You don’t have to launch software or a menu to view the Replica or to see the drive’s status instead, you right-click the drive’s icon in the System Tray to view the handful of available options (Open, Safely Disconnect, Help, Select Password, Remove a PC, Select Drives to Backup, Properties, Check for Update). An inch-plus blue LED status light flashes to indicate that the drive is in use, and the back panel includes a mini-USB port (the USB port plugs into the dock so the unit can stand vertically however, the dock requires two USB ports instead of just one for power).
The hardware has no buttons and requires little babysitting.
(For a detailed discussion of different approaches to data and system backups, see “ 7 Backup Strategies for Your Data, Multimedia, and System Files.”) After it completes its initial backup (which may take a long time, depending on how much content your have), the Replica drive will continue to protect your data in real time, as long as the drive remains connected. If you want to use the Replica for system recovery, you may need to configure the system that will accept the restored data to match the one that the Replica is tied to.
The premise underlying the Replica–and the Rebit 500GB Appliance, whose software it uses–is straightforward: Attach the Replica drive to your PC, and the Replica will install some software on your PC and then automatically replicate your drive’s contents, including all system files. In most scenarios, the Replica handles backups with ease, with hardly any intervention. With this variety, one solution is sure to work on your external hard drive.The Seagate Replica external hard drive has a slim design, a nifty docking base (only with the $200 500GB multi-PC version the 250GB drive costs $130 prices are as of August 31, 2009), and simple software for performing continuous system backups.
Hence, it takes longer to locate and display them. That means files that are supposed to be together are scattered all over the drive. Another reason for your external hard disk taking so long to open files could be fragmentation.