External hard drives are super handy when it's time to back up your PC: just plug in, copy files and disconnect. Leaving backups on the network, or a connected drive is starting to get risky. In the face of 'ransomware' like Cryptolocker (see this 12/24/2013 BBC.co.uk news story), it's looking more and more like offline backups are the smarter way to go. Offline backups are immune to network viruses and you can place the physical storage device in a secure offsite location which helps against disaster and fire related threats. If you go Offline, there are no Cloud or SAN servers to get hacked, no internet pipe for the NSA to tap into Nineteen Eighty-Four style, just your data sitting in powered off hard drive under actual lock and key. This is nothing new of course, there are literally hundreds of external 3.5' and 2.5' hard drive devices you can choose from, though it does pay to stick to better quality manufacturers in our experience.
Seagate's Backup Plus Slim is a portable drive that boasts some impressive features on paper, It crams 2TB into a super-small form-factor; just half-an-inch thick. It bundles Seagate's own Dashboard backup software, which offers a couple of neat options we've never seen before. But it's biggest. Backup Plus Slim 2TB Black A Little Fits a Lot Small enough for a loaded laptop bag, spacious enough for loads of content—Backup Plus Slim is the perfect marriage of easy portability and truly useful file storage. Easily plug into Windows and Mac computers via USB 3.0 and enjoy helpful tools like customizable backup and folder mirroring.
The focus of this PCSTATS review is Seagate's 2TB Backup Plus Slim external USB 3.0 hard drive. The Backup Plus Slim is a self-contained 2.5' SATA-600 interface hard drive in a black aluminum and plastic enclosure which connects via USB 3.0 cable to any PC or Mac computer. The whole package weighs 150 grams and is just over 12mm thick - about the size of a smart phone. Power for the drive is supplied via the USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port.
The Backup Plus Slim looks every bit like the Monolith from Kubrick's 2001:A Space Odyssey, but inside is a not particularly remarkable 5400RPM, 3-platter hard disk with 32MB of cache. The 5400RPM drive does the job, but certainly won't break any speed records. Seagate's Backup Plus Slim is covered by a 2 year warranty and costs $159 CDN at CanadaComputers.com.
|
Backing up Your Social Media Footprint
I view backup drives as tools, consumable tools in some respects because they often take a beating. The drive and enclosure ought to be fairly robust, with mechanical cable connections that won't snap off in the faintest of breezes. On top of that, the external drive should make an effort to bundle software which makes the whole chore of backing up, easier. I have no time, nor patience for bundleware aiming to sell disk space on some distant server. In this respect the Seagate Backup Plus Slim wins and looses. First, the little feature that caught our attention.
Backing up your content from social media websites is not simple. I don't know why Facebook, Flickr, etc. don't have a one-click 'download a complete archive of all your data' button, but they don't. Seagate steps up to the plate with 'a download a complete archive of all your data' button for Facebook and Flickr.
Using the Seagate Dashboard software that ships with the Backup Plus Slim external hard drive, we can enter our login information and instruct the script to quickly download everything from these social media platforms by the extremely complicated process of.. checking the 'AutoSave' box.
We tested the Facebook tool and then re-tested it a few more times as word spread around the office there was a quick was to get data off Facebook. This little black box made the rounds!
Seagate Dashboard limits itself to images and videos, you're SOL for text notes or any other Facebook application data. The first user test consisted of 3424 files (videos/images), totalling 244MB - this was downloaded in ~23minutes to the default Seagate Backup Plus Slim /My Online Documents/Facebook folder. The drive was connected via USB2.0, but internet speed is the limiting factor here. The next test was 1237 files totalling 144MB, which took about 6 minutes. So, roughly 10-24MB/min, give or take.
The same scripts can also be used to bulk-upload content to Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.
The social media features can be enabled or disabled via this simple control screen. So for example, if you want to download a friends data, it's easy to do so without giving Seagate Dashboard unrestricted access to your social media accounts. Do be mindful of not allowing it to advertise itself in your feed, there is a prompt asking permission to post as you during the FB login stage.
Software Tools to Semi-Automate Data Back Ups
Seagate Dashboard has several other tools to facilitate easy backups from a notebook or PC, either by specifying types of files, locations or configuring a set schedule. It's also smart enough to back up pre-defined files whenever they change, which is a nice option to have and one that can reduce backup time and overhead.
These are fairly rudimentary backup (and restore) options, but PCSTATS is happy to see them regardless.
If you subscribe to Seagate Cloud Storage, the Dashboard also permits direct access to that account information via this interface. Thankfully, Seagate isn't heavily pushing this service on its users via Dashboard.
There's not much to the 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim External hard drive, so let's take a quick 360 view of the unit and its one connecting cable.
Summary :
Is your internal or external hard drive beeping or clicking abnormally, for example, Seagate hard drive? Take it easy now! Here we will help you troubleshoot a beeping/clicking Seagate hard drive while providing you with two effective methods to ensure data security.
Quick Navigation :
Hard Drive Making Clicking Noise or Beeping Sound
'I have a Seagate hard drive that I've used for maybe a year and it started beeping. I turned on my Xbox and the stuff on it doesn't show up on the console. 'Reddit
The hard drive is usually nearly silent, but sometimes it emits a muted clicking sound when it is being accessed or turned off. This is totally normal.
However, if you start hearing noises occasionally or sound that you haven't heard before like clicking, beeping, vibration or grinding, there might be something wrong. Some of you have complained about hard drives are making noises during operations such as connecting to your computers, transferring files, etc.
Reportedly, hard drive noise issue often happens on the Seagate external hard drive. Additionally, hard disk noise can also occur if you are using other brands of external hard drives like HGST, My Passport, Transcend, etc. An internal hard drive could also be beeping sometimes.
If your hard drive is making abnormal noises, the next thing to do is to determine if the hard drive is really faulty. If it is, continue reading to follow the instructions below to protect your disk data.
Simply Fix Seagate Hard Drive Beeping/Clicking
When your hard drive is making clicking or beeping noise, you can try the following five ways to troubleshoot this issue. Just follow the clear instructions below.
Way 1: Clear the Dust
Sometimes, the Seagate hard drive beeps if its port is dusty. Follow the guide below on how to clear the dust.
Step 1: Disconnect your external hard drive from the computer.
Step 2: Unplug the cable from your disk.
Step 3: Blow into the ports of your computer, hard drive, and cable.
Step 4: Reconnect the hard drive to the PC via the same cable and check whether the hard drive beeping issue still happens.
Way 2: Use Another Cable
Sometimes the hard drive clicking or beeping noise disappears when the power cable is plugged in but returns when you attach the data cable to the hard disk. In this case, perhaps the problem is caused by a damaged data cable.
You can try using a different cable to connect your external hard drive to the computer. After that, see if the beeping or clicking sound is gone.
Way 3: Plug Your Disk to Another Port
Another cause of your Seagate hard drive beeping may be a faulty port. So try connecting it to a different USB port, then see if hard drive noise is gone afterward.
Way 4: Use a USB Y-cable or Plug to a USB Hub
Your Seagate external hard drive might beep when there isn't enough power to support it. Therefore, you can try using a USB Y-cable - a cable with two connectors - to get rid of beeping sound. You should make sure the two connectors are plugged to your computer tightly.
Alternatively, you can use a USB hub to connect your hard drive to your PC instead of connecting it directly. Now see if the hard drive is still making the same beeping noise.
Way 5: Connect Your External Hard Drive to Another Computer
The hard drive beeping/clicking sound may still exist even after trying the methods above. In this case, you can try connecting the target hard drive to another computer.
Unfortunately, it is very common for the methods above to not be sufficient to help you out. If the beeping sound or clicking noise persists, perhaps the hard drive has failed. So what should you do? Let's go to the next section to find the solution.
Check Your Disk in Case of Hard Drive Beeping or Clicking
To check your Seagate hard drive, you can use the Windows CHKDSK command line tool. Please make sure the disk can be recognized by your PC, then follow the steps below: (we use Windows 10 as an example):
Step 1: Connect the target disk to your computer.
Seagate Slim 2tb Software
Step 2: Type CMD in the search box, and then right-click this tool to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Step 3: Type the following command and press the Enter key:
chkdsk g: /r Calibre 2 73 – complete e book library management system.
Additionally, you can also use a professional hard drive testing software to check the external hard drive when your disk beeps. Here, we recommend using MiniTool Partition Wizard; its Surface Test feature can be used to check whether there are bad sectors on the drive.
After launching MiniTool Partition Wizard, choose your Seagate external hard drive, click Surface Test and then click Start Now. If bad blocks exist, this tool will mark them in red.
Keep Data Safe in Case of Hard Drive Beeping/Clicking due to Disk Failure
If you are certain that your external hard drive is causing the strange noises, it's time for you to protect the data security now. Take it easy, we will show you two useful methods below.
Way 1: Back up External Hard Drive
The best way to back up your data is to use a piece of professional and free backup software - MiniTool ShadowMaker. As a reliable and safe backup program, it helps you back up files/folders, Windows operating system, disk or partition in simple clicks.
In addition to disk imaging, it offers other two kinds of backup methods: disk cloning and file syncing. https://pggav.over-blog.com/2021/01/boom-3d-1-2-4-x-2.html. The disk cloning method backs up all the data on the external hard drive. The syncing method quickly synchronizes your important files to other locations; these files can be viewed directly.
Now, download MiniTool ShadowMaker for free from the button below and have a try now for data protection.
Step 1: Run MiniTool ShadowMaker.
Step 2: Go to the Backup page, click the Source module, enter Folders and Files to choose the important files on the external hard drive that you want to back up.
Step 3: Choose the destination path to save the file backup image. Here, you can back up your crucial data to a USB flash drive, or your internal hard drive.
Step 4: After that, you can click Back up Now to start backing up files.
If you don't want to back up files to an image in case of hard drive beeping, you can choose to sync files. To do this, enter the Sync page, choose the source files and target path and start syncing files.
You can also back up the disk data via disk cloning in the event of Seagate hard drive clicking/beeping. MiniTool ShadowMaker offers a feature called Clone Disk that can transfer all information on the external drive to another hard drive.
Go to the Tools page, choose your external hard drive as the source disk, select another hard disk as the target disk and then start cloning.
In conclusion, MiniTool ShadowMaker is really useful for backing up your important files in case of hard drive noise. Now, don't hesitate to download it to create a file backup image, sync files or clone disk.
After finishing the backup, you should consider replacing the hard drive. If MiniTool has helped you, you can share this software with your friends.
Backup Plus Slim Seagate 2tb
Way 2: Recover Data from Seagate Hard Drive with Beeping/Clicking Sound
In addition to backing up data using MiniTool ShadowMaker, you might prefer recovering data from the hard drive that keeps beeping. If your disk can still be recognized in the event of hard drive beeping, you can choose to perform a data recovery easily with a third-party program.
To do this operation, we recommend MiniTool Power Data Recovery, one of the best hard drive recovery software. It enables easy and effective recovery of files, pictures, videos, etc. from a damaged hard drive without bringing any damage to the original data.
Additionally, it scans not only deleted or lost files but also existing files on your hard drive. Why not download MiniTool Power Data Recovery Trial Edition for free to your Windows 10/8/7 computer and try it now?
Step 1: Launch MiniTool Power Data Recovery Trial Edition to its main interface, then choose a proper recovery module to continue.
If your Seagate external hard drive has only one partition that is recognized, you can use This PC. If the hard drive has more than one partition or the partitions are not showing up, try using Hard Disk Drive to scan the entire disk. Here, we take the latter as an example.
Then, choose the disk that is beeping clicking, and click the Scan button to start a scan.
Using the Seagate Dashboard software that ships with the Backup Plus Slim external hard drive, we can enter our login information and instruct the script to quickly download everything from these social media platforms by the extremely complicated process of.. checking the 'AutoSave' box.
We tested the Facebook tool and then re-tested it a few more times as word spread around the office there was a quick was to get data off Facebook. This little black box made the rounds!
Seagate Dashboard limits itself to images and videos, you're SOL for text notes or any other Facebook application data. The first user test consisted of 3424 files (videos/images), totalling 244MB - this was downloaded in ~23minutes to the default Seagate Backup Plus Slim /My Online Documents/Facebook folder. The drive was connected via USB2.0, but internet speed is the limiting factor here. The next test was 1237 files totalling 144MB, which took about 6 minutes. So, roughly 10-24MB/min, give or take.
The same scripts can also be used to bulk-upload content to Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.
The social media features can be enabled or disabled via this simple control screen. So for example, if you want to download a friends data, it's easy to do so without giving Seagate Dashboard unrestricted access to your social media accounts. Do be mindful of not allowing it to advertise itself in your feed, there is a prompt asking permission to post as you during the FB login stage.
Software Tools to Semi-Automate Data Back Ups
Seagate Dashboard has several other tools to facilitate easy backups from a notebook or PC, either by specifying types of files, locations or configuring a set schedule. It's also smart enough to back up pre-defined files whenever they change, which is a nice option to have and one that can reduce backup time and overhead.
These are fairly rudimentary backup (and restore) options, but PCSTATS is happy to see them regardless.
If you subscribe to Seagate Cloud Storage, the Dashboard also permits direct access to that account information via this interface. Thankfully, Seagate isn't heavily pushing this service on its users via Dashboard.
There's not much to the 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim External hard drive, so let's take a quick 360 view of the unit and its one connecting cable.
Summary :
Is your internal or external hard drive beeping or clicking abnormally, for example, Seagate hard drive? Take it easy now! Here we will help you troubleshoot a beeping/clicking Seagate hard drive while providing you with two effective methods to ensure data security.
Quick Navigation :
Hard Drive Making Clicking Noise or Beeping Sound
'I have a Seagate hard drive that I've used for maybe a year and it started beeping. I turned on my Xbox and the stuff on it doesn't show up on the console. 'Reddit
The hard drive is usually nearly silent, but sometimes it emits a muted clicking sound when it is being accessed or turned off. This is totally normal.
However, if you start hearing noises occasionally or sound that you haven't heard before like clicking, beeping, vibration or grinding, there might be something wrong. Some of you have complained about hard drives are making noises during operations such as connecting to your computers, transferring files, etc.
Reportedly, hard drive noise issue often happens on the Seagate external hard drive. Additionally, hard disk noise can also occur if you are using other brands of external hard drives like HGST, My Passport, Transcend, etc. An internal hard drive could also be beeping sometimes.
If your hard drive is making abnormal noises, the next thing to do is to determine if the hard drive is really faulty. If it is, continue reading to follow the instructions below to protect your disk data.
Simply Fix Seagate Hard Drive Beeping/Clicking
When your hard drive is making clicking or beeping noise, you can try the following five ways to troubleshoot this issue. Just follow the clear instructions below.
Way 1: Clear the Dust
Sometimes, the Seagate hard drive beeps if its port is dusty. Follow the guide below on how to clear the dust.
Step 1: Disconnect your external hard drive from the computer.
Step 2: Unplug the cable from your disk.
Step 3: Blow into the ports of your computer, hard drive, and cable.
Step 4: Reconnect the hard drive to the PC via the same cable and check whether the hard drive beeping issue still happens.
Way 2: Use Another Cable
Sometimes the hard drive clicking or beeping noise disappears when the power cable is plugged in but returns when you attach the data cable to the hard disk. In this case, perhaps the problem is caused by a damaged data cable.
You can try using a different cable to connect your external hard drive to the computer. After that, see if the beeping or clicking sound is gone.
Way 3: Plug Your Disk to Another Port
Another cause of your Seagate hard drive beeping may be a faulty port. So try connecting it to a different USB port, then see if hard drive noise is gone afterward.
Way 4: Use a USB Y-cable or Plug to a USB Hub
Your Seagate external hard drive might beep when there isn't enough power to support it. Therefore, you can try using a USB Y-cable - a cable with two connectors - to get rid of beeping sound. You should make sure the two connectors are plugged to your computer tightly.
Alternatively, you can use a USB hub to connect your hard drive to your PC instead of connecting it directly. Now see if the hard drive is still making the same beeping noise.
Way 5: Connect Your External Hard Drive to Another Computer
The hard drive beeping/clicking sound may still exist even after trying the methods above. In this case, you can try connecting the target hard drive to another computer.
Unfortunately, it is very common for the methods above to not be sufficient to help you out. If the beeping sound or clicking noise persists, perhaps the hard drive has failed. So what should you do? Let's go to the next section to find the solution.
Check Your Disk in Case of Hard Drive Beeping or Clicking
To check your Seagate hard drive, you can use the Windows CHKDSK command line tool. Please make sure the disk can be recognized by your PC, then follow the steps below: (we use Windows 10 as an example):
Step 1: Connect the target disk to your computer.
Seagate Slim 2tb Software
Step 2: Type CMD in the search box, and then right-click this tool to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Step 3: Type the following command and press the Enter key:
chkdsk g: /r Calibre 2 73 – complete e book library management system.
Additionally, you can also use a professional hard drive testing software to check the external hard drive when your disk beeps. Here, we recommend using MiniTool Partition Wizard; its Surface Test feature can be used to check whether there are bad sectors on the drive.
After launching MiniTool Partition Wizard, choose your Seagate external hard drive, click Surface Test and then click Start Now. If bad blocks exist, this tool will mark them in red.
Keep Data Safe in Case of Hard Drive Beeping/Clicking due to Disk Failure
If you are certain that your external hard drive is causing the strange noises, it's time for you to protect the data security now. Take it easy, we will show you two useful methods below.
Way 1: Back up External Hard Drive
The best way to back up your data is to use a piece of professional and free backup software - MiniTool ShadowMaker. As a reliable and safe backup program, it helps you back up files/folders, Windows operating system, disk or partition in simple clicks.
In addition to disk imaging, it offers other two kinds of backup methods: disk cloning and file syncing. https://pggav.over-blog.com/2021/01/boom-3d-1-2-4-x-2.html. The disk cloning method backs up all the data on the external hard drive. The syncing method quickly synchronizes your important files to other locations; these files can be viewed directly.
Now, download MiniTool ShadowMaker for free from the button below and have a try now for data protection.
Step 1: Run MiniTool ShadowMaker.
Step 2: Go to the Backup page, click the Source module, enter Folders and Files to choose the important files on the external hard drive that you want to back up.
Step 3: Choose the destination path to save the file backup image. Here, you can back up your crucial data to a USB flash drive, or your internal hard drive.
Step 4: After that, you can click Back up Now to start backing up files.
If you don't want to back up files to an image in case of hard drive beeping, you can choose to sync files. To do this, enter the Sync page, choose the source files and target path and start syncing files.
You can also back up the disk data via disk cloning in the event of Seagate hard drive clicking/beeping. MiniTool ShadowMaker offers a feature called Clone Disk that can transfer all information on the external drive to another hard drive.
Go to the Tools page, choose your external hard drive as the source disk, select another hard disk as the target disk and then start cloning.
In conclusion, MiniTool ShadowMaker is really useful for backing up your important files in case of hard drive noise. Now, don't hesitate to download it to create a file backup image, sync files or clone disk.
After finishing the backup, you should consider replacing the hard drive. If MiniTool has helped you, you can share this software with your friends.
Backup Plus Slim Seagate 2tb
Way 2: Recover Data from Seagate Hard Drive with Beeping/Clicking Sound
In addition to backing up data using MiniTool ShadowMaker, you might prefer recovering data from the hard drive that keeps beeping. If your disk can still be recognized in the event of hard drive beeping, you can choose to perform a data recovery easily with a third-party program.
To do this operation, we recommend MiniTool Power Data Recovery, one of the best hard drive recovery software. It enables easy and effective recovery of files, pictures, videos, etc. from a damaged hard drive without bringing any damage to the original data.
Additionally, it scans not only deleted or lost files but also existing files on your hard drive. Why not download MiniTool Power Data Recovery Trial Edition for free to your Windows 10/8/7 computer and try it now?
Step 1: Launch MiniTool Power Data Recovery Trial Edition to its main interface, then choose a proper recovery module to continue.
If your Seagate external hard drive has only one partition that is recognized, you can use This PC. If the hard drive has more than one partition or the partitions are not showing up, try using Hard Disk Drive to scan the entire disk. Here, we take the latter as an example.
Then, choose the disk that is beeping clicking, and click the Scan button to start a scan.
Step 2: The entire external hard drive is now being scanned. To get the best recovery, wait patiently until the scan completes.
After that, you can go check whether your needed files are scanned and discovered. Unfold each partition in Path, or take full advantages of these features: Find, Filter or Type to search for files.
Step 3 (after purchasing the full edition): Check all the files required and then click Save to restore them to a safe location.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is able to recover data after hard drive crash effectively and rapidly; you can try it yourself.
Bottom Line
Seagate 2tb Backup
Is your Seagate external hard drive beeping or clicking? Try these simple solutions to fix it! If they didn't work and your drive is corrupted, check the disk and try your best to back up or recover important files from the disk.
If you have any suggestion to get rid of hard drive beeping/clicking noise or experience any question when using MiniTool software, please inform of us by sending an email to [email protected] or leaving a comment below.
