debcook

Three desktop computers are part of my small business. My laptop is the mobile side of the business. I dread the day when one of the computers has a serious hard drive problem. The POS (point of sale) software is important to the success of the business and has to be up and running every minute.

The POS that I use for my business is very good and I like it a lot. However, there is a glitch or two that makes the initial setup a nightmare. (It is a long story)

I am looking at devices called Hard Drive Duplicators or Hard Drive Clones. The idea of having the ability to make an exact copy of my hard drives is comforting. I do not have the time or patience to set up a new computer when I have customers coming through the door expecting immediate service with a smile.

Hard drive duplicators range in price from not too much ($500 or less) all the way up to thousands of dollars. In my case the under $500 model would be the most reasonable. Manufacturers to look for include but are not limited to:

· Kanguru
· Arco
· Teac
· Norazza
· Lacie
· Addonics

I read an article that said you can copy a hard drive onto a spare hard drive and store the copy away. This sounds like a good idea. Even with the data backed up you would have to set up all of the software. The duplicator devices copy the entire hard drive. If the unthinkable happens just remove the damaged hard drive and install the copy. It is important to keep an updated data backup also so that you can have updated data.

Hard drive duplicators are a great idea for anyone with a lot of software and data to keep secure and safe.