WD Hard Drives (Refurb): 3TB Western Digital My Book External Desktop

RancidRat

Jun 22, 2022 07:14 PM

166 Posts

Joined Sep 2020

RancidRatJun 22, 2022 07:14 PM

166 Posts

To compare "WD easystore Portable Drive 5TB Certified Refurbished" - there was a deal around May 19th 2022 on "WD 5TB Elements SE Certified Refurbished Portable Hard Drive Black" for $55.99 each. They sold out rapidly.

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dmandtheboys

Jun 22, 2022 08:17 PM

1,468 Posts

Joined Dec 2005

dmandtheboysJun 22, 2022 08:17 PM

1,468 Posts

Trash SMR drives

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daarsonist

Jun 22, 2022 10:05 PM

30 Posts

Joined Nov 2014

daarsonistJun 22, 2022 10:05 PM

30 Posts

Would these be good for saving PC games to?

2

Doait

Jun 22, 2022 10:07 PM

75 Posts

Joined Dec 2016

DoaitJun 22, 2022 10:07 PM

75 Posts

Don't care if they are SMR but shuckable?

Edit: the desktop 8TB.

1

R3DTR1X

Jun 22, 2022 10:07 PM

6,313 Posts

Joined Nov 2012

R3DTR1XJun 22, 2022 10:07 PM

6,313 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank R3DTR1X

Quote from dmandtheboys

:

Trash SMR drives

Trash SMR drives make great plex drives

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nonlinear

Jun 22, 2022 10:14 PM

14 Posts

Joined Dec 2010

nonlinearJun 22, 2022 10:14 PM

14 Posts

The 8TB is CMR according to WD: https://blog.westerndigital.com/w...as-drives/

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matorr01

Jun 22, 2022 10:14 PM

82 Posts

Joined Feb 2012

matorr01Jun 22, 2022 10:14 PM

82 Posts

Quote from R3DTR1X

:

Trash SMR drives make great plex drives

Exactly. Especially for $100

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1

Tillman91

Jun 22, 2022 10:19 PM

93 Posts

Joined Feb 2017

Tillman91Jun 22, 2022 10:19 PM

93 Posts

Quote from dmandtheboys

:

Trash SMR drives

I need a drive to put important photos/videos because my laptop is full. I'd be devastated if they were lost because most files are of family, and with my dad just passing away a few months ago, I'm afraid to buy something that could lose all my files as I can't get those memories back or make new ones with him. I looked for Father's Day deals, but it being the first holiday in my 31 years not spent with my dad, I wasn't in the right mindset to read and review the top drives for what I'm looking for. I have a lot of photos/videos, plus huge GoPro hero 9 files amount whatever else isn't on my iCloud (which is something I'd like to have a backup of as well sometime in the future because Icloud is weird and confusing to me, kinda like how I bought a huge brick of the 1TB one for $300-$400 back in 2009ish at Best Buy. I didn't know I could use it like a regular drive or SD card, so set it up with its software, meaning it's password protected, and if I remember correctly I cant update it by adding new files to it without losing my original update from 15 years ago. Plus I need a lot more space these days with 4K videos and GoPro hero 9 video files being so huge.

Any suggestions on what would be a good alternative to this? Big space, lower price that won't lose my files?

I can't spent too much because our household income is literally $0 and has been since he passed months ago. But I do need to be able to use my laptop and want to keep those files safe and not accidentally buy a Chinese knockoff or something that will break somehow. I usually buy from Amazon (never used eBay before),

Sorry, that was long! I've been finding out I talk a lot in this stage of grief (whatever it is these days). I'm like a crazy crack head these days with how much I talk/text (when not isolating).

. ..,,Anyway, I apologize and truly appreciate any suggestions you, or anyone willing to read all of this may have for me.

Thank you!

Last edited by Tillman91 June 22, 2022 at 03:38 PM.

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1

R3DTR1X

Jun 22, 2022 10:29 PM

6,313 Posts

Joined Nov 2012

R3DTR1XJun 22, 2022 10:29 PM

6,313 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank R3DTR1X

Quote from Tillman91

:

I need a drive to put important photos/videos because my laptop is full. I'd be devastated if they were lost because a lot of them (most) are of family, and with my dad just passing away a few months back. I'm afraid to buy something that could lose all my files as I can't get those memories back. I look for Father's Day for deals, but it being the first in my 31 years not spent with my dad, I wasn't in the right mindset to read and review the top drives for what I'm looking for. Big files from my GoPro hero 9, and other things that aren't on my iCloud. Any suggestions on what would be a good fit for me without breaking the bank as our household income is/has been $0 since he passed. So money is somewhat limited. I remember back in high school (awhile back) paying $500 for 1TB (when it was the biggest thing out at the time) for one of these, but when setting it up, I used their program installed on it instead of just using it like it was any other regular storage like a usb stick, (simple drag and drop) so when I try and open that machine 1T brick, it's password protected with their software, and my files are in random folders if I want to view it without using their program, which I can't stand especially because (from what I remember) if I try and update it by adding new things onto it, I'll lose all my files from 15 years ago. Plus I need more than 2T this time. I'm agora's of getting something that is supposed to be great, and it being a Chinese knockoff or something that will break somehow.

Sorry, long! I've been finding out I talk a lot in this stage of grief. Like a crack head or something. Anyway, I apologize and truly appreciate any suggestions you (or anyone willing to read) may have.

Thank you!

For archival purposes, SMR is fine. Write once, then read mostly. It's constant read/write cycles that kill SMR drives. For important, irreplaceable files like family memories, best to make at least 2 copies and store one copy off site at a different location. I would have no problem using 2 of these drives for my photos and videos, then in the unlikely event one of them fails you will still have the other to retrieve them.

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adamk77

Jun 22, 2022 10:31 PM

5 Posts

Joined Apr 2013

adamk77Jun 22, 2022 10:31 PM

5 Posts

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I've purchased one of these refurb drives and I would not recommend it. I ended up getting a refund.

I purchased it knowing fully well that these were SMR drives, but I did not expect 1 MB/sec both read/write speeds. This was transferring and reading large media files.

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Glade2-Pronounce-Tap

Jun 22, 2022 10:45 PM

14 Posts

Joined May 2022

Glade2-Pronounce-TapJun 22, 2022 10:45 PM

14 Posts

Get the 8TB one, they're likely CMR.

4

RyanR5412

Jun 22, 2022 10:51 PM

764 Posts

Joined Oct 2014

RyanR5412Jun 22, 2022 10:51 PM

764 Posts

Quote from Tillman91

:

I need a drive to put important photos/videos because my laptop is full. I'd be devastated if they were lost because most files are of family, and with my dad just passing away a few months ago, I'm afraid to buy something that could lose all my files as I can't get those memories back or make new ones with him. I looked for Father's Day deals, but it being the first holiday in my 31 years not spent with my dad, I wasn't in the right mindset to read and review the top drives for what I'm looking for. I have a lot of photos/videos, plus huge GoPro hero 9 files amount whatever else isn't on my iCloud (which is something I'd like to have a backup of as well sometime in the future because Icloud is weird and confusing to me, kinda like how I bought a huge brick of the 1TB one for $300-$400 back in 2009ish at Best Buy. I didn't know I could use it like a regular drive or SD card, so set it up with its software, meaning it's password protected, and if I remember correctly I cant update it by adding new files to it without losing my original update from 15 years ago. Plus I need a lot more space these days with 4K videos and GoPro hero 9 video files being so huge.

Any suggestions on what would be a good alternative to this? Big space, lower price that won't lose my files?

I can't spent too much because our household income is literally $0 and has been since he passed months ago. But I do need to be able to use my laptop and want to keep those files safe and not accidentally buy a Chinese knockoff or something that will break somehow. I usually buy from Amazon (never used eBay before),

Sorry, that was long! I've been finding out I talk a lot in this stage of grief (whatever it is these days). I'm like a crazy crack head these days with how much I talk/text (when not isolating).

. ..,,Anyway, I apologize and truly appreciate any suggestions you, or anyone willing to read all of this may have for me.

Thank you!

How big is the collection?

2

SlickName5642

Jun 22, 2022 10:55 PM

37 Posts

Joined Nov 2018

SlickName5642Jun 22, 2022 10:55 PM

37 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank SlickName5642

Careful. Not much feedback on the drives but the eBay Seller feedback on shipping and/or receiving of the product is sketchy at best. "Warning Will Robinson!"

4

1

Cartier

Pro

Jun 22, 2022 11:15 PM

2,091 Posts

Joined Dec 2006

Cartier

Pro

Jun 22, 2022 11:15 PM

2,091 Posts

Quote from Tillman91

:

I need a drive to put important photos/videos because my laptop is full. I'd be devastated if they were lost because most files are of family, and with my dad just passing away a few months ago, I'm afraid to buy something that could lose all my files as I can't get those memories back or make new ones with him. I looked for Father's Day deals, but it being the first holiday in my 31 years not spent with my dad, I wasn't in the right mindset to read and review the top drives for what I'm looking for. I have a lot of photos/videos, plus huge GoPro hero 9 files amount whatever else isn't on my iCloud (which is something I'd like to have a backup of as well sometime in the future because Icloud is weird and confusing to me, kinda like how I bought a huge brick of the 1TB one for $300-$400 back in 2009ish at Best Buy. I didn't know I could use it like a regular drive or SD card, so set it up with its software, meaning it's password protected, and if I remember correctly I cant update it by adding new files to it without losing my original update from 15 years ago. Plus I need a lot more space these days with 4K videos and GoPro hero 9 video files being so huge.

Any suggestions on what would be a good alternative to this? Big space, lower price that won't lose my files?

I can't spent too much because our household income is literally $0 and has been since he passed months ago. But I do need to be able to use my laptop and want to keep those files safe and not accidentally buy a Chinese knockoff or something that will break somehow. I usually buy from Amazon (never used eBay before),

Sorry, that was long! I've been finding out I talk a lot in this stage of grief (whatever it is these days). I'm like a crazy crack head these days with how much I talk/text (when not isolating).

. ..,,Anyway, I apologize and truly appreciate any suggestions you, or anyone willing to read all of this may have for me.

Thank you!

Picking up one of these, and making a backup of your laptop stuff and that old brick drive would be a good start, then you'd have a backup. You might be able to then use that old drive as a copy of the backup.

1

ineeddeals

Jun 22, 2022 11:18 PM

207 Posts

Joined Jul 2005

ineeddealsJun 22, 2022 11:18 PM

207 Posts

Any of these work for external storage for a PS4?

1

WD Hard Drives (Refurb): 3TB Western Digital My Book External Desktop

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$90

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