do you have 2 usb inputs?

I run 2 at one time every now and again...no biggy, just the aforementioned issues with USB drives...do NOT run an external HDD through a hub....talk about slow...sheesh...and other issues associated with the massive lagging cause by using a hub....

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So Long and Thanks for All the Files
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PickaxeFairy

First off, my PC is older than yours and I have five external USB hard drives and one external USB DVD writer.

I bought my PC in October 2002 and it had only 4 x USB1.1 ports (as well as a 60GB HD C:\ drive and only 512MB ram), I eventually added 2 x PCI to USB2.0 cards which gave me 8 x USB2.0 external ports and it is these ports that my five external USB hard drives are connected to. And as I said in my previous post, I have had no problems with any of them, i.e 2 x 160GB, 2 x 250GB and 1 x 500GB.

Just out of interest, I have changed my original 60GB HD for a 300GB one and added a second internal 500GB HD, and I have had absolutely no power problems.

So, connecting any external drives to your set up, whether they are 1TB USB HDs, 2 x 250GB HDs, etc., they will not cause you any problems whatsoever.

Finally, as you can imagine I am constantly swapping data/info between my externals, my internals to externals and back again, also without any problems.

Hope this helps



UK Bob

Thanks for your reply Bob - much appreciated.

Your answer is most encouraging - I've been at sixes and sevens for a while now over this....
Various different *experts* have been giving me all these various *should dos and shouldn't dos*....
It's doing my head in!

I hasten to add - I refer not to all the helpful peeps on here
You all obviously know what you're talking about - and you've been worth your weight in gold to me in the past....

Who I'm talking about is the *I proclaim to know everything pc related - but in reality I don't actually know what the hell I'm talking about* guys they send when you've got an extended warranty. Oh come on - you've gotta laugh!
You've all been helpful to me in your own different ways, believe me.

I still haven't quite made up my mind as to whether I'll upgrade my 160GB drive to a 500GB or 1TB - or whether I'll keep things as they are and just use a couple of 250/500GB external drives....

Whatever I end up doing - all suggestions, advice and info will be a big part of my final decision....

Thanks all!

Little update if anyone's interested

I ended up going with a couple of 320GB external drives in the end - one to download to and one to back up to....
(PC World have got a pretty good deal on WD 320GB external hard drives atm if anyone's interested )

I have to say though.... I do notice quite a difference in Limewire's performance when I download to an external, as opposed to my pc's main drive.... There's quite a bit of crashing and freezing tends to go on - which I can't say I ever experienced when I was downloading to my main drive.
Having said that though - I kinda feel 'safer' downloading to an external and not my pc hard drive. Though maybe that's just me....

Stating the obvious here - if something major happens with your pc and you've got no copes of anything.... well you're up the proverbial creek without that all important paddle!
I find it quite unbelievable how many people *still* don't back up - then whinge and moan when all their documents, photos and music are lost....

External drives tend not to be active 100% of time & that upsets LW.