The PC Guild » Hardware

What Is Raid 5?

Editor — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:35:49 +0000

Raid 5 is the highest level of Raid that can be installed on a desktop computer. Of course defining a term using the same term (called a recursive definition) is cheating so let us dig a bit deeper here.

Raid stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. The whole point of Raid is increased performance, lower cost, and most important of all, redundancy. Redundancy meaning that your crashed hard drive with, for example, your accounts payable and receivable, can be reconstructed almost effortlessly.

Raid 0, the original state of computerdom, meant that if your single drive went down, you were unable to recover the data on the disk. It might have had enormous volume and been hugely expensive, but when it went it took all your data with it.

Strangely enough to some observers, several smaller, less costly disks could be purchased for considerably less than one enormous vulnerable drive, and by a process called “mirroring” insure that if one disk went down, the second disk containing the same data would continue to function. Strictly speaking there would be no data loss, but volume is still limited to the size of a single disk. This is Raid 1.

Raid 5, on the other hand, requires at least three disks. These three disks are still cheaper than the original huge disk, and the third disk allows for more space than the single mirrored disk in Raid 1. For example, if the two disks in Raid 1 were say, 750 Gigs each, then the Raid 5 array could contain three still cheaper 500 Gig drives and yet have 1000 Gigs of storage, 250 Gigs more that the two 750 Gig mirrored disks in Raid 1. Remember, in Raid 1 the two disks are mirror images of each other.

Raid 5

The three disks in Raid 5, on the other hand, are each different. Two of the drives contain one half of a bit pair each, and the third drive has the parity bit. Should any one drive go down, the remaining drive with its half a bit pair and the drive with the parity bit will combine to write and reconstruct the missing half a bit pair on a new drive and thereby recover the lost data. Thus Raid 5 data recovery is possible even if one drive goes down.
What is Raid 5? Besides being the highest level of Raid that can be used on a desktop computer, it is also a more inexpensive method of data storage and recovery than using just one or two hard disks.

Also check this list of articles on RAID 5 and data recovery articles

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1 Terabyte (TB) External Hard Drives

Editor — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:44:04 +0000

There are some notable products to choose from when selecting 1 Terabyte External Hard Drives. Three manufacturers that have quality products, reputations, and sell competitively priced products are, Seagate, Iomega, and Western Digital. Each company makes and sells a variety of products including external hard drives for storage, and systems backup. Because of the proliferation of music files, video files, and photograph files, most computer hard drives contain a considerable amount of precious and irreplaceable data. Indeed, manually backing up all of these file types to external media is a cumbersome and daunting task that many people prefer not to undertake. Fortunately, an external hard drive is an ideal device to use in backing up, or just storing those precious files.

1. Iomega Prestige Portable Hard Drive, Compact Edition

This drive is very small. In fact, it measures only 4 inches, fits comfortably in a shirt pocket, and requires no external power source. It uses the popular USB 2.0 interface, and comes with its own cable. It features Iomega’s patented Drop Shock technology that protects the workings of the drive in case it is suddenly dropped. Indeed, this minuscule drive is perfect for at home storage, yet durable enough for travel. It comes bundled with a Protection Suite of software, and includes 2GB of (free) online storage. This model of external hard drive includes a 1 year free subscription to Trend Micro Internet Security, has a three year limited warrantee with product registration, comes pre-formatted, and is compatible with both PC and Mac computers.

2. Western Digital Elements Desktop External Hard Drive

The Elements model external hard drive is Western Digital’s “no frills” drive, and provides a cost effective way to add hard drive storage capacity to both PC and Mac computers. It comes pre-formatted to PC, but is easily reformatted for use with Mac. It features simple plug and play interface and uses the USB 2.0 standard. This quality made Western Digital (WD) drive is designed to turn on/off with your computer, ensuring it is always available for storage solutions or backups. It incorporates an external power supply that is EnergyStar compliant. Additionally, the drive itself is made to WD’s patented GreenPower technology, so it enters idle mode when it is not actively being used.

3. Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex External Hard Drive

Winner of the CNET Editor’s Choice award for May 2010, this drive supports both USB 2.0 and 3.0, with plug and play connectivity. It features continuous automatic backup using powerful encryption software. By pairing with additional GoFlex adapters, the drive is easily upgraded to use any interface desired. Indeed, this feature will allow the use of USB and/or FireWire 800, which can provide 10 times the speed for large file transfers. It works interchangeably with both PC and Mac computers, so the drive can go back and forth between them without the need of reformatting. It comes standard with pre-loaded software, a 5 foot USB cable, includes an illuminated capacity gauge, and requires no external power source.

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How To NOT Get Scammed When Buying A Computer

Editor — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:21:53 +0000

1. Always check the specs carefully

Often, when a deal is too good to be true, there’s a reason. I sometimes see really cheap desktop PC’s with seemingly awesome specifications, but when you look deeper you’ll see that there’s a crappy graphics card, or a useless case, or maybe some other problem with that specific hardware.

2. Check online shopping comparison charts to see if you are really getting a deal

Google Product Search or Bing Shopping can help. Just enter your product name and see if what the real world prices are on your computer. Often manufacturers will spout out a lot of BS about deals, when it may be just a few dollars.

3. Never buy software or hardware with a computer

I cannot emphasize this enough. Never, ever, buy software (such as MS Office) or hardware peripherals (such as a webcam or router) bundled with a computer, unless you know for sure that that the item you are getting is for cheaper than real world prices – which is rare. This is an old marketing trick to make you buy more stuff (and then the manufacturer gets a commission).

4. Never agree to pay any amount for Norton (or any other Anti Virus)

How many times I’ve seen people get scammed into buying that piece-of-shit Norton makes me want to bang something into a wall. Norton is one of the slowest anti virus software around, with one of the worst detection rates. Chances are, you don’t need any paid-for anti virus for home use. Check out some free anti virus alternatives which work just as well, if not better, such as Microsoft Security Essentials, Avira or AVG.

5. Never agree to “installation charges”, recovery cd creation fees, or any other optional service

You can make your own recovery CD’s with a few simple clicks – just search for the tool on your new computer and follow the simple instructions. Also any other “installation” or other services are complete bullshit meant to scam you.

6. Scrutinize that “extended warranty”

An extended warranty might be worth it in a few situations. Study the fine print and see if it covers hardware, labour, diagnosis – and see what it doesn’t cover. Then make your decision on whether it’s worth it.

Marketing, marketing, marketing

Ripping off people by offering different services and packaging add-ons is an old marketing trick. In related news, check out this old internet gem – how to buy a car.

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Completely Free Driver Updater

Editor — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:18:35 +0000

Automatic free device driver updaters are one of the most in-demand software around. Even geeks sometimes find it tedious to search for individual drivers one at a time when fixing, building or maintaining a PC. Definitely the best driver update software around so far.

However device driver updaters are notorious for being bloatware, associated with scams, and not free! Device Doctor comes to the rescue. It’s free, lightweight, portable and simple to use. Ahh, software heaven.

Pros

- Free!

- Simple to use

- Portable (a lightweight installed version is also available)

Cons

- Does not install drivers automatically (just gives you a download link to install yourself)

Device Doctor Screenshot on Windows 7

How to Use:

It can’t be any simpler: just press the “Begin Scan” button, and the software will do its thing by scanning your computer for updates. A list of downloadable driver installers will be presented if any of your drivers are out of date.

Via [How-To Geek]