm out of storage on EVERYTHING! I'm so scared of losing my data and I really need to invest in a NAS once I can afford to do so! The new UGREEN ones look DOPE! And ya, I tossed my Sandisk immediately after those article came outs as I was already facing issues where my Macbook wouldn't read the drive sometimes! Samsung T7 Rugged FTW! Lovely video Pete! 😁
Ah man CONGRATS! Good on you for getting through all that work dude.
Looking forward to seeing some more of your content again!
Ugreen is pretty new and their software is as stable as Qnap security. Wait a bit more so that they release a stable version of their ugreen os.
What happens when subscribing to one of these cloud services and you die? Does your data get deleted or can a family member take over your account? Can you name a person in advance, just in case this scenario happens? I am just thinking about all those family photos/memories. Thanks
I had the exact same question!
The best solution is to have some of each modality mentioned; as in everything: the key is diversification.
The best option is to backup to HDD instead of SSD. They are cheap and even when the drive brakes you can still salvage the data from the disks at a repair shop. You can then pair it with a cloud service if you really wanted an extra layer of data loss protection.
Remember, the 321 rule has cloud storage last with local storage being much more important.
Smart approach. 👏👏👏👏👏
One day, the internet will be gone. All archives that contain valuable data will be inexcessabel. Therefore I use a SSD drive, that will last for almost a decade and after that we shall see.
Fair enough! I mean, fairly pessimistic but still, fair play to you :)
But you need the brain to figure out how to access SSD without the internet.
If that happens.ü you got a bigger problem
If only,,,, can we all go back to the 70s-80s where there was no internet or social media. Just kids & people talking and having fun…,
Sorry my data stay local... cloud storage puts your data at risk of theft of proprietary info...
@@why2cayx i agree
Have you heard about HDDs, those with rotating magnetic platters? Much cheaper than SSDs and just as easy to use for backup. Put them in a NAS to be cool and convenient.
SSDs are not designed for backing up, they are designed for speed. There are tape drives and optical discs (DVD, BD) specifically designed for archiving, though these are losing popularity and support, so practical for only few situations.
We need memory crystals!!! A dirt cheap medium, maybe slow, but almost indestructible, a write once/read only medium, capable of continually storing your lives memory onto one single time machine backup - backed up to a bigger crystal in the cloud, which is backed up to a even bigger thing holding all of humanities memory, duplicated to different locations/planets.
Most people won't trust online drive privacy; prices will always increase over time. Yet, we must determine how safe our data is when the company switches personnel or gets bought out. The interface and the update changed without notice over the years is guaranteed. As a drawback, SSD is no different than other storage formats, so it is not SSD's fault but that of any other drive technology. Safeguarding your data requires cost and work. There is no way to get around it.
And what happens if microsoft just decides to STOP offering this service
Like other cloud storage providers have done from time to time. Even in Ubuntu (ooh boon tooh) Linux world this happened before some here were even born.
This information is very interesting, but Cloud Drives has it's own disadvantage.
I don't use cloud storage mainly because of internet speed.
If you have to backup something really important you should use miltiple drives and buy new one after 5-6 years,
these backup drives are not stressed out constantly like main ones, you will be okay to use them for a long time i guess.
buying a NAS (or building your own) will be cheaper than using cloud storage. Sure the upfront cost will be higher but your ongoing cost will be much much cheaper.
🎉
Get a NAS.
A NAS is still, by definition, a form of local storage.
So while it's what I'm doing, you're still not protecting in case of on-site catastrophe.
Cloud is a bit more akin to rotating your backup, to have a spare kept elsewhere.
@PawFromTheBroons I have an offsite backup NAS at a friend's house, and an onsite external storage for local backup of NAS data.
@@PawFromTheBroons The point is , I ain't storing my company data on someone else's drives but my own. 3-2-1 backup includes OFFSITE OF MY CHOICE, not a cloud connection.
🎉
There is a simple solution to getting around data privacy: encrypt your data and then upload it to Google Drive, etc. That way all they have is a file they can't do anything, it's just binary data. We of course can then decrypt it at point of use.
I have Google Workspace Basic £6 a month, 30GB storage plus all the features of Workspace. 30GB is plenty to store my Tier 1 important data. Tier 2 data I keep on solid state, replicated to two different braded drives. I also use 256GB and 512GB USB thumb drives, rather large terabyte units. Tier 3 data (music, movies, etc) go on multiple 1TB drives. Tier 3 I can re-download at any time.
Great tips and great channel. Thanks Pete!
A couple of points.
I do Time Machine backups much more often than just when I upgrade my computers. Doesn’t every sensible person? Did you actually mean what you said about Time Machine backups in this video?
And secondly, regarding cloud services, it seems incredibly optimistic to think that all of the major cloud storage companies will still be in business in 20, 30, 40 or 50 years time. Big business has never worked that way in the past, and won’t be operating that way in the future. Surely any cautious person must anticipate scenarios where some customers lose their data over the long term due to business failure, malfeasance, natural disaster, or other unforeseen cause.
Do you mind if I point out a possible logic erring comparing Sandisk SSD to Crucial SSD’s in regard to reliability?
What if Crucial sold 200,000 units and Sandisk 20 million units. If the reliability is equal, Sandisk is likely to be in the spotlight 100 times more often when a failure happens.
Every jet airliner that crashes makes news, but every automobile that crashes does not. The frequency of news about failures can lead to wrong and even totally opposite of a correct conclusion.
Try using mylio photos. Can use ssd or even a nas or a google drive as backup so very secure and has edit tools and etc like Apple photo and google photo but you control the photos and if you want online at all or not
Why on earth would anyone want to give other people their data to store????
Oh! I just remembered.... So that I can check it anywhere in the world...... Dohhhh so can anyone else if they've a mind to!!!!
If you want a reliable source of storage KEEP IT YOURSELF! Just don't forget where you keep that HD, SSD or memory stick.
Have always used multiple backups, including cloud... amazed at how many don't even use 1 location...
Better idea, get a bluray burner, back up everything, then store the discs in a vacuum-sealed indoor environment. Or, just do a NAS and back that up from time to time.
Move cloud providers ? what a nightmare....different formats, penal charges, no certainty its deleted or sold on......best to keep dta in your own hands by nas on your router,next cloud, tec.
Best solutions are solris 11 or openindiana or maybe a software solution which may provide such solutions
Why doing a backup? It’s all about restoration! SSD gives the fastest restoration time! Cloud? it’s slow uploading and crawling to find what to restore! 3-2-1 backup from the same source directly put a lot of processing pressure to your computer and unless you’re using Wi-Fi 6e or 7 , or 10GbE to the NAS, the main task of your computer/Mac is doing the backup hour by hour every day.
May I ask... Why wasn't AWS S3 buckets considered?? Considering the intelligent tier option could be massive saving in the long term..
I wanted to stick with 'easy to use' solutions. I use AWS myself, but I'm a techie and wouldn't expect general people to understand how to setup / configure / store & access etc
Solid advice Pete.
I also use my cloud storage in addition to the ssd drives that I own. On vacation or a travel job you may not have the best internet service so local storage is crucial
For Backblaze, do you use the version you install on your computer or Backblaze B2 on your NAS?
Old computer NAS, peer to peer file pulls readonly, usb hardrives. I haven't lost much data in 30 years so no cloud for me.
I thought the back up on Backblaze was done only if the drive in question was always connected to the computer. Am I missing something?
Okay, but what if I don't trust cloud storage with my data due to their privacy policy of openly selling my data to whoever asks without my consent and leaking it continuously to everyone?
That's when you use one of the secure services I mentioned that don't have access to your data, and can be secured with your own encryption key that the provider themselves don't even know or store.
I'm not saying cloud storage is for everybody - but I do keep seeing people store their life memories on SSD's and only SSD's, and just assume it will all be there in 20-50 years time when they want to re-live old memories.
How does this get passed on when one is "passed on?"
i prefer buy a ssd or nvme and a fast external case... for second backup option..
I simply use Apple's Time Machine on MacOS to backup my data, and then I backup the Time Machine's backups to a second device. iCloud is also active, automatically storing my most important data.
I,ll stick to avoiding paid for cloud services..I can buy the cheapest laptop configuration going and use an external back up drive that I,m in charge of..I can also rip a cd as back up and not have to pay for cloud services.
I like to upload photos from SD card to SSD, then tag and cull on the SSD, then upload the keepers to my iCloud-backed hard drive, which also has a Time Machine SSD. Photos taken:kept may be 5:1 or even 10:1, so it’s nice to have intermediate storage for that data reduction step.
Great video! I am coming from the corporate as well as the consumer world and I have been preaching this for like 5 years plus. Great to see others saying the same thing. I store my data in 2 clouds as a variable backup. Although I do need some local storage capability so going to check out the Crucial recommendation, so thanks for that one :)
Thanks Jacob!
Local is great and fast and everything but I've seen too many horror stories of dropped, broken, lost etc. Cloud is always a safe bet as long as you make sure it's secure etc Glad to hear you think the same!
Thanks for watching and commenting man, appreciated!
Soooooo……. You’re saying I could have all my data backed up on an external ssd and then encrypt that before backing them up to my Google Drive? Got it.
Get a flash NAS, that's what I am saving up for.
The problem is cloud storage is it assume you need a higher speed connection which may not be an issue if yoi don't need it fast but of you neednit the you need ultra high speed connection.
agreed. portable ssd is a waste of money. either use cloud backup or a nas or use a second hard drive.
sometimes building your own ssd with an enclosure and picking your own ssd to put inside is cheaper and faster I have a few of those and they haven't failed
I refuse to pay monthly, I still don’t understand why people are okay with it. You should be able to own something outright like the Adobe series.
What do you think of Crucial X9 1TB Portable SSD?
It’s my GoTo SSD at the moment. I’ve got 3 of them 👌🏼
external SSD not just for storage but mainly due to insane storage prices at apples lineup. If MBA or MBP had a NVME-Slot accessible it would be built in. so the external SSd is not the secons instance but in fact first instance (or say better instance 1,5. Instead of NAS external big external hdd as second instance (much faster than a connection via the ISP) a cISP connected cloud service is only viable for pure storage (usually fire and forget). The external SSD is in a TB capable housing and slightly faster than the built in storage.
I can't help but notice a lot of old geezers yelling at the cloud here. It's SOP data protection, not a paid promotion for a password manager!
Geezer here (80.977 years). There is a coax cable buried in the ground running 120 feet between my house and a utility pole. It goes up the pole and joins some cable 25 or 30 feet in the air. It then wanders miles up in the air to some repeater sitting on the ground somewhere. Eventually it reaches someone's computer, and gets switched through other computers, probably via underground cables, to someone's computer running TH-cam servers somewhere on planet Earth.
That's the cloud.
It is astonishing that these contraptions work at all.
My storage was full, so I "rm -rf"-ed my 1TB HDD, and I deleted some apps on my 500GB SSD.
I have enough storage to download the english wikipedia 5 times, and some other languages too!
What ir u want to edit videos?
Am still lesrning whats better ssd or hhd?
Depends what you are using them for! SSD Faster & More expensive and less risk with damage.
HDD = Slower, but much cheaper for bigger drives, but can be fairly easily damaged if moved.
@PeteMatheson for cellphone use
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE SAYING .. IF YOU WANA DO IT RIGHT, DO IT YOURSELF?? PERSONAL SSD backup or NAS is THE WAY. 👍
Get NAS. That's the best solution if you are just aiming for backup purposes. A bit overkill if for personal use but does exactly the same thing without having the risks of connecting to external servers.
NAS for personal use is not overkill, being able to access your data from multiple devices over local wifi is extremely convenient!
I get the pros of cloud storage services, but private and and clients projects should not be on someone else computer, I rather have my own storage system and keep that data with me and have multiple backups
ironically enough, my external SSDs are for my NAS, which is built into the Asus router I use (a tired but trusty AT-RX56U) running Asuswrt-Merlin. It's just now getting old enough where Upgrading to a bespoke setup that can run the latest security patches is tempting.
I would never backup my data to cloud PC's for a reason unless its one on a NAS I build.
$119 annual or monthly
Cloud storage isn't as perfect as you say. I have lost files on Google Drive.
yes but subscriptions to cloud services are like gim memberships you pay them and then you forget you have them...
Don't waste your money on the Crucial X10 which uses USB 2x2 and is obsolete. Only a handful of PC's and no Macs support it and will downgrade from 20 to 10gbps in use. Either wait for USB4 or get the Crucial X9.
Unfortunately hardly anyone has their photos printed now. They often reside on a hard drive. Personally I have family photos going back to early 1900s . Most photos taken now probably won't be accessible to the family from various electronic devices due to encryption, corruption of data, or unknown password protection of the device. Photos are better being printed as well as electronically stored if you want your family to access them after you depart this world.
what about "mdiscs" in a fireproof moneysafe??? ;)
"Old-tech" mate. Probably most people look at discs and Magnetic tape as some kind of "fossil". I say.. let them :P It will be "our" secret :D
@@Helifax19 so, what instead of mdiscs???
@@crankyfloridian I know! But, to some people seeing a "disc" = "old tech" :D
Cloud is not the only thing tape is available
Not really sure I want to try and explain to my parents how tape storage works, or how expensive it is to buy the tape drives, a bunch of tapes that then require rotating, and on the off-chance you want to restore something in 20 years time, you'll have to find a working tape drive that works with the LTO versions of tapes you were using at the time.
No thanks. iv had a mechanical Harddrive that hasnt had a issue in 18 years. cost me one time 50 bucks. il upgrade this year for another 50 bucks and wont spend more. zero reason to buy monthly cloud services.
Which brand are you using?
You could also make your own server, and save a few bucks
Yarr matey. I disagree. I like to own my data and not have the potential of a 3rd party or even the host also having access and or the ability to delete and or corrupt files that they deem not fit for their service.
Use IPFS or IPNS.
Use IAG.
Decentralized service.
There are too many subscription "services" around whose real purpose is to collect information about their users to sell to other companies and to supply on demand to governments. We see breaches of supposedly secure servers almost weekly; often we don't learn about them for months after the fact. For that matter, what stops your trusted cloud service from simply shutting down and taking your data with it? No thank you. I'll back up my truly irreplaceable files to local drives and to removable drives that I store elsewhere.
Cloud costs money, you pay every month and year, and once you don't pay anymore, you will loose everything. Instead, invest your money in to HDDs or a NASs (plural, for off-site Backups too)
I wish the cloud were more reasonable. I did buy some storage, but we are not on high-speed, and uploading or downloading is incredibly impractical. SLOW!!!!