have to pay for auto backup?

[green_sleeves]

hi- newbie here Just bought a FreeAgent Pro 320 ex hard drive yesterday. After it was set up I noticed that it required a product key in order for the auto backup to work.......doesn't make sense that one would buy hardware then have to cough up more cash for it to work to it fullest:
Is this normal on this model? I passed over a Comstar external that had one touch backup thinking this brand was more 'with it'.
It tells me on there troubleshooting page that the product key is attached to the quickstart guide, I see nothing of the sort.

 

[green_sleeves]

hi- newbie here Just bought a Free Agent Pro 320 ex hard drive yesterday. After it was set up I noticed that it required a product key in order for the auto backup to work.......doesn't make sense that one would buy hardware then have to cough up more cash for it to work to it fullest:
Is this normal on this model? I passed over a Comstar external that had one touch backup thinking this brand was more 'with it'.
It tells me on there troubleshooting page that the product key is attached to the quickstart guide, I see nothing of the sort.

Nevermind- too early in the day- the stupid thing is printed on the quickstart- not a tag or something else I was looking for Need more coffee.....

 

[Rob Williams]

Haha. Glad you figured out the problem ;-)

Welcome to the forums, we hope to see you stick around. The FreeAgent is an awesome product... I'd buy one myself if I didn't already have my own backup scheme.

 

[green_sleeves]

Haha. Glad you figured out the problem ;-)

Welcome to the forums, we hope to see you stick around. The FreeAgent is an awesome product... I'd buy one myself if I didn't already have my own backup scheme.

Hi- you bet I'll be back! Never had an external hard drive before, and a bit on the clueless side as to how to get the most out of it! Are they for storage only or can I run programs out of them? It sure looks cool, sitting here looking all alien and glowing orange!

 

[Rob Williams]

You wouldn't want to run programs off of that if it's connected via USB because the bandwidth is low. You can try, but it might prove a slow experience. Being connected via eSATA would be fine. Programs would run just as fast as they would on your internal hard drive.

But generally, no, there shouldn't be a problem with running programs off of it. It's main purpose is for data storage though, not for installed programs.

 

[green_sleeves]

ah....getting it.....sure have a lot of space to fill up! Glad I got the middle of the road one so when I upgrade the tower in a few years there will be loads of room for all the stuff I 'hoard'...nuther dumb question> how or can I hook this thing up via eSata? Is it a cable I need to buy or something I need to have installed in my computer- it is an EMachine T5036 (hanging head in shame)-

 

[Rob Williams]

Make sure your FreeAgent has an eSATA port on it (I assume they all do). It will say it there if it is so. Second, see if the back of your computer has the same port, if it does the FreeAgent probably came with the appropriate cable.

If you don't have an eSATA port, you can buy an add-in card which adds the support, like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815123016

I am not saying that it is the best, but it's the first one I came across. In that case, you'd need a spare PCI slot as well to install it. Then you would simply plug the FreeAgent into the new port.

 

[green_sleeves]

sorry- I had to delete what I posted- a repeat of what is below....starting to live up to being an Obliviot'

 

[green_sleeves]

well aren't you a wealth of knowledge! Thanks, I don't have a eSata port on my ancient 1 year old EMachine... ( would never had known that unless I posted this thread.....) but then again, maybe I do, just never noticed it.. Will have to check out my pdf files for this thing and see...would be great to jump from an 80GB Hd to a 320!

Oh, noticed I have 'Obviot' under my name...is that a nice way of saying 'one who doesn't know much?

 

[Rob Williams]

Haha. We had a contest when the site first opened to a title theme, and that one won.

Obliviot - 0
E.M.I. - 50
Coastermaker - 100
Partition Master - 250
Tech Monkey - 500
Tech Junkie - 1000
Master Modder - 2500
Locutus - 5000
Hardw1red - 7500
Tech Guru - 10000

Nobody has hit the last five yet ;-)

 

[b1lk1]

10000 posts should = "He who has no life"

 

[Rob Williams]

Let's pretend 10,000 posts would spread over 25 years ;-)