I just bought my first external hard drive, a Seagate FreeAgent Desktop
unit. I will install it and do some images this weekend, most likely.
Does anyone here have this drive? My question is: can I plug this drive in
and use it without installing the software that is on the drive? I scanned
Seagate's website and it looks like the software is a "Retrospect" backup
application. I do not want to use it, I have Acronis True Image, so I don't
want to install it.
Is that possible?
The quick start guide and info on the website is quite sparse on details.
It literally just says: "plug it in, load the software, and do a backup".
> I just bought my first external hard drive, a Seagate FreeAgent
> Desktop unit. I will install it and do some images this weekend,
> most likely. Does anyone here have this drive?
The storage group specializes in hard drives, so you might try
posting there too.
> My question is: can I plug this drive in and use it without
> installing the software that is on the drive? I scanned Seagate's
> website and it looks like the software is a "Retrospect" backup
> application. I do not want to use it, I have Acronis True Image,
> so I don't want to install it. Is that possible?
Anything is possible, but as a rule you never have to use software
that comes with hardware. Even if it were a driver, you can usually
use a newer version downloaded from the Internet someplace. In other
words, no you don't have to install their software. Whether your
software will work is another question. You should always do a test
restore to see if it's going to work later on, so try it and find
out.
And of course, always keep a removable media copy of any important
files from your hard drive.
"John Doe" <jdoe@usenetlove.invalid> wrote in message
newsXLok.4257$zv7.27@flpi143.ffdc.sbc.com...
> "TVeblen" <killtherobots@hal.net> wrote:
>
>> I just bought my first external hard drive, a Seagate FreeAgent
>> Desktop unit. I will install it and do some images this weekend,
>> most likely. Does anyone here have this drive?
>
> The storage group specializes in hard drives, so you might try
> posting there too.
>
>> My question is: can I plug this drive in and use it without
>> installing the software that is on the drive? I scanned Seagate's
>> website and it looks like the software is a "Retrospect" backup
>> application. I do not want to use it, I have Acronis True Image,
>> so I don't want to install it. Is that possible?
>
> Anything is possible, but as a rule you never have to use software
> that comes with hardware. Even if it were a driver, you can usually
> use a newer version downloaded from the Internet someplace. In other
> words, no you don't have to install their software. Whether your
> software will work is another question. You should always do a test
> restore to see if it's going to work later on, so try it and find
> out.
>
> And of course, always keep a removable media copy of any important
> files from your hard drive.
>
>
>
Thank JD. I expect that the driver will load automatically and I'll be all
set, but one never knows for sure these days. I plan on copying everything
preloaded to a CD and then deleting everything unneeded on the drive to
maximize space available.
"TVeblen" <killtherobots@hal.net> wrote in message
news:JIOdna6mnJvT_j7VnZ2dnUVZ_jSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>I just bought my first external hard drive, a Seagate FreeAgent Desktop
>unit. I will install it and do some images this weekend, most likely.
> Does anyone here have this drive? My question is: can I plug this drive in
> and use it without installing the software that is on the drive? I scanned
> Seagate's website and it looks like the software is a "Retrospect" backup
> application. I do not want to use it, I have Acronis True Image, so I
> don't want to install it.
> Is that possible?
> The quick start guide and info on the website is quite sparse on details.
> It literally just says: "plug it in, load the software, and do a backup".
>
I have a 320gig one of these and just plugged it in to a USB port and off it
went. I saved the software in its own directory, I use Norton Ghost to
backup to this drive and don't use seagates offering. Hope this helps. My
only gripe is the lack of an eSATA lead to connect to the port on my PC.,
and the difficulty I am experiencing even getting people to understand what
I am looking for :-(
"Robert Brereton" <robert.brereton@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ql1pk.252$y52.172@newsfe17.ams2...
>
> "TVeblen" <killtherobots@hal.net> wrote in message
> news:JIOdna6mnJvT_j7VnZ2dnUVZ_jSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>>I just bought my first external hard drive, a Seagate FreeAgent Desktop
>>unit. I will install it and do some images this weekend, most likely.
>> Does anyone here have this drive? My question is: can I plug this drive
>> in and use it without installing the software that is on the drive? I
>> scanned Seagate's website and it looks like the software is a
>> "Retrospect" backup application. I do not want to use it, I have Acronis
>> True Image, so I don't want to install it.
>> Is that possible?
>> The quick start guide and info on the website is quite sparse on
>> details. It literally just says: "plug it in, load the software, and do a
>> backup".
>>
>
> I have a 320gig one of these and just plugged it in to a USB port and off
> it went. I saved the software in its own directory, I use Norton Ghost to
> backup to this drive and don't use seagates offering. Hope this helps.
> My only gripe is the lack of an eSATA lead to connect to the port on my
> PC., and the difficulty I am experiencing even getting people to
> understand what I am looking for :-(
eSATA is too new. Do you have an external (front panel) SATA connection? If
so, what case are you using?
Let me ask you this: is the driver for the external drive on the hard drive
itself, or is it native to Windows XP/Vista? If I'm going to use this drive
with a few different computers should I leave the bin file (or some other
file) on the drive?
> My only gripe is the lack of an eSATA lead to connect to the port
> on my PC., and the difficulty I am experiencing even getting
> people to understand what I am looking for :-(
There is no way a local salesperson would know about half the things
we can buy online nowadays. So you find the
information/specifications here or someplace else on the Internet,
and then order it online or maybe at some local merchant if they
have it.
"TVeblen" <killtherobots@hal.net> wrote in message
news:jPadnfe0zJmxNznVnZ2dnUVZ_v7inZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>
> "Robert Brereton" <robert.brereton@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:ql1pk.252$y52.172@newsfe17.ams2...
>>
>> "TVeblen" <killtherobots@hal.net> wrote in message
>> news:JIOdna6mnJvT_j7VnZ2dnUVZ_jSdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>>>I just bought my first external hard drive, a Seagate FreeAgent Desktop
>>>unit. I will install it and do some images this weekend, most likely.
>>> Does anyone here have this drive? My question is: can I plug this drive
>>> in and use it without installing the software that is on the drive? I
>>> scanned Seagate's website and it looks like the software is a
>>> "Retrospect" backup application. I do not want to use it, I have Acronis
>>> True Image, so I don't want to install it.
>>> Is that possible?
>>> The quick start guide and info on the website is quite sparse on
>>> details. It literally just says: "plug it in, load the software, and do
>>> a backup".
>>>
>>
>> I have a 320gig one of these and just plugged it in to a USB port and off
>> it went. I saved the software in its own directory, I use Norton Ghost
>> to backup to this drive and don't use seagates offering. Hope this
>> helps. My only gripe is the lack of an eSATA lead to connect to the port
>> on my PC., and the difficulty I am experiencing even getting people to
>> understand what I am looking for :-(
>
> eSATA is too new. Do you have an external (front panel) SATA connection?
> If so, what case are you using?
>
> Let me ask you this: is the driver for the external drive on the hard
> drive itself, or is it native to Windows XP/Vista? If I'm going to use
> this drive with a few different computers should I leave the bin file (or
> some other file) on the drive?
>
With Windows XP and presumably Vista, just plug it in to a USB port and
windows should detect it. You do not need to install drivers or any other
software.
I have recently rebuilt this PC and the new Intel board came with an
external eSata port for the back panel. I have sourced a lead from an
on-line supplier, but was frustrated trying to buy one over the counter. I
will probably carry on using USB until this machine runs out of ports. It is
doubling as a print server and shared resource for other peripherals pending
the arrival of new kit to finish rebuilding our network.
External Hard Drive Q 
XLok.4257$zv7.27@flpi143.ffdc.sbc.com...
Linear Mode
