plz no flame..i am not good with computers at all!

Basically I want to purchase a 500gb external hard drive so we can take all our files off of our old laptop and have them ready to be stored on a new computer whenever we get one.

From what I am reading about this product (see the link to walmart.com below), I can't tell if this device just allows you to backup your computer and reload the files back onto that SAME computer only...or if it lets you transfer files from one computer to another.

link to the product being sold at walmart:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Toshiba-500GB-Automatic-Backup-Portable-Hard-Drive/21094667

Any info is appreciated, Thanks!

It appears to come formatted to only be usable with the Toshiba backup software, whatever the hell that does..

You could always reformat it to be just a regular external hard drive though, or just get a different brand that doesn't come with proprietary software.

If your willing to be a little bit adventurous, you could network the 2 computers (when you get the new one), and transfer the files over the network (for free, assuming they are both in working condition).

This post was edited by Azrad on Feb 14 2013 01:56pm

yeah this^^
I would be hesitant to drop any money on a drive like this. If you want an external drive, just get a conventional one. That way you can use it for other things later.

This post was edited by Azrad on Feb 14 2013 01:57pm

You can always take the external hard drive to a place like Geek Squad and have them do what you need.

Are you looking to be able to bring this External Drive around with you at all? If Yes, Then I suggest getting a Portable Hard Drive NOT an External Hard drive.

Portable Hard Drives run off the power source of the computer itself, whereas Externals Hard Drives need their own power source (IE: Wall outlet.)

If you find this Hard Drive will not be moving around I Suggest External Hard Drive for you can get more Bang for your Buck.

A brand I suggest is Western Digital, I have 2 2TB External Hard Drives and they haven't failed me for 2+ Years. They are Plug and Play which means they come with all necessary drivers etc. inorder to have a quick and painless experience. Just plug them in via USB and away you go.

I hope you find this help full.

Never do this lol

Yea, so they can charge you $50 to do something that takes 5 min and a monkey could do.




Just buy a portable hard drive, copy everything from your laptop's hard drive on to it, plug it into your new pc, and take whatever you need off it.
Or, if you want to save money, buy a hard drive enclosure, take out your laptop's hard drive, put it in the enclosure and just plug it into your new computer and transfer the files. Then put it back into your laptop when you're done.
You could also create a shared folder on your network and transfer that way, but that's a huge pain in the ass.

This post was edited by labatymo on Feb 28 2013 12:36pm