The reliability tag has no wiki summary.
1
vote
1answer
27 views
When is it safe to assume file uploads are successful?
When I upload files to a server through HTTP or FTP, I normally download them again just to check that they were successfully uploaded (I use md5 checksums to check that).
Is this necessary? Can I be ...
1
vote
1answer
60 views
ECC registered vs ECC unbuffered
I would like to build a storage server (based on GNU/Linux or FreeBSD) which will be on all the time.
To prevent data corruption (which is unlikely to happen as I never had such a problem, but better ...
3
votes
3answers
103 views
Are Blu-Ray recordable disks reliable and cost-effective for backups and data storage?
I'm considering moving from DVD-Rs to Blu-Ray Recordable disks to backup my data. I don't have any experience with BD-Rs as of yet, though, and I wonder if it's worth it or I should wait another year ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
What Windows log should I use to monitor service uptime?
I need to write a script that takes data about reliability of Windows services (default and custom) and forwards them to a central server for processing. My problem is that I am not sure what log ...
0
votes
2answers
191 views
Intel ICH10R vs Marvell 9123 for desktop RAID 1 with SSDs
I have a desktop with an ASUS motherboard with 6 SATA ports.
4x3Gbps ICH10R ports
2x6Gbps Marvell 9123 ports
I bought two 3Gbps Intel SSD drives to be used in a RAID 1 configuration (reliability ...
17
votes
4answers
642 views
Are all basic SATA drives equally reliable?
I'm about to purchase a SATA hard drive. I was wondering if, aside from the storage capacity, are there any other factors I should keep in mind? I care above all about reliability. Is a more expensive ...
-1
votes
1answer
81 views
Most reliable hard drive for software development [closed]
I realize this is more of a hardware question than a programming question, but I had a devastating SSD failure over the weekend and I use my computer primarily for programming... so it seems ...
0
votes
1answer
384 views
How do I tell which routers are commercial grade, super reliable ones?
I need to install 2-3 wireless access points in a factory, up in the ceiling to cover the area for mobile barcode scanners.
I've read reviews, specs and tech sheets. What I keep seeing is that normal ...
0
votes
2answers
140 views
What's the most reliable (i.e. time-proof) solution for organizing photos?
I pooled together my photos from an old external hard drive, various Picasa Web caches, flickr, flash drives, and an old computer. They're all on my external hard drive, using extremely creative ...
0
votes
0answers
218 views
Is Acer TravelMate TM5742-7908 a reliable laptop? [closed]
I'm looking into buying an Acer TravelMate TM5742-7908 and I was wondering if any already has one. If so, did you experience any issues or is there anything I should be aware of before buying it?
2
votes
4answers
763 views
DVD/CD burning .zip: is it more reliable, faster, longer lasting to burn a zip of files rather than the files as a folder?
Is it more reliable, faster, longer lasting to burn to CD/DVD a zip (or a few large zips) of files rather than the files as a folder?
Just thinking if 1000s of small files would not be as efficiently ...
2
votes
2answers
501 views
Antivirus impact on SSD
I've just purchased an OCZ Vertex 2 SSD drive and I'm trying to understand how various pieces of software could impact it. I'm going to be running Windows 7 on it.
My current choice of antivirus ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Before using the “Western Digital Elements 2TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive”
I have 3 questions.
Just purchased the Western Digital Elements 2TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive.
After reading all the information on the internet, it seems like it is usually a 4K sector ...
2
votes
6answers
136 views
What is the longest lived computer component you regularly use? [closed]
Look around your office and home. Among those computers, routers, etc. that you are using at least weekly, which were made in the 1990s? Do not count your car's computer, spare parts that are ...
1
vote
2answers
61 views
Drive apparently crashes, but now works again. What next?
Early this year, I installed Ubunto 10.4 on a 10 year old Dell tower to use as my home file server. It was working great, I even had a good backup system going using rsnapshot and an external drive.
...
15
votes
3answers
810 views
How harmful is a hard disk spin cycle?
It is conventional wisdom¹ that each time you spin a hard disk down and back up, you shave some time off its life expectancy.
The topic has been discussed before:
Is turning off hard disks harmful?
...
1
vote
1answer
186 views
Is there a reliability issue with Hard Drives over 1 Terabyte?
I have a 1.5 terabyte drive that I bought for backup. It has suddenly stopped working (with no warning) after just a few months. Since this happened, I have found various opinions that anything over 1 ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
How do you make your hard drive last as long as possible?
I'm having some drives that seems to die soon. Doesn't feel like I have had them that long, so starting to wonder if I could have done something to make them last longer.
So, what are some good ...
2
votes
3answers
47 views
where can I find data regarding reliability of laptops from major manufacturers? [closed]
I'd like to purchase a used laptop. Considering that it will likely not have a warranty, I'd prefer it last as long as possible before dying.
Is there any place that I can find decent and ...
4
votes
4answers
366 views
Blu-ray. Is it safe/good enough now? Is there a good external drive for this?
I have to do some backup. I was thinking about NAS/online solution but for online I have to pay a lot and for NAS... I won't run it 0-24. Can't really afford this kind of luxury.
So I want to ...
0
votes
5answers
369 views
Best OS that never crashes [closed]
Is there an OS that never ever ever crashes or halts or does any stupid stuff like Windows does. Meaning never seeing BSODs.
2
votes
2answers
119 views
Are domestic chemicals and tobacco smoke really harmful for computer equipment?
There'a a belief that domestic chemicals (like washing powder many people use for washing the floor) and tobacco smoke can cause harm to computer equipment. Hard disks are believed to be especially ...
4
votes
3answers
247 views
Reliability of a Compact Flash as a hard drive
I would now if someone can help me and say if I need a industrial grade or not to insure reliability in a PC embedded device. I use linux and make the most filesystem in RAM to avoid read/write of the ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Reliability and Performance Monitor for Windows XP
Is there anything like Reliability and Performance Monitor for WinXP out there?
Anything that is actually worth using?
2
votes
3answers
130 views
most reliable linux terminal app / general procedures for process stability
I've been using konsole (KDE 4.2) for a while now but it crashed recently. Konsole is efficiently designed to use one instance for all of the windows for your entire X session. Extra-unfortunately, ...
0
votes
3answers
657 views
How reliable are 2.5" external hard drives?
I'm seriously considering keeping all my files only on external hard drives.
My main computer is a laptop, and currently I back up the files on it to multiple external hard drives. I'm thinking of ...
2
votes
2answers
71 views
What changes should I make to an Ubuntu that runs from a USB flash drive?
I'm considering running my laptop from a USB flash drive. The system would be one of the Ubuntu family.
What should I do to ensure that the USB flash drive lasts as long as possible?
What can I do ...
7
votes
5answers
565 views
How reliable is Unison? Did it ever ruin your data?
I am interested in facts, when using unison ( http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/ ) ruined your data? I want to find out about its reliability.
1
vote
2answers
166 views
How can hard drives store so much data and before it fails, be so reliable to give back all the bits without any error?
I still remember using Apple II's floppy disks with 143kb per disk.
And then there was the 20MB hard drive on the IBM PC...
Now they are 1TB per hard drive or more. I wonder before a hard drive ...
15
votes
13answers
485 views
How to test your backups against medium degeneration?
Because most storage media degenerate over time (CD, DVD, harddisk, tape), it is very important to test your backups. Is there a way to monitor the condition of your backups?
I am looking for both ...
1
vote
5answers
313 views
Indexing services and hard disk age
There are plenty of indexing services.
Windows wants to index. Google desktop wants to index. There is a crummy program that comes with Nero software that also tries to index your disk.
Whenever ...
10
votes
7answers
556 views
Do hard drives lie?
In the days of old, I remember getting drive errors, but it seems that modern drives never report errors, but instead make a best effort to return you something. I recently had a hard drive fail, ...
5
votes
12answers
1k views
What lasts longer: Data stored on non-volatile flash RAM, optical media, or magnetic disk?
What lasts longer: Data stored on non-volatile flash RAM (USB stick or SD cards?), optical media (CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray?), or magnetic disk (floppies, hard drives?) My gut tells me optical media, but ...
13
votes
4answers
1k views
Should I use ECC RAM for the next computer I build?
I fuss a lot over building stable machines -- in that I absolutely hate crashes, reboots, funny behaviour, etc. -- and so error-correcting a.k.a. ECC RAM would seem to solve a big problem: memory ...
