All computer secrets for beginners and professionals / Video / What is the button on the hard drive for? Backup to an external drive and restore data from an external drive. External disk for backup: connection with the task

What is the button on the hard drive for? Backup to an external drive and restore data from an external drive. External disk for backup: connection with the task

31.08.2023

Almost every modern person has at least one hard drive, which cannot just be taken and connected to a computer. It could have remained after the breakdown of an old laptop, from the Sony PlayStation 4 game console, or from other similar devices, which is not at all important. The only important thing is that there is a 2.5-inch (“laptop”) hard drive on which you can store some information - movies, documents, music, TV series and other files. This year, a kit called Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 went on sale, allowing you to make any hard drive external and portable.

The device, called Transcend StoreJet 25CK3, is a kit with a housing for installing a 2.5” SSD/HDD. With its help, you can turn any regular hard drive into a portable one, which can be connected to a computer, tablet and any other device via the usual USB. By the way, all hard drives for internal use are connected to the motherboard via the SATA interface, which cannot be found as a separate external port.

The Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 kit comes with a very rich package - the case itself, an incredibly convenient screwdriver with a company logo, a USB 3.0 cable for connecting the finished drive to a computer, and informative instructions with illustrations for assembly.

The hard drive housing is made of wear-resistant plastic, and the upper casing (case) is made of silicone, which is very pleasant to the touch. Hair, dust and dirt do not stick to this material, and it is also very easy to clean. On the front side there is a special and only button responsible for starting automatic copying of files from the computer to the hard drive. For it to work, you need to install special Transcend Elite software on your computer.

Inside the case there are several components: a microcircuit for connecting a hard drive, a rubber protective cover that “absorbs” shocks, a seal, and four small screws that allow the entire structure to be held together.

In general, the process of assembling a hard drive is incredibly simple and straightforward. The basic instructions included in the kit are sufficient. As a last resort, you can watch the official video instructions below. Assembly takes about 10 minutes, but if you perform this task again, it will be 2-3 times less.

When the entire structure is assembled and the screws are tightly tightened, the hard drive becomes monolithic. There is nothing loose or wobbly inside. It is worth noting that in our case the seal included in the delivery kit was not required. It should be used in cases where the drive dangles inside a rubber case, for example, if it is a 2.5-inch SSD.

When the external hard drive is now connected to the computer, a blue LED indicator lights up around the file copy button, the only one on the case. If it says, it means the hard drive connected using the Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 is functioning and you can work with it.

There is no need to talk about the data exchange speed when using this kit to assemble an external hard drive, since it depends on the read and write speed of the connected hard drive. Since in our case we used a HDD from a netbook from 2012, the average write and read speed was 100-120 MB/s. Again, if you install a modern HDD or SSD flash memory, this figure can be 2-4 times higher.

What is the advantage of this design?

Everything is very simple here. The fact is that if you buy some kind of drive ready-made, it may not turn out to be exactly what the buyer wants. For example, it will receive a stylish body, but the technical component will be weak. The opposite situation can also happen, when an excellent HDD is installed inside, but the case looks so bad that such an accessory is simply unpleasant to look at.

The set represented by the Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 completely solves this problem, since the buyer can independently purchase the 2.5-inch hard drive or flash memory he needs, which will meet his needs, and then independently assemble it all into a very high-quality case.

At the same time, this case has a number of advantages over analogues:

Very pleasant silicone coating to which dust and dirt do not stick. This is really a huge plus, since you don’t want to let go of the hard drive, it’s too tactilely pleasant.
There is a rubber cover inside this case for a reason. It “absorbs” shocks, thereby reducing damage to the hard drive during falls. Of course, it probably won’t save you from a severe blow, but it will definitely help you out in smaller incidents.
If the hard drive that is inside this case fails after some time, it can be easily replaced without having to overpay for the case again.
If you assemble an external drive yourself, it will cost approximately 10-25% less than its conventional counterpart. This allows you to save a little when purchasing, but the benefits should be considered last, since the decisive role in the choice should be played by appearance, security and, of course, the specifications of the HDD/SSD itself.

Assembly of Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 on video

Conclusion

Of course, when creating this enclosure for hard drives and flash memory, Transcend simply copied the appearance of its external drives, which are incredibly popular all over the world, but who is worse off? These cases offer excellent shock resistance, are comfortable to hold, and look stylish. In addition, an external drive with such a case can be placed in the same compartment of a backpack along with a MacBook. At the same time, the hard drive and ultrabook will not scratch each other, since silicone is not capable of causing any harm to metal or plastic.

With a total cost of around $25, the Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 external hard drive, which comes with a great screwdriver, is a great solution for people who want to make their hard drive portable and connect it to MacBook, iMac, Mac Pro and any other computers. . We recommend for purchase!

Backup to external hard drive and recovering information from an external drive are convenient ways to ensure the safety of your data. Handy Backup makes backups to an external drive using a plugin Computer and various task automation tools.

Copy via USB connection

The data backup task can be configured to run automatically when the selected USB drive is connected to the computer. It does not matter which USB port the external drive is connected to.

Saving in original format

Information from a backup copy can be used without prior restoration, since all copied data is stored unchanged and can be used directly at the storage location.

Data compression and encryption

To save space, a backup to an external drive can be compressed and, for added security, encrypted using a built-in algorithm.

Supported external drives for backup

External USB drives: From Western Digital, Toshiba and any other manufacturers, with capacities from 250 GB to 3 TB and above, using USB 3.0 interface or even wireless access, can be connected for backup using Handy Backup.
USB storage devices (“flash drives”): familiar to many USB flash devices of all types, as well as memory cards (via a USB card reader). Windows and Linux drivers are used to access devices, eliminating compatibility issues with USB devices.

Automatic backup to external hard drive

Handy Backup fully automates backup to an external USB drive, allowing you to automatically run a copy task whenever the USB device associated with the task is connected to your computer.

External disk for backup: connection with the task

The program always “remembers” a specific USB device associated with a specific task. Therefore, it does not matter which USB port the selected external drive is connected to. Handy Backup automatically detects the desired device when connected.

Handy Backup is a flexible and powerful tool for backing up and restoring an external drive. Get to know it by downloading and installing the latest version of the program with a full set of tools and features for a free trial period of 30 days!

How to backup an external hard drive?

To create a data backup task from an external drive, please use the sequence of actions below:

Open Handy Backup and create a new task by clicking the button on the main panel, the Ctrl+N key combination, or selecting the appropriate item in the menu.
Select task type in Step 1 – data backup. If you want to use the auto start feature when connecting a USB device, check the “Advanced Mode” checkbox.
Expand the data source group in Step 2 Local and Network Drives.
Select a plugin Computer. In the right window, click on the letter corresponding to the name of the connected external drive for backup.
In the window that opens, indicate the data that you are going to save as a backup copy of the external drive by checking this data.

In Step 3, specify a location to store your data.
Next, configure the task as you wish. These steps for backup tasks to an external drive are no different from task settings for other types of data.
In Step 6, check the box that allows you to run the task when you connect the external drive selected in Step 2 as a data source to your computer.

In the next steps, complete creating the task and give it a name. All is ready!

Backup to external drive

Creating a backup task to an external hard drive using the Computer plugin is no different in logic from backing up an external drive described above. Just indicate external drive for backup in Step 3 as storage.

Recovering data from an external hard drive

Open Handy Backup and create a new task. Select a task in Step 1 data recovery. In Step 2, specify your external hard drive as the storage location for the recovered data and select the file on it backup.hbi, containing the necessary recovery information.

Automatic data recovery from an external hard drive is possible, but we do not recommend using it to avoid losing sensitive data, with the exception of cloning tasks (see below).
You can clone information from external hard drive backups by changing the location to restore data using the “Change location” button in the recovery dialog. In this way, you can create tasks for automatically cloning data from disk.

Video tutorial: Creating an automatic backup to an external drive

The video below shows step by step the process of creating an automatic backup task to an external drive (USB) when connecting it to a computer.

Attention: Following the instructions given in this video file assumes that a copy of Handy Backup is already installed on your machine. If you do not have Handy Backup installed yet, please download and install it.

External hard drives are a fairly widely used gadget; their range is huge, including protected models. This is quite logical, since during transportation falls and other unpleasant moments for the HDD are not excluded. The subject of review - Transcend StoreJet 25H3P 1TB (TS1TSJ25H3P) has a rubberized body and is tested according to the US Army MIL-STD-810F METH standards. 516.5 Proc.IV, which involves 26 falls from a height of 122 cm (4 feet). The model supports USB 3.0 and is available in 500GB, 750GB, 1TB and 1.5TB variants.

Design and delivery

The package contains the hard drive itself, a USB 3.0 cable, instructions, warranty and promotional materials

The case is made of pleasant-to-touch rubberized dark gray and lilac plastic; the drive cannot be called a miniature one, which is logical given the security.

The front panel features the Transcend logo and a quick backup button combined with a blue LED indicator that lights up when power is applied, blinks when data is being transferred, and goes out when it enters power saving mode.

At the top end there is a USB 3.0 Micro-B connector, the remaining edges are devoid of any elements.

In progress

During operation, the drive makes minimal noise and heats up significantly when the volume of data transferred is very large. The ASMedia ASM1051 controller is responsible for the SATA-USB 3.0 conversion. Below are the results of reading and writing speed measurements in the CrystalDiskMark USB 3.0 benchmark:

The drive comes with the Transcend Elite application, which allows you to create backups, restore data, use software 256-bit AES encoding of files and folders, and synchronize browser bookmarks. Having previously specified the necessary folders, you can back them up to the drive with one click on the button on the case (One Touch Auto-Backup). The software is rather poorly translated into Russian.

As you know, to transport large amounts of data it is convenient and most advisable to use a portable hard drive. This type of drive is a rather fragile product due to the presence of moving mechanical elements in it (the distance between the read head and the disk platter in modern devices is about 10 nm). Therefore, manufacturers are faced with the task of making not only a functional device with an attractive design, but also taking care of additional protection from physical impacts.

In this regard, Transcend has been producing a series of secure drives with support for the high-speed USB 3.0 interface for several years. Since this line is very successful, the manufacturer decided to expand it with a Transсend StoreJet 25M3 hard drive with a capacity of 1TB . We will get to know him in more detail in this review.

Specification

Manufacturer and model	Transcend StoreJet 25M3 (TS1TSJ25M3)
	External protected HDD drive
Form factor, inches
Interface	USB 3.0 (compatible with USB 2.0)
Volume options, GB	1000 (TS1TSJ25M3) 750 (TS750GSJ25M3) 500 (TS500GSJ25M3)
Cache memory, MB
Drive spindle rotation speed, rpm
Bridge SATA - USB 3.0
Bandwidth, Mbit/s	5000 (USB 3.0 mode); 480 (USB 2.0 mode)
Operating/storage temperature, °C	5 … +55 / -40 … +70
Overall dimensions, mm	129.5 x 82.4 x 20.4
Weight, gram
Supply voltage, V
Warranty, years
	Black with light green inserts
Material	Plastic and silicone
OS Compatibility	Windows 8/7/Vista/XP, Mac OS 10.5 and later, Linux Kernel 2.6.31 and later.
Products webpage Product page Software

All prices for Transcend+TS1TSJ25M3

Packaging and accessories

comes in a small cardboard box. There is a viewing window in the center through which you can evaluate the appearance of the device. The front of the box also lists its main features:

three-level protection of the drive from vibrations, shocks and falls, meeting the standard of the US Department of Defense;
automatic energy saving mode, which activates after 10 minutes of inactivity;
encryption of stored information using the AES algorithm with a 256-bit key using Transcend Elite proprietary software;
the presence of an automatic data archiving button, which can also quickly reconnect a safely removed drive;
USB 3.0 interface support.

The back of the package contains brief technical specifications of the device, a list of supported operating systems and the delivery kit. It also describes how much different types of data (photos, videos, MP3 files) can fit on the hard drive. The main features of the drive and the programs already recorded on it are listed graphically.

In addition to the hard drive itself, the package also includes:

colorful brief user instructions;
warranty card;
USB 3.0 Micro-B cable.

Appearance of the device and its features

The body of the tested model is made of black plastic, on top of which there is a silicone case. On the front side there is a button to start automatic data archiving (using proprietary Transcend Elite software). If the drive has been safely removed from the system, you can quickly reconnect it back with the same button without having to remove and reinstall the USB cable.

The front panel is made of light green ribbed plastic. It contains a high-speed USB 3.0 Micro-B port.

The proprietary three-level design of the case is designed to protect the hard drive from damage. Its first level is a special silicone case that prevents the new product from slipping on smooth surfaces, and also helps to hold it more securely in your hands.

The second level is a shock-resistant plastic case. It has been subjected to a series of tests on a special stand and can withstand falls and vibrations.

The third level is a protective rubber bumper on the hard drive itself inside the case. It reliably protects the sides and corners of the device during drops, vibrations and shocks.

Additionally, a small metal plate is attached to the back of the drive to protect the SATA and power connectors.

Inside the case, a Samsung Momentus ST1000LM024 drive manufactured by Seagate is used (as you know, in 2011, Seagate bought the hard drive manufacturing division from Samsung). Its cache memory is 8 MB and the spindle speed is 5400 rpm.

When you connect the device to your computer, the LED around the single button lights up. Depending on the connection type, its color changes: for USB 3.0 it is blue, and for USB 2.0 it is red. While reading or writing data, it starts flashing in the same color.

Testing

To test the Transсend StoreJet 25M3 model 1 TB test bench used:

Motherboard	ASUS P9X79 PRO (Intel X79, sLGA2011, DDR3, ATX)
CPU	Intel Core i7-3930K (Socket LGA2011, 3.2 GHz, 12 MB cache)
CPU cooler	ZALMAN CNPS12X (LGA 2011)
RAM	4x DDR3-1333 1024 MB Kingston PC3-10600
Video card	AMD Radeon HD 6970 2 GB GDDR5
HDD	Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS, 500 GB, SATA-300, NCQ
Optical drive	ASUS DRW-1814BLT SATA
power unit	Seasonic X-660 Gold (SS-660KM Active PF), 650 W, 120 mm Fan
operating system	Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit

The hard drive is formatted by the manufacturer in the FAT32 file system and is ready for use. Its capacity is 931 GB. The device also contains a program for going to the warranty activation page and proprietary utilities: StoreJet ToolBox, Transcend Elite and RecoveRx.

Based on the results of the tests, the Transсend StoreJet 25M3 model showed comparable results in comparison with its direct competitors. The average read speed was recorded at 83.8 MB/s, write speed at 82.3 MB/s. The buffer reading speed was 185.7 MB/s, which is the best result among all tested samples.

According to the results of the FutureMark "05 and CrystalMark 0.9 tests, the drive showed the best results among solutions of the 2.5-inch form factor, second only to the 3.5-inch hard drive due to twice the cache size.

It is interesting to note that the HD Tune Pro 5.00 program determined the cache memory size to be 16 MB, instead of the 8 MB specified by the manufacturer.

In the HD Tune Pro 5.00 test, read speeds ranged from 47.7 MB/s to 111.7 MB/s, and the graph itself was quite smooth, with the exception of one small jump. We also note the low temperature during tests (34ºС) and quite good response time (17 ms). The CPU load did not exceed 1.5%.

Software

The manufacturer took care not only of the hardware of its drives, but also developed a software package for them, which included: Transcend Elite, StoreJet Toolbox and Transcend RecoveRx.

Transcend Elite allows you to back up data, including in real time. There is also a One Touch Backup function, which makes it possible to create an archiving task and launch it using a button on the hard drive case. It is also possible to encrypt user files and folders using a reliable 256-bit AES algorithm.

It is possible to synchronize bookmarks between a computer and a portable drive. Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers are supported.

The StoreJet Toolbox utility allows you to perform low-level formatting and restore your hard drive in case of irreversible errors.

Transcend RecoveRx makes it possible to recover accidentally deleted data.

conclusions

The 1 TB portable external drive has the undoubted advantage of three levels of protection against shock, vibration and drops, meeting US Army standards, which makes it a very convenient solution for transportation.

Another plus is the presence of a high-speed data transfer interface USB 3.0 (backwards compatible with USB 2.0). Additionally, it is used to power internal components, which allows you to exclude the mains adapter from the package of the new product, thereby increasing its level of portability.

It is also worth noting the presence on the body of the device itself of a button with dual functionality. It makes it possible to start automatic data archiving and allows you to reconnect the hard drive if it has already been disconnected from the system by the software safe removal function.

It is worth mentioning the excellent test results of the Transсend StoreJet 25M3 model, which in most cases are among the best among products in this class. A pleasant bonus for owners of the new product will be a set of very useful proprietary programs.

Considering all the advantages and the relatively low price (from 650 UAH / 80 $), this drive deserves the attention of buyers.

Advantages:

very reliable protected case;
anti-slip silicone cover;
automatic backup button;
automatic energy saving mode;
high-speed USB 3.0 interface;
availability of proprietary software Transcend Elite, StoreJet Toolbox and Transcend RecoveRx;
2 years warranty.

Peculiarities:

slightly increased size and weight due to the presence of an impact-resistant case.

We express our gratitude to the company's representative office Transcend for the drive provided for testing.

We express our gratitude to the companies AMD , ASUS , Intel , Kingston And SeaSonic for the equipment provided for the test bench.

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