Backups for Windows and Mac

Backups for Windows and Mac



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Safely Resolving the Incompatibilities
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Windows (NTFS) and Mac (HFS+) use incompatible default disk formats and do share a common but obsolete unreliable standard format (FAT32) which I do not recommend. (This is the way that they usually come formatted from the store for better sales, but will have worse reliability.) So that means
you could choose one or the other, NTFS or HFS+ and get a translation utility to be able to use its files with the other.

Another option is to make both kinds of formats available on one disk, in separate partitions and use the appropriate translation utility when you need to get a file from the one kind of system to the other. That way you may do native data backups. ...or simpler just get two drives, each formatted appropriately for each kind of system.


http://www.cnet.com/how-to/the-best-ways-to-format-an-external-drive-for-windows-and-mac/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/250431/how_to_share_an_external_drive_between_a_mac_and_a_pc.html



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Drives to purchase
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The Hitachi type drive I would buy is all sold out. They are all bigger size, more expensive, smaller case type and therefore slower, etc. 3.5 inch drives are faster, more reliable and less expensive than the 2.5 inch drives

So the other options are Western Digital, who bought out Hitachi, or put it together to to achieve a better quality more reliable outcome, like I would and have been doing for years. Since the drive will likely need to be custom formatted anyway for use with both Windows and Mac. That is the way I would recommend to get the very best possible reliability outcome.



Option #1 - Western Digital (WD) My Book 2TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive

$69.99 Recertified    Western Digital (WD)
http://tinyurl.com/WD-USB3-0-3-5R or
http://www.microcenter.com/product/455450/My_Book_Essential_2TB_SuperSpeed_USB_30_35External_Desktop_Har

d_Drive_WDBACW0020HBK-NESN_Factory-Recertified
(At that price buy a few, format one for Windows, format one
for Mac and format one to be sure that it is good for a spare)


$99.00 New    Western Digital (WD)
http://tinyurl.com/WD-USB3-0-3-5 or
http://www.walmart.com/ip/29016523?

wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227022045843&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40881028592&wl4=&wl5=

pla&wl6=78811169072&veh=sem



The way I usually do it for absolute maximum server quality reliability is -

Option #2 a Hitachi bare drive and an Enclosure

(Format with 2 partitions, 1 for Windows and 1 for Mac
or get 2 drives, format 1 drive for Windows and 1 drive for Mac)

$64.95
Bare 2TB Drive (Server Quality Ultrastar rated at 2.0 million hours MTBF)
http://www.amazon.com/HITACHI-0F12470-Ultrastar-A7K3000-internal/dp/B00PVXQBAE/ref=sr_1_6

Plus an Enclosure

$35.99
USB 3.0 3.5 inch SATA Drive Enclosure
(with an internal fan if you plan on leaving it on all the time)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182316

or

$14.99
USB 3.0 3.5 inch SATA Drive Dock
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1DS0FR8421




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The ultimate complete system disaster Backup Utility Clonezilla (Free!)
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Best version for most newer computers
http://clonezilla.org/downloads/download.php?branch=alternative
choose -AMD64 and -ISO and burn the ISO image to a CD with
a CD/DVD burning utility

Best version for most older computers
http://clonezilla.org/downloads/download.php?branch=stable
choose -i586 and -ISO and burn the ISO image to a CD with
a CD/DVD burning utility



Free Programs to burn CD / DVD images to disk
http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download  or
https://cdburnerxp.se/en/download


Once you have burned an ISO image to the CD, you then reboot your system to the boot CD and hit just enter many times to just chose the default after many screens of incomprehensible Clonezilla questions.



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For faster USB 3.0 access from your laptop unless it only
has the older PCMCIA type slots or no CardBus slots at all
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54mm slot ExpressCard

$13.98
http://www.amazon.com/GMYLE-BC618T-Laptop-Express-support/dp/B004YB60KA/ref=sr_1_4?

ie=UTF8&qid=1448493684&sr=8-4&keywords=usb+3.0+laptop+card


34mm slot ExpressCards

$23.59
http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-ExpressCard-SuperSpeed-Adapter-ECUSB3S22/dp/B006K25AX4

or

$13.98
http://www.amazon.com/GMYLE%C2%AE-ExpressCard-34mm-Adapter-Dual/dp/B0045BLP1S


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For faster USB 3.0 access from your desktop if you have a free PCI-e slot
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K0C6U20/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ps_2?pf_rd_p=1944687442





References -

Why not just leave it the factory default FAT format or use eXFAT?

https://www.google.com/search?q=reliability%20of%20exfat
https://www.google.com/search?q=reliability%20of%20fat32

How to get a straight answer from your ISP tech support

I tried to report a problem my Internet Service Provider was having with their network (peering with the rest of the internet) that was adversely affecting my service, and I am sure everyone else in my part of the world connected to them. It took quite an effort to get a supervisor to call me back.

Having been told "the problem must be in my modem" several times before, because I was not paying them to lease a modem from them, I already knew to not let them begin to lead me down that rabbit trail again. I was determined to not let my frustration with their poor service and their lack of effective customer service exception handing get to me. My chat with them follows...


- Head of Household Permission

Hi, I'm your Spectrum Virtual Assistant. I can answer questions about your Spectrum products and services. If I'm unable to answer your questions, I can transfer you to a Live Chat representative for further assistance. How may I help you today?

Very very slow internet service east of Ann Arbor Mich last night, part time complete outages, some pages not loading. Today speedtest.net still under 3-5Mb/s down, usually 20Mb/s +

If you are experiencing speed issues with your Spectrum Internet connection, check the cable line to the modem. Ensure it is secure and all Ethernet cables are properly connected to your networked devices. This page has more troubleshooting steps to help you with your Internet connection. View Page

• Internet Speed Test

Very very slow internet service east of Ann Arbor Mich last night, part time complete outages, some pages not loading. Today speedtest dot net still under 3-5Mb/s down, usually 20Mb/s +

I'm sorry I do not currently have any additional information to present to you other than what I have already shared. If you would like to view the previous answer, click the 'See Previous Response' link below. You can try rephrasing your question, or select the 'Click here to talk to a live rep' link below for further assistance.

• See Previous Response
• Click here to talk to a live rep by chat

Click here to talk to a live rep by chat

Connected To

Spectrum Service Rep: Nxxxxxx  C

Thank you for contacting Charter Communications! My name is Nxxxxx! At the end of this chat you will be given the opportunity to provide feedback on my performance. How may I assist you?

Very very slow internet service east of Ann Arbor Mich last night, part time complete outages, some pages not loading at all. Today speedtest dot net still under 3-5Mb/s down, usually 20Mb/s + downdetector dot com/status/charter-communications/map showing partial outage in my area of Michigan

Your speedtest shows 17 - 20Mb/s so I can only assume that your company is having serious ongoing peering issues

I do apologize that you are not receiving optimal speeds, Steve, I know I would be frustrated as well. My main concern today will be finding an appropriate resolution for you!

Thank you so much for your patience, Steve. I'm currently loading all of your account information so we can best work together to get this issue resolved quickly. If you could please bear with me for one to two minutes, I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks

My pleasure!

While I'm accessing your account, I am also going to be viewing your modem internals.

Are you currently connected via hardwired Ethernet connection, or wirelessly?

Not my modem thank you

your network is having peering issues

My speed to charter.net is fine

Steve, viewing the modem internals will allow me to see which sections of the modem are receiving poor service reception.

Are you currently connected directly to your modem or wirelessly?

You are just reading from a script?

No, Steve, I am not.

May I please have you escalate my issue

I am asking how you are connected so I may determine which device is currently effected.

affected

May I please have you escalate my issue?

I would like to speak with a senior tech

Steve, I would be happy to provide assistance for your connection, however, I am not seeing any service interruptions within your area, nor am I seeing any issues from your modem internals. One moment please, I will be happy to see what I can find for you.

Thank You for your help

Could you please inform me on if you are connected via Ethernet to your modem or if you are using a wireless connection?

No thank that has nothing to do with the issue that I am attempting to report

I am currently looking for outside issues that could be impacting your current connection.

Thank You

Whereas I do understand the concern, Steve, there are no reported issues in your area. This of course does not negate the service interruption you are currently experiencing. Would you like to proceed to troubleshoot the concern with me?

No thank You I don't really think that will help

downdetector.com/status/charter-communications/map

I'm looking up more information for you to see if I may be able to provide more information on your service, Steve.

shows a partial outage in my area

So if you can not measure that kind of issue, but somehow I can that is why I am asking for a senior tech

I can definitely understand that an outage would be reported from a third party system, but the interruption has not been reported within our own servers just yet. Also, Steve, you are currently subscribed to our Internet Lite package, which would allow up to 15MBPS of internet connection for your services.

Receiving speeds that exceed 15MBPS would indicate that you are receiving speeds that exceed the service level that you currently pay for.

No I am not, only to your servers, but not to the rest of the internet

I am a professional systems design engineer and would like to speak with a peer that would understand my issue

An outage in your area may not be impacting your services directly, but could cause a service degradation, as I am sure you know.

That is exactly what I am attempting to describe

May I please have you escalate my issue?

At this time, Steve, you are speaking with someone who can very happily assist with your concern. To recap, there is not a currently service outage reported within your area. As you are provisioned to receive up to15MBPS in our Internet Lite package, you are receiving those expected speeds. I am not seeing any reported issues within our system as of yet, and there are no interruptions measured within your modem.

I would like to speak with a senior tech

PLease

Steve, I will gladly add notations to your account to create record of your reported interruption, but currently, there are no outages within your area, and you are receiving the speeds that are provisioned for you. Would you like to continue to troubleshoot?

No thank you

Is there anything else I can have the pleasure of assisting you with today?

I would like to speak with a senior tech

I am asking nicely, please

Steve, you are currently speaking with a residential support technician for internet support. If you would like to speak to a supervisor, I can most certainly transfer you over, however, our supervisors are not Tier II technicians. We cannot direct you to speak with a field technician.

So who is in charge with technical competence?

I don't need a field technician

I need a network engineer

I can most certainly assist you with your concerns with your service, Steve. You expressed concern that your speeds are reflecting 17-20MBPS, which is above the provisioned speeds you currently pay for. In addition, there are no service interruptions reported within your area - though this is not to say they will not be at a later time. I would be more than happy to move forward through our troubleshooting procedures with you, Steve. I would not have the ability to direct you to an internal network engineer.

So who would?

Otherwise I am left only with Facebook, Google+, reddit, FCC, Michigan public utility commission, whoever approves your local tariff in my municipality...

My concern is with getting 3-5 mb/s to the rest of the internet

Not 17 Mb/s to your servers

... and last night having complete outages

Steve, if you would like, I can arrange for my supervisor to reach out to you if you would like to best address your concern. I would also be more than happy to complete our troubleshooting process with you in order to arrive at an appropriate resolution.

I am asking you to fix your network

'Not mine

I am not being unreasonable

I most certainly do understand your request, as well as your concern, Steve. You are stating there is a service degradation/outage in your area and you are currently receiving slow speeds - I would be more than happy to follow our troubleshooting procedure with you. Currently, there is not a reported outage in your area, but we can most definitely work toward a resolution if you would like.

Your troubleshooting procedure can not by definition resolve my issue

May I please have you escalate my issue? To whatever limited resources you have available.

I can most certainly address your concern and escalate this to the next level of support. What phone number would be the best for my supervisor to contact you at?

248-677-#### Thank You

####

x x x x

Thank you, Steve, the phone number to contact you at would be 248-677-xxxx, correct?

Yes thank you

Would there be anything else I can assist you with today, Steve?

No thank You.

Thank you for choosing Charter Communications! I would appreciate your feedback about the service you experienced with me today! Please take a moment to participate in the short survey that appears when you close this chat. You can find answers to frequently asked questions and self-help options in the “Support” menu at www.charter.com! If you have further questions, please feel free to chat back with us again! Our chat support is available from 7AM - 1:30AM CST, 365 days a year. Have a wonderful day!!

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