Client: I know this is asking for free advice, but is there a better model/brand drive I should be purchasing? While I obviously don’t intend to be throwing around my hard drive and cause physical shocks, I still have a cat and if Se@g@te HDD is especially hard I’m wondering if I should be looking at something besides the first one I find on Am@z0n.

Tech: All hard disk drive based external drives are unreliable nowadays. So, there is no "better choice". They all fail. The only workaround is to have multiple backups in place. This may help: www.datarecoveryguru.com/backup

If you would like to work with external drives that are Solid State Drive based, then use those keywords to search for "SSD External Drive". Unlike Hard Disk Drives, which use disks inside to store the files, Solid State Drives are chip based drives, therefore virtually eliminating the risk of mechanical failures. But, those fail as well, with other problems. It is imperative, that you power on an SSD External Drive at least once a month. Powering the SSD on is important in preventing the "data from leaking". Why? Because it is electric based recording in chips. Overtime, the electric charge leaks and no longer works properly, which will result in file corruption.

By the way, Seagate SSDs are pretty good. So, are Samsung SSDs.

Client: …besides the first one I find on Am@z0n.
Tech: We don't recommend buying from Am@z0n. Why? Am@z0n is simply a marketplace, bringing sellers and buyers together on a digital platform. Very much like Eb@y, for example.

It is concerning when purchasing hard drives from Am@z0n with regard to the warranty. Many times, sellers on Amazon may be from another country selling on the American market, say a seller from Australia. The hard drive is warranted in Australia, so say something happens to your drive while it is still under warranty, you send it back to Am@z0n, Am@z0n hands are tied, and, subsequently, the real seller cannot help because the warranty is not valid in the US. Many people fall prey to these kind of schemes.

So, it is highly recommended to buy online from a local electronics store, Micro Center in Cambridge, local Best Buy, etc. Or even walk in, as the stores have excellent return policies without many questions. Keep the receipt handy though.