Backup Drive Reviews 2017

A nice backup drive with plenty of storage. Wasn't impressed with the Seagate b/u utility provided so moved on to something else. But overall happy with the drive. February 2, 2017 8:00 AM EST. Make sure to get a backup drive that has more storage than your computer, allowing you to do a full backup. Of course, a backup drive is worthless if you don't. In this video, I am going to share the best driver backup software and using this software you can also restore all the driver back after re-installation of. Use two formats to back up your hard drive (such as a local drive backup and a cloud or external media backup). Store one copy of the backup off-site to protect against physical disasters such as.

• Best Windows Backup Software 2017
• Backup Drive Reviews 2017 Reviews
• Backup Drive Reviews 2017 Consumer Reports

• Pros

  • Includes backup and security software
  • Available in multiple colors
  • Standard 3-year warranty
  • Good data transfer performance

• Cons

  • No included carry case

Looking for a convenient way to locally back up your files? Western Digital's stylish portable hard drive may be what you're looking for.

Design and Setup

We last looked at the Western Digital My Passport Ultra in 2015. That drive was an updated version of the one we reviewed in 2014. The My Passport we're reviewing here isn't technically the successor of those drives, as it doesn't have the 'Ultra' branding. The My Passport Ultra drives include extra software and have a more upscale look, but are otherwise very similar to the My Passport series. (We'll discuss software later in this review.)

The My Passport is sold in six different colors. We have the blue and black versions for this review, but you can also get them in red, orange, yellow, and white. The exterior construction is all plastic, although it's thick and of good quality. The pricier My Passport Ultra drives have a combination metal and plastic exterior and, of course, a snazzier look. They tend to retail for about $10 more.

The drive itself has a sturdy look and feel. The top half has a smooth and shiny finish, while the bottom half has a grooved surface and an anti-glare coating. The My Passport feels durable enough, although it doesn't carry any kind of official MIL-spec durability or waterproof rating.

The dimensions of the drive are 4.4×3.2×0.9 inches, and it weighs about one-fifth of a pound, including the cable. Here you can see our My Passport drives next to a standard coffee cup, for reference.

On the underside of the drive, there are four small rubber feet to keep it from slipping around too much.

The included cable connects to the drive using a 'Micro B' connector. The end that goes into your computer is the standard rectangular Type-A USB. This is a USB version 3.0 drive, but it's backwards compatible with USB 2.0. The cable measures about 16 inches from end to end.

Specifications and Performance

The available storage capacities for the My Passport are 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB as of this writing. From a gigabytes-per-dollar perspective, the 4TB drive is the best value; it retails for $119. The 2TB versions we have retail for $79, but we found them going for a few dollars less online. Competing drives, such as the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB and the Toshiba 2TB Canvio Basics, seemed to be priced with 10 dollars of the WD drive, indicating its price is competitive. There's no hiding the fact that these kinds of drives are commodities.

As we expected on a drive of this size, the My Passport comes formatted with the NTFS filing system, which will allow you to copy files up to several gigabytes in size. It's ready to go out of the box for whatever you want to copy to it. To test the storage performance of the My Passport, we hooked it up to our Windows 10 test computer and transferred a single 9GB file back and forth. To eliminate any sort of bottleneck on the PC side, the source file was stored on a lightning-fast solid-state-drive (SSD).

Copying the file from our test computer to the My Passport, we recorded a peak write speed of 97MB per second, with the transfer completing in 1 minute, 35 seconds. Transferring the file back to the computer, we observed a peak read speed of 117MB per second, with the operation completing in 1 minute, 21 seconds. That performance is about as good as you can expect from a portable 2.5-inch hard drive. Using this drive to back up or synchronize many gigabytes of data on a regular basis shouldn't be a problem. Note you'll want to connect the drive to a USB 3.0 port for the best possible transfer speeds. (As we noted, the drive is compatible with the older USB 2.0 connection.)

Included Software

The My Passport sits between the Elements series and the My Passport Ultra drives in Western Digital's external storage lineup. The Elements drives don't include software, whereas the My Passport includes WD Backup software and hardware data encryption. The My Passport Ultra includes extra software.

The WD Backup software is preloaded on to the drive. After you plug the drive into your computer for the first time, you can access the software installer right at the root of the drive (WD Apps Setup.exe). It takes just a few clicks of the mouse to install the software.

Once installed, WD Backup runs in the background and backs up your files as per your schedule. The setup wizard for selecting files to back up is straightforward.

You can select whichever files you like from your local computer. By default, all of your documents, pictures, and so on will be selected. On top of that, you can even select those from your cloud storage services. Dropbox was installed on our test computer, and WD Backup gave us the option of getting files from there.

It's a matter of editing the backup schedule from there. The default schedule is hourly, but that can be easily changed by clicking the Edit Schedule button:

In our example, we set the backup to run once daily at 12 am.

In the event you need to retrieve and restore your files from your My Passport, you'll first want to install the software on your computer (assuming you're using a new computer, that is). Open the software after it's installed and click the Restore button. The software has an automatic mode that will attempt to restore the files where they were originally located. Alternatively, you can just tell the software where you want it to place the files. (We'd probably just do the latter, and then copy them where we wanted.)

The My Passport drive also includes the WD Security software. This allows you to password-protect your My Passport, preventing unauthorized access. These drives are quite portable, after all, so don't count out that you could accidentally leave the drive somewhere public. You'll need to enter the password you set each time you want to access the drive. If you're frequently accessing the drive, it might be more convenient to enable the drive's auto-unlock feature in the WD Security software. As long as you're logged into your computer, the drive will remain unlocked.

Day-to-Day Usage

We used the My Passport for several weeks as a personal backup drive, taking it with us wherever we brought our computer. This will more or less boil down to personal preference, but we thought the squared-off corners were a bit sharp. The more expensive My Passport X offers a sleeker design with rounded corners if you think the squared-off edges will be a bother to you.

The glossy plastic exterior seemed to hold up well to wear and tear. At least, keeping it in our computer bag unprotected alongside a bunch of other peripherals didn't seem to scratch or mar the finish that much.

Something we will recommend for daily transport is that you unplug the drive's cable before putting it in your bag. If left connected, the cable can put undue stress on the connector and potentially lead to failure over time. It's not worth the risk when it's so easy to disconnect the cable.

Something worth mentioning about this drive is that it includes a standard three-year warranty. The competing drives we looked at from Seagate only included a one-year warranty. You'd expect an external storage drive like this to last for some time, and a three-year warranty gives you peace of mind. Our personal experience with these drives is that they are reliable if treated with basic care. (That means not throwing it around; there are moving parts inside, after all.) The WD My Passport Ultra we reviewed in 2014 is still going strong.

Final Thoughts

The basic idea with the WD My Passport is that it's a simple backup device. The included WD Backup software is easy to configure and use. You can schedule recurring automatic backups, which is really the way to go. In addition, the My Passport has built-in security that you can configure so a password is required to access it. The less expensive WD Elements storage drive line doesn't include the software we just mentioned. (If you opt for the pricier My Passport Ultra series drives, they have a slightly higher-grade construction and additional software.)

The My Passport drive we reviewed didn't have wireless or cloud-based features. If you need those, WD offers the My Passport Wireless Pro for $179 in a 2TB capacity. That's quite the increase from the $79 My Passport 2TB we reviewed here. But again, if you're just after a simple backup device without network features, then the My Passport is a solid pick.

Pros:

• Includes backup and security software
• Available in multiple colors
• Standard 3-year warranty
• Good data transfer performance

Cons:

• No included carry case

OneDrive by Microsoft is relatively new in the cloud market but because of its deep integration with Windows, Microsoft Office, and Sharepoint, it is slowly making a name for itself.

It has file syncing, sharing and fast uploads and downloads. The service also provides 5 GB free space to get you started.

Coming to the pricing, OneDrive only has one basic paid plan for 50 GB, which costs $1.99. If you want more storage space, then you would have to get a subscription of Office 365 which comes with 1 TB of storage space on OneDrive and costs $6.99 per month

About OneDrive

Microsoft renamed SkyDrive to OneDrive after they had trademark issues with Sky TV. And we have to agree OneDrive sounds better. Though OneDrive is comparatively new to the cloud storage market, Microsoft is doing everything it can to lure in new customers. Until last year, it provided unlimited storage for Office 365 users, but that has now been reduced to 1 TB.

Who Should Use It?

OneDrive might not be the ultimate cloud storage service on its own but combine it with Microsoft Office and you have got yourself a winner. With 5 GB free space and complete integration with Windows, OneDrive can be easily used for personal purposes.

At the same time, OneDrive for Business follows all the necessary compliances and users can sync and share their data on both Office 365 and Sharepoint Server.

Since most of the big companies use Sharepoint to store their data anyway, using OneDrive with it could prove to be extremely useful and increase productivity as well.

Features:

• File Sync

• Preview / Edit Online

• Integrated with MS Office

• & more..

Backup and Restoration

To access OneDrive, you would have to sign up for a Microsoft/Xbox Live/ Outlook account.

Microsoft introduced new changes to the OneDrive interface when Windows 10 rolled out. In fact, for Windows 10, there is no interface. OneDrive is deeply embedded in the operating system. It's very much how iCloud is embedded in the Apple devices.

When you are working on a Microsoft Office file, you can also directly save it to your OneDrive account. Apart from that, there is also OneDrive folder created on your main drive where you can copy/paste all the files and folders. There is no backup scheduler available for OneDrive, if you want to stop uploads, you would have to close OneDrive from the taskbar.

There was a strange problem with OneDrive that we came across while backing up data. Apparently, you cannot upload more than 20,000 files in your OneDrive account. It doesn't matter what the size of the file is; it just wouldn't upload. When we researched, we found out that this is a bug and Microsoft already knows about it, but they haven't done anything to get rid of the problem yet.

Users can restore data from its web app. And OneDrive's web app reminds us starkly of Windows 8 with the signature blue color and tiles. Right-click works on the web app, the same way it works on Google Drive. Once you select a folder or a file, you will see a download button on top.

Though OneDrive does not use full bandwidth throttle, it still manages to get fast upload and download speeds.

Syncing & Sharing

Syncing and sharing is extremely smooth on OneDrive, especially for Windows users. As you might already know, file syncing means a copy of the file is made available on every local machine that has the cloud app installed on it. If you make any changes to the file from any computer, then the changes will be uploaded to the cloud server.

This is the exact reason cloud storage and syncing services should not be used for backup. Because if a file goes corrupt on a system, then the copy of the file saved on the cloud will also become inaccessible.

Sharing on OneDrive is straightforward, and it works the same way as Google Drive and Dropbox, you can either invite a user to view the file by sending them an email or you can just copy the link and share it with people. While doing so, you can also choose if you would want other users only to view the files or edit them as well. You can also choose if the recipients should have a Microsoft account or not.

Privacy & Security

Shortly after Snowden released documents about NSA snooping to the public, it was revealed that Microsoft too has an open door policy to the NSA. The company does provide encryption on the server side, but that is only to protect your data from the hackers. The US government already has the key to the encryption, and they can access it whenever they want.

If you don't want the NSA snooping through your private files, we really wouldn't recommend choosing OneDrive as your primary cloud storage service.

Web & Mobile App

OneDrive's web app is very sleek and clean. There is a menu on the left-hand side which has all the main folders. It also has a recycle bin which stores all the files that have been deleted from OneDrive. These files remain in the recycle bin for 93 days before they are deleted forever. You can also manually delete files from it to clear up some storage space.

There is also a blue tab on the top left which lets you access all the other online services of Microsoft including Outlook, Calendar, Office, and OneNote. We were surprised to see that Skype has been integrated to the app which makes it all the easier to work on it. Previously, OneDrive had Microsoft Live chat option instead but of course, nobody uses Live chat anymore. Maybe that is why they decided to switch to Skype. You can also configure your account settings from here.

The Mobile Apps are available for iPhone, Android and of course, Windows phones. There are not as exhaustive as the web app, but they have all the features you would need from a mobile cloud storage app. The camera roll can be automatically uploaded to the app, and you can preview all the files in your OneDrive account. But if you want to edit document files then you would have to download Microsoft Office or a similar editing app.

Pricing and Plans

OneDrive doesn't have a lot of flexibility in this department. There is one plan for $1.99 per month where you get 50 GB space. But if you need more storage space then you have to take an Office 365 package which comes with 1 TB of storage space. This plan costs $6.99 per month.

It clearly seems that OneDrive isn't as important as Office 365 for Microsoft. And that isn't hard to believe since Office products bring in way more revenue than OneDrive.

What's It Missing?

While Dropbox provides exceptionally good file syncing and Google Drive has Google docs with real-time collaboration, OneDrive is somewhere stuck in between them. It does have all the features you would want from a cloud storage and syncing service, but they are not as perfect.

OneDrive does work well on Windows, but it falls short when it comes to Mac. At the same time, its iPhone, Android, and Windows platform apps are also a little different from each other. It also does not provide real-time collaboration on Microsoft Online for free users. You have to have Office 365 subscription to use that. We feel it's a great choice only if you are a Windows user.

OneDrive Alternatives:

Overall, OneDrive by Microsoft is a great cloud storage service, and if you are a Windows user, then it is perfect for you. Also, if you are already an Office 365 user, then you can use OneDrive as your primary cloud backup service with 1 TB of data.

Tech Specs:

Specifications

Best Windows Backup Software 2017

• Free Storage: 15 MB initially
• Free Trial: Sign up needed
• System: Windows and Mac
• Price: Starting at $8.69/month

Mobile

• Mobile Apps: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows, Amazon Fire/Kindle Fire

Backup Features

Backup Drive Reviews 2017 Reviews

• Synchronization: Yes
• Free External HD Backup: Yes
• Incremental Backup: Yes
• Web Access: Yes
• Continuous Backup: No
• Backup Scheduling: No
• Bare Metal Backup: No
• HIPAA Compliant: No
• File Size Limit: No limited
• Exclude File Extensions for Backup: No
• Network Drives: No
• Bandwidth Throttling: No
• Included Machines: 1

Security

• Local Encryption: No
• Server Side Encryption: 256-bit
• Keeps deleted files: 93 days
• File Versioning: 30 versions

Sharing/Collaboration

Backup Drive Reviews 2017 Consumer Reports

• File Sharing: Yes
• Share Photo Albums: Yes
• Folder Collaboration: Yes
• Outlook Backup: Yes
• Music Streaming: No
• Multiple Accounts: No