Price : Too low to display
The ultimate backup and recovery solution. Automatically copies and protects files on entire PCs. Recovers individual files and folders, just drag and drop. Recovers entire PC from PC disk crashes to point-in-time. Recovers data to another PC in case of PC losses. Neverfull technology automatically grooms off oldest data backup first. Just connect cable to PC and click ok to activate system. Limited lifetime warranty. 250GB
This review is from : Maxell Genpro Portable Hard Drive 665206
After lots of experience and several computers I can review this solidly . To start with, I want to say that every person with a computer should have a portable hard drive. They can automatically or manually back up your computer. This means that when (not IF) your computer crashes or gets a virus, you still have your favorite files. Recovering files from dead computers can be expensive and difficult. Having totally crashed a few computers (we have a big family), I have never recovered all my files completely off of the regular hard drive. And I have NEVER crashed a portable hard drive. One of our portable drives did stop working for some reason, but the data was still on the computer's hard drive.
SO on to the GENpro. This is my first portable hard drive that get its power directly into a USB port. This sacrifices two USB ports for the great convenience of easily plugging the drive into the computer and powering it up. This makes it very convenient for someone who is using the hard drive as a super-sized thumb drive. To compensate for the lost ports, I recommend a portable USB hub. There's one in my own reviews that I like, however, there are quite a variety of inexpensive ones here at Amazon.
I leave my portable hard drives plugged in all the time. I use them for older data that I've backed up to disk and want to access on occasion. We have several computers and I can easily bring all my files to another computer.
We have plugged the GENpro into three different computers to set it up and all three were plug and play. No problems. Like many modern drives, it's compact and looks great. You won't regret the purchase.
After lots of experience and several computers I can review this solidly . To start with, I want to say that every person with a computer should have a portable hard drive. They can automatically or manually back up your computer. This means that when (not IF) your computer crashes or gets a virus, you still have your favorite files. Recovering files from dead computers can be expensive and difficult. Having totally crashed a few computers (we have a big family), I have never recovered all my files completely off of the regular hard drive. And I have NEVER crashed a portable hard drive. One of our portable drives did stop working for some reason, but the data was still on the computer's hard drive.
SO on to the GENpro. This is my first portable hard drive that get its power directly into a USB port. This sacrifices two USB ports for the great convenience of easily plugging the drive into the computer and powering it up. This makes it very convenient for someone who is using the hard drive as a super-sized thumb drive. To compensate for the lost ports, I recommend a portable USB hub. There's one in my own reviews that I like, however, there are quite a variety of inexpensive ones here at Amazon.
I leave my portable hard drives plugged in all the time. I use them for older data that I've backed up to disk and want to access on occasion. We have several computers and I can easily bring all my files to another computer.
We have plugged the GENpro into three different computers to set it up and all three were plug and play. No problems. Like many modern drives, it's compact and looks great. You won't regret the purchase.
Maxell Genpro Portable Hard Drive 665206 Reviews
The best external drive and backup system I have tried . I have other external hard drives that I have been using for backing up my computer but they are nowhere near as convenient as this Maxell GENpro drive. This 500 GB drive doesn't take up much space - it is physically very small - about 3 by 5 inches and about a half inch thick. It comes with a short built-in USB cable that folds into the back of the drive for storage and includes another USB cable about 2 feet long that you can use to extend the built-in cable.
This drive has multiple uses. You can use it for full system backups on up to 6 computers and it will restore your hard drive if it crashes. It automatically saves multiple versions of your files and it saves deleted files even if you have emptied the recycle bin. So if you want to find an earlier version of a file that you overwrote or even one that you accidentally deleted its easy to do. You can also use this drive like any other external hard drive to save files - with or without using the backup function.
Because the drive is so small and light I just keep it plugged in to a USB port on my laptop all the time. It gets power through the USB port so you don't need to plug it into an external power source. You don't have to schedule backups - or do anything - it saves everything automatically. If you go to "My Documents" or "My Computer" in Windows and right click on a file name one of the options you will see is Maxell GENpro. Hover the cursor over that and it will bring up a list of all the versions by date that are backed up on the drive. You can also recover files by clicking on the GENpro icon that installs on your desktop and system tray.
I tried several tests, retrieving older overlaid version of different files and even recovering files I deleted out of the recycle bin and it was very easy to do. I haven't tried to do a system recovery (hopefully I will never have to do this) but if it works as smoothly as recovering files it should work fine.
The installation software is pre-loaded on the drive so you basically just plug it in. When auto play starts select "open folder to view files" then double click the exe file, let it run, and follow the on-screen instructions.
You need to enter the license number to install the backup software. According to the instructions this number is on the Quick Start Guide (the little pamphlet that comes in the box). My license number wasn't on the quick start guide. It was on the envelope for the PC recovery disk that comes with the drive. If the system crashes you need this disk to recover the system so keep it in a safe place.
On my PC the backup software took a long time to install. I let it run almost all afternoon. While it is installing, if you hover your cursor over the little GENpro icon that appears in your system tray it will give you the status, but several times it appeared as though the installation was finished when it actually was still loading. I found this kind of confusing. I just let it run all afternoon on an idle computer to be on the safe side. It all installed fine without any problems. Once the backup software is installed it runs in the background automatically. It doesn't seem to slow down the computer any.
Another reviewer for this product said that the drive didn't come with any documentation. It is true that there is very little paper documentation other than the quick start guide. But once you install the drive you can access the documentation on the drive itself - instructions and FAQs. I read through the FAQs and they advise that you print off the section that tells you how to recover from a system crash and keep it with the system recovery disk that comes with the drive.
I really like this drive, its small and easy to use. Best of all it handles backup automatically and makes file recovery extremely easy. I recommend this product to anyone looking for a convenient backup system or a very handy external hard drive.
The best external drive and backup system I have tried . I have other external hard drives that I have been using for backing up my computer but they are nowhere near as convenient as this Maxell GENpro drive. This 500 GB drive doesn't take up much space - it is physically very small - about 3 by 5 inches and about a half inch thick. It comes with a short built-in USB cable that folds into the back of the drive for storage and includes another USB cable about 2 feet long that you can use to extend the built-in cable.
This drive has multiple uses. You can use it for full system backups on up to 6 computers and it will restore your hard drive if it crashes. It automatically saves multiple versions of your files and it saves deleted files even if you have emptied the recycle bin. So if you want to find an earlier version of a file that you overwrote or even one that you accidentally deleted its easy to do. You can also use this drive like any other external hard drive to save files - with or without using the backup function.
Because the drive is so small and light I just keep it plugged in to a USB port on my laptop all the time. It gets power through the USB port so you don't need to plug it into an external power source. You don't have to schedule backups - or do anything - it saves everything automatically. If you go to "My Documents" or "My Computer" in Windows and right click on a file name one of the options you will see is Maxell GENpro. Hover the cursor over that and it will bring up a list of all the versions by date that are backed up on the drive. You can also recover files by clicking on the GENpro icon that installs on your desktop and system tray.
I tried several tests, retrieving older overlaid version of different files and even recovering files I deleted out of the recycle bin and it was very easy to do. I haven't tried to do a system recovery (hopefully I will never have to do this) but if it works as smoothly as recovering files it should work fine.
The installation software is pre-loaded on the drive so you basically just plug it in. When auto play starts select "open folder to view files" then double click the exe file, let it run, and follow the on-screen instructions.
You need to enter the license number to install the backup software. According to the instructions this number is on the Quick Start Guide (the little pamphlet that comes in the box). My license number wasn't on the quick start guide. It was on the envelope for the PC recovery disk that comes with the drive. If the system crashes you need this disk to recover the system so keep it in a safe place.
On my PC the backup software took a long time to install. I let it run almost all afternoon. While it is installing, if you hover your cursor over the little GENpro icon that appears in your system tray it will give you the status, but several times it appeared as though the installation was finished when it actually was still loading. I found this kind of confusing. I just let it run all afternoon on an idle computer to be on the safe side. It all installed fine without any problems. Once the backup software is installed it runs in the background automatically. It doesn't seem to slow down the computer any.
Another reviewer for this product said that the drive didn't come with any documentation. It is true that there is very little paper documentation other than the quick start guide. But once you install the drive you can access the documentation on the drive itself - instructions and FAQs. I read through the FAQs and they advise that you print off the section that tells you how to recover from a system crash and keep it with the system recovery disk that comes with the drive.
I really like this drive, its small and easy to use. Best of all it handles backup automatically and makes file recovery extremely easy. I recommend this product to anyone looking for a convenient backup system or a very handy external hard drive.
Maxell Genpro Portable Hard Drive 665206 Opinions
Does a great job - highly recommended! . This has to be THE easiest to use external drive I have ever seen - TRULY just plug it in (USB) and go!
The unit is very small but has a sturdy, heavy feel, probably due to the metal case. The USB cable is integrated with the drive and "tucks away" when not in use; great design. And there are no other cords - power is supplied via USB, so you just pull it out of the box and plug it in - simple!
By default, using Windows Vista 64, the unit just shows up as another drive letter. It does have one icon that runs the built-in backup software, but if you don't want to use that feature (I didn't), then ignore that file. The file is very small and takes up just a tiny amount of memory, so I left it on there, but you could just delete it if not wanted.
So I created a new "backup" folder, and then just did drag-and-drop to that folder from my local hard drive, and quickly backed up all of my photos and videos. This unit is great if you have multiple computers to back up; just do a quick visit to each one, pull over what you need, and you are done. Also, it is great for transporting files - WAY more capacity than any thumb drives - perfect if you wanted to take photos and video with you when visiting family, for example.
If I had any "gripe", I would wish the USB speed was faster, but for backing up items, you can just let the unit sit there and do the job unattended. It took about 1 minute per gigabyte of storage for me (I moved 15GB to the drive, and it took nearly 15 mins). Depending on your machine and USB speed, you may get faster results.
In summary, this is a fantastic unit for the novice computer user - highly recommended!
Does a great job - highly recommended! . This has to be THE easiest to use external drive I have ever seen - TRULY just plug it in (USB) and go!
The unit is very small but has a sturdy, heavy feel, probably due to the metal case. The USB cable is integrated with the drive and "tucks away" when not in use; great design. And there are no other cords - power is supplied via USB, so you just pull it out of the box and plug it in - simple!
By default, using Windows Vista 64, the unit just shows up as another drive letter. It does have one icon that runs the built-in backup software, but if you don't want to use that feature (I didn't), then ignore that file. The file is very small and takes up just a tiny amount of memory, so I left it on there, but you could just delete it if not wanted.
So I created a new "backup" folder, and then just did drag-and-drop to that folder from my local hard drive, and quickly backed up all of my photos and videos. This unit is great if you have multiple computers to back up; just do a quick visit to each one, pull over what you need, and you are done. Also, it is great for transporting files - WAY more capacity than any thumb drives - perfect if you wanted to take photos and video with you when visiting family, for example.
If I had any "gripe", I would wish the USB speed was faster, but for backing up items, you can just let the unit sit there and do the job unattended. It took about 1 minute per gigabyte of storage for me (I moved 15GB to the drive, and it took nearly 15 mins). Depending on your machine and USB speed, you may get faster results.
In summary, this is a fantastic unit for the novice computer user - highly recommended!
Easy to use and to store . There are plenty of very technically knowledgeable people who can give you the detailed techie specs on this--I'm not one of them! However, for the rest of the folks in the world who aren't super techie, I can help explain how this external hard drive works.Last year, I bought a new laptop. It has no disk drive, so the only way to back up the data on it is to use something like this, that hooks in via a USB cord. The laptop kept warning me to back up so, when I saw this was available, I figured it may be just the thing I needed...and indeed it was.Set up was ridiculously simple. Plug and play, as they say. I did have a bit of a problem getting the backup going. I kept telling it to start but it didn't seem like it was starting. This may have just been me being not very techie, I'm not sure. :) But, eventually, I got it going and got my whole laptop backed up very quickly and easily.The drive itself is very slim and small, so easy to take along with you or to store somewhere safe at home...or even in a safe to be sure your data is...safe!
Great Hard Drive (B+ Grade) . I'm very impressed with this hard drive that has a great deal of space. It's pretty easy to hook up and carry around. Also I dropped it at one point and nothing was damaged. If you're looking for a quality drive, I'd check this one out. It won't disappoint.
Katiebabs
Katiebabs
Compact and easy-to-use for continuous and automatic backup . This hard drive has simplified my data back up routine. My previous hard drive wasn't automated, so I had to remember to back up my computer every week or so. If I didn't, I risked losing my data if something happened to my computer. This GenPro drive has given me peace of mind knowing my computer is backed up at all times and I don't have to spend time manually copying files. It's very small and the fact it offers constant backup and never gets full. Even after being connected to my computer for hours, it doesn't even get warm.
Installation was fast and easy. Once it's connected to the computer via the included USB cable, an installation menu appears on the screen. It took only a couple minutes from plug-in to complete installation. Even someone with limited computer skills should be able to install this drive without difficulty. After it's installed, it automatically backs up your entire system and the amount of time that takes depends on how many files you have on your computer. For my computer, it took about an hour or so. The drive backs up everything on your computer, software and all. This is a great feature since many drives only back up personal files.
A GenPro icon appears on the Windows task bar after installation and when you mouse-over it gives the current status (whether it's backing up files or the back up is compete and up-to-date). A right-mouse click on the icon let you open the hard drive, safely disconnect it from the system, access the help menu, set a password for your drive, customize which drives to back up and check for any software updates.
A PC recovery disc (CD ROM) is included that can be used if you lose your data. Thankfully I haven't had to use this, but it's nice to know I have it should something happen.
While the hard drive doesn't include a manual, the Help Menu (found using a right-mouse-click on the GenPro icon) is a great resource for answering questions. Any time I have a question, I have found the answer there. I didn't see a troubleshooting list in the help section, which I think would be a helpful addition in case someone had issues with the drive or software. I've been fine without it so far, but I hope in software updates something like this will be available.
The drive doesn't replace anti-virus software. However, if you lose your data on the computer due to a virus, you should be able to recover your data prior the time your computer got infected. Remember since the drive backs up everything on your computer, it might also back up a virus...so if you need to remove a virus, check the contents of this drive as well as your computer.
Other Things to Note:
The license key was located on the back of the PC Recovery Disc, not on the Quick Start Instruction Guide as stated on the included pink sheet.
Try to avoid moving the drive around or bumping it while your computer's on. This happened to me once when I moved my laptop to connect it to a printer and an error message occurred. The problem fixed itself, but is something to keep in mind when using a laptop.
Overall, I've been really happy with this drive. It's small, portable and has been a simple way to keep my computer backed up without even thinking about it.
Installation was fast and easy. Once it's connected to the computer via the included USB cable, an installation menu appears on the screen. It took only a couple minutes from plug-in to complete installation. Even someone with limited computer skills should be able to install this drive without difficulty. After it's installed, it automatically backs up your entire system and the amount of time that takes depends on how many files you have on your computer. For my computer, it took about an hour or so. The drive backs up everything on your computer, software and all. This is a great feature since many drives only back up personal files.
A GenPro icon appears on the Windows task bar after installation and when you mouse-over it gives the current status (whether it's backing up files or the back up is compete and up-to-date). A right-mouse click on the icon let you open the hard drive, safely disconnect it from the system, access the help menu, set a password for your drive, customize which drives to back up and check for any software updates.
A PC recovery disc (CD ROM) is included that can be used if you lose your data. Thankfully I haven't had to use this, but it's nice to know I have it should something happen.
While the hard drive doesn't include a manual, the Help Menu (found using a right-mouse-click on the GenPro icon) is a great resource for answering questions. Any time I have a question, I have found the answer there. I didn't see a troubleshooting list in the help section, which I think would be a helpful addition in case someone had issues with the drive or software. I've been fine without it so far, but I hope in software updates something like this will be available.
The drive doesn't replace anti-virus software. However, if you lose your data on the computer due to a virus, you should be able to recover your data prior the time your computer got infected. Remember since the drive backs up everything on your computer, it might also back up a virus...so if you need to remove a virus, check the contents of this drive as well as your computer.
Other Things to Note:
The license key was located on the back of the PC Recovery Disc, not on the Quick Start Instruction Guide as stated on the included pink sheet.
Try to avoid moving the drive around or bumping it while your computer's on. This happened to me once when I moved my laptop to connect it to a printer and an error message occurred. The problem fixed itself, but is something to keep in mind when using a laptop.
Overall, I've been really happy with this drive. It's small, portable and has been a simple way to keep my computer backed up without even thinking about it.
Great idea but not for laptops . The Maxell GenPro backup system is a 2.5 inch laptop hard drive in a flat black aluminum case that is sold with backup software that has one thing in mind: Make your backup require no thought. For the most part, the software meets its goal; but there are definitely some reasons to consider carefully the purchase.
The drive is - like most external laptop drives - small and discreet. The finish on the drive makes it very attractive. The USB connector is a bit unusual. Hard-wired into the case is a full-size (not a mini) male USB plug, and the drive comes with a Y-adapter to allow it to use power from two USB ports. While the drive worked fine on a single USB port, this adapter is not really optional - the cable coming from the drive is only about three inches long. I can't think of very many situations where that would be adequate. Perhaps a mini-PC where the drive lies behind it?
Anyway, the drive and adapter are attractive and (though it uses two USB ports) a decent configuration. The drive case has a blue LED which has been (unlike most external enclosures) toned down to a reasonable brightness. The design of the case and electronics appears to have been carefully considered. The internal drive seems to be of good quality, because I keep dropping the whole thing when I forget it's attached to my laptop. More on that later.
Along with the drive and enclosure comes the GENpro software. This is really the key to the product. The software is designed to allow you to plug in the drive and forget about it - the software makes sure your entire system is backed up automatically. The idea has a very appealing aspect - I plug in the drive and know that backup is always underway. How much better can it get? I'm going to have to answer that seemingly rhetorical question.
The software has a couple of a major flaws and some minor flaws also. One of the major flaws is that it only works with NTFS - forget FAT32, forget Apple. Admittedly, for most people this might not be a problem. Nevertheless, the concept of a forget-about backup system just looks like a perfect match for Apple users. Why forgo that market? Perhaps they have a Mac version of which I am not aware. Go looking if you're a Mac user - it's worth the consideration.
There is a major flaw even Mac users should consider: the time it takes to get the first backup complete. My 125GB drive contents did not finish in approximately 8-10 hours of plug-in time. I admit, the drive was unplugged and replugged many times. But in the 8 hours that it was plugged in, it could not copy everything. I don't believe this is due to hardware issues (such as USB speed or drive speed). I suspect this is due to being used on a laptop.
By their nature, laptops tend not to sit around. Leaving the drive at home while I used my laptop elsewhere probably was akin to watching the battery meter in reverse: the number of files that had to be backed-up (or re-backed-up) probably grew as I used the laptop away from the drive.
Then there's user error - when I had the drive plugged in, moving the laptop around caused me to repeatedly drop the drive. Most of the time the cable saved it - but not all the time. This drive took several good smacks as it hit some other hardware. But it seems to be working just fine. Good quality hardware, I'd say!
Some minor annoyances included an annoying box that shows up over the tray when the drive isn't connected. Also, you cannot "safely remove" this drive - Windows always says that it's busy. Since it's purpose is backup, it only seemed sensible to remove it the right way. Yet it might take a dozen attempts to remove the drive "safely.".
Overall, I definitely would NOT recommend this for backup of a laptop. It does, however, seem reasonably well-suited for backup of a desktop system. Plug the drive in and let it sit behind the system. Forget about having to run periodic backup software because GENpro is taking care of it.
If you're looking for a backup system for your desktop, you'll get good quality hardware and reasonably good software with the Maxell GENpro. Just don't plan on using it with your laptop.
The drive is - like most external laptop drives - small and discreet. The finish on the drive makes it very attractive. The USB connector is a bit unusual. Hard-wired into the case is a full-size (not a mini) male USB plug, and the drive comes with a Y-adapter to allow it to use power from two USB ports. While the drive worked fine on a single USB port, this adapter is not really optional - the cable coming from the drive is only about three inches long. I can't think of very many situations where that would be adequate. Perhaps a mini-PC where the drive lies behind it?
Anyway, the drive and adapter are attractive and (though it uses two USB ports) a decent configuration. The drive case has a blue LED which has been (unlike most external enclosures) toned down to a reasonable brightness. The design of the case and electronics appears to have been carefully considered. The internal drive seems to be of good quality, because I keep dropping the whole thing when I forget it's attached to my laptop. More on that later.
Along with the drive and enclosure comes the GENpro software. This is really the key to the product. The software is designed to allow you to plug in the drive and forget about it - the software makes sure your entire system is backed up automatically. The idea has a very appealing aspect - I plug in the drive and know that backup is always underway. How much better can it get? I'm going to have to answer that seemingly rhetorical question.
The software has a couple of a major flaws and some minor flaws also. One of the major flaws is that it only works with NTFS - forget FAT32, forget Apple. Admittedly, for most people this might not be a problem. Nevertheless, the concept of a forget-about backup system just looks like a perfect match for Apple users. Why forgo that market? Perhaps they have a Mac version of which I am not aware. Go looking if you're a Mac user - it's worth the consideration.
There is a major flaw even Mac users should consider: the time it takes to get the first backup complete. My 125GB drive contents did not finish in approximately 8-10 hours of plug-in time. I admit, the drive was unplugged and replugged many times. But in the 8 hours that it was plugged in, it could not copy everything. I don't believe this is due to hardware issues (such as USB speed or drive speed). I suspect this is due to being used on a laptop.
By their nature, laptops tend not to sit around. Leaving the drive at home while I used my laptop elsewhere probably was akin to watching the battery meter in reverse: the number of files that had to be backed-up (or re-backed-up) probably grew as I used the laptop away from the drive.
Then there's user error - when I had the drive plugged in, moving the laptop around caused me to repeatedly drop the drive. Most of the time the cable saved it - but not all the time. This drive took several good smacks as it hit some other hardware. But it seems to be working just fine. Good quality hardware, I'd say!
Some minor annoyances included an annoying box that shows up over the tray when the drive isn't connected. Also, you cannot "safely remove" this drive - Windows always says that it's busy. Since it's purpose is backup, it only seemed sensible to remove it the right way. Yet it might take a dozen attempts to remove the drive "safely.".
Overall, I definitely would NOT recommend this for backup of a laptop. It does, however, seem reasonably well-suited for backup of a desktop system. Plug the drive in and let it sit behind the system. Forget about having to run periodic backup software because GENpro is taking care of it.
If you're looking for a backup system for your desktop, you'll get good quality hardware and reasonably good software with the Maxell GENpro. Just don't plan on using it with your laptop.
Cons Review
Dangerously simplistic . The Maxell GENpro is intended to be a simple-to-use backup appliance. Plug the device's USB cable into your Windows computer, install the software, and all of your files are automatically backed up. The product emphasizes simplicity throughout: it comes with a single page of documentation. Unfortunately it falls between two stools: - it isn't reassuring enough for the casual user, and it doesn't provide enough control for the expert. It also provides a false sense of security, since the security mechanism is easily broken.
On first use, a backup application is copied to your machine from the device. This software integrates with the Windows file browser, and if you recover a file, you do so from the file browser. There is also a separate tool that you can use to browse what has been stored on the backup device. This is awkward, and seemingly unnecessary - why not simply integrate browsing the backups into the Windows file browser? Apple's Time Machine is a good example of a backup system that makes it easy to navigate the history of changes to your files; it's a shame Maxell didn't emulate it.
Once the software is installed, it automatically starts doing a full backup, and warns you that this will take a long time. "Fine", I thought, and came back 8 hours later. After hunting for the status of the backup (and finding in hidden in the taskbar), I discovered that it had not completed - a very small number of files had been copied. It turned out that my laptop had gone to sleep, and the Maxell GENpro hadn't disabled this so that it could complete. If I had assumed that my backup was done, I would have been in trouble. I finally disabled all my sleep/hibernate options in order to get the initial backup to complete. This is not documented, nor does the GENpro check the sleep settings and warn the user about them. This is completely unacceptable for the target (naive) user.
Once the initial backup is complete, the Genpro software monitors any file system activity, and makes a backup copy of any file changes. This is quick, within a second of the file change. This sounds good - but the only way that I know about this is from running a series of experiments. This behavior is not documented, and it is quite different from other backup solutions which run on a fixed schedule. Without experimenting, the user has no idea how "protected" their files are.
You can see all the versions of the file by right clicking on the file in the Windows File Browser. The documentation does warn that if the GENpro gets low on space it will automatically delete earlier versions. Since this is a 500GB drive, that shouldn't be an issue, but I wasn't able to verify what the user experience would be like.
You can use this to backup up to five machines, and it uses the machine's name as the key to the backups. You can also use a password to "secure" your backup. However, if you plug the device into a Linux/Unix machine, you can easily search the files for strings, so the password is really just to prevent another user of the device from copying your files to their machine. For me, that's a fail. I can imagine using this device in a small office setting, and the users having the illusion that the system provided high-grade security. It doesn't.
Good idea, with too many flaws.
[A joint review by myself and Kate Stout.]
On first use, a backup application is copied to your machine from the device. This software integrates with the Windows file browser, and if you recover a file, you do so from the file browser. There is also a separate tool that you can use to browse what has been stored on the backup device. This is awkward, and seemingly unnecessary - why not simply integrate browsing the backups into the Windows file browser? Apple's Time Machine is a good example of a backup system that makes it easy to navigate the history of changes to your files; it's a shame Maxell didn't emulate it.
Once the software is installed, it automatically starts doing a full backup, and warns you that this will take a long time. "Fine", I thought, and came back 8 hours later. After hunting for the status of the backup (and finding in hidden in the taskbar), I discovered that it had not completed - a very small number of files had been copied. It turned out that my laptop had gone to sleep, and the Maxell GENpro hadn't disabled this so that it could complete. If I had assumed that my backup was done, I would have been in trouble. I finally disabled all my sleep/hibernate options in order to get the initial backup to complete. This is not documented, nor does the GENpro check the sleep settings and warn the user about them. This is completely unacceptable for the target (naive) user.
Once the initial backup is complete, the Genpro software monitors any file system activity, and makes a backup copy of any file changes. This is quick, within a second of the file change. This sounds good - but the only way that I know about this is from running a series of experiments. This behavior is not documented, and it is quite different from other backup solutions which run on a fixed schedule. Without experimenting, the user has no idea how "protected" their files are.
You can see all the versions of the file by right clicking on the file in the Windows File Browser. The documentation does warn that if the GENpro gets low on space it will automatically delete earlier versions. Since this is a 500GB drive, that shouldn't be an issue, but I wasn't able to verify what the user experience would be like.
You can use this to backup up to five machines, and it uses the machine's name as the key to the backups. You can also use a password to "secure" your backup. However, if you plug the device into a Linux/Unix machine, you can easily search the files for strings, so the password is really just to prevent another user of the device from copying your files to their machine. For me, that's a fail. I can imagine using this device in a small office setting, and the users having the illusion that the system provided high-grade security. It doesn't.
Good idea, with too many flaws.
[A joint review by myself and Kate Stout.]
Minimal Documentation = Confusion. Buggy software. . Update 11/01/11: Drive is dead. Tried on several computers and even hooked in an external power supply to an undocumented port. Complete loss of all my backups. Took two days to take new snapshots of all my computers. What a waste of time and a sense of false security.##I appreciate that every new product has been idiot-proofed and therefore requires no documentation. Oh really?In the box is an external HDD, a cable, a DVD and two strips of paper (AKA the instructions). First of all there are no directions whatsoever on connecting the drive. Simple enough you say but consider the fact that the USB cable is stored in the HDD and you have to pry it out manually. The other end of the USB cable has two connectors. Does this mean I'm supposed to use two of my precious USB connectors? Hmmm...This isn't just an external HDD; rather, it's a backup device if you use it that way. Before formating the HDD - which I always do - I noticed an executable called "start.exe". I ran it and got numerous warnings from Windows 7 that my OS was being changed by this program. Is that good or bad? Hmm...After what seemed like a very long time, the program installed. Tah Dah! Ok, now what? Hmmm... There was an icon on my desktop that for all purposes did nothing (yet). In the system tray is an icon for the GENpro. Clicking on it a few minutes later said it was preparing to do a backup. Great - How about letting me know this? A while after that the LED on the HDD started blinking which means it is being accessed (I presume).The backup is slow using USB 2.0. The manufacturer and I agree on one thing: 10GB/hr. is the transfer rate. What I don't understand is how a 320GB HDD in my laptop turn into an over 400GB backup. Is it keeping versions? Who knows? I dread the day that I would have to restore from a backup using this undocumented device. In theory, you boot from the DVD and then some magic happens to retore your system.In the terse instructions it appears that multiple computers can share this device. I don't see how that's practical since the backup is larger than the original HDD.The device is intented to be constantly connected to your computer. In this mode, it is supposed to sycnchronize with you computer as needed. It's like a silent partner - it provides a service but you don't get a lot of chatter. The problem is, even in the 100% connected to one PC mode, it is constantly generating error messages that "A backup has failed because of insufficient room on the destination". Duh - You need to delete the older backups. Given that te Backup software doesn't work, I'm using this as an expensive external HDD. In this capacity it works fine. After reformating using Windows 7 Enterprise's built-in backup, I feel secure. If you need an external HDD, get a Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Ultra Portable External Hard Drive WDBACX0010BBK-NESN (Midnight Black) or similar because it's 10X faster.
It Has Failed . We were waiting to restore from backup before reviewing, but the unit stopped working within 6 months. My husband researched how to restore it, and while you can reprogram the entire unit, you lose all the backup data, which rather defeats the purpose. Fortunately, this was a redundant backup system for us.
Product Image
Feature Maxell Genpro Portable Hard Drive 665206
- The ultimate backup and recovery solution
- Automatically copies and protects files on entire PCs
- Recovers individual files and folders, just drag and drop
- Recovers entire PC from PC disk crashes to point-in-time
- Recovers data to another PC in case of PC losses
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Product Details
EAN : 0025215619960UPC : 025215619960
MPN : 665206
Brand : Maxell
Weight : 1 pounds
Height : 2 inches
Length : 8 inches
Width : 6 inches
Binding : Personal Computers
Manufacturer : Maxell
Model : 665206
Publisher : Maxell
Size : 250 GB
SKU : SY-665206
Studio : Maxell
Where To Buy
You can buy Maxell Genpro Portable Hard Drive 665206 on Amazon . Click here to Read More
