Looking for info on external portable harddrives

I need a backup that will backup my emails. Does this company have such a thing. Thanks

You need a to provide a bit more detail as to what email program you use. Is it local to the computer or web based?
The WDSmartware program will allow you to choose to just backup your email files if you want. It supports Outlook and Windows live mail as well as others. But the files have to be located on the computer, not web based email where they are stored on the cloud.

Good question for OP, Tim. Hope it is understood.

@joanne_Tierney
As for backing up email, if the mail accounts are like my Yahoo email, my Comcast, and Gmail accounts, they are all web-based platforms, and the backup of them falls to the provider.

In the case of my Comcast email account, it is also retrieved by MS Outlook program on my computer, and therefore kept in a particular file in the Outlook program. So, when I change to using a new computer every few years, I install Outlook on new PC, and copy the Outlook email data from old PC Outlook to the new PC’s Outlook program, and all my Comcast email is also on the new computer and old one…

This is all advanced use most people don’t know about or do. Most people today have web-based personal email accounts; perhaps you do, too.

Thanks I use outlook, local to the computer, personal use. I need to backup my documents, Excel, word and emails.

Joanne TIerney

there are two backup options available, Smartware and WDBackup. Smartware provides more backup customization, WDBackup is a more simplified version. Both will backup your personal data, documents, email, pictures, etc…

This is windows 10 also if that helps. I have a click free c6 but it doesn’t work on Windows 10. So I’m looking for something that will work

Joanne TIerney

Thank you, I like the simplified version myself. But will check out both. Thanks again

Joanne TIerney

Joanne, the operating system is irrelevant to email, but you will need a Windows 10 format drive, and not a Mac version., What is important regarding email is the email platform you use for any and all your email accounts. For, example is your email account at yahoo.com gmail.com or any other one(s)?

Also, regarding your Clickfree drive, is this the one you have:

Is it a 1TB size or a 500GB size?

These Clickfree drives are over 5 years old. Yes, you do need a new modern drive for Win 10. Let’s find out more about your email accounts, and then it will be easy to help you select a new drive, and maybe even learn how to get your old drive working with Win 10.

Back - am I to assume I can pick any of the portables to be WD backup or are these downloadable which would defeat the purpose. Sorry I really am not computer savvy

Joanne TIerney

Smartware and WDBackup are software programs which come on many of the WD drives, but suggest we decide upon what drive you need first, The programs are on many different drives.

Email is eastlink.ca and bmts.com. Eastlink is our server bmts. I just keep for odd emails. Was our server. And yes that is the one clickfree

Joanne TIerney

Okay

Joanne TIerney

OK, a Canadian company, just like Clickfree is one. I am in US not too far below Vancouver, but also know nothing about the internet and email providers of Canada.

Anyway, we need to know if you access your email via the computer browser (web-based, like yahoo and gmail is) or via a specific program installed on your PC that saves email messages ON your PC (like MS Outlook does) or on the email provider’s servers… That is, locally saved or remote server saved?

Not sure which came back so sending again

Joanne TIerney

I’m thinking I use outlook. Even though they are saved at eastlink and bmts. I use outlook because I like it. Saved on my computer. This I know because I have emails from sympatico also in my lookout from years ago

Joanne TIerney

OK. . . . is this for a home or work computer?

Let’s be sure it is Outlook/“Lookout” – next time you boot up your email, notice if you are, indeed, using Outlook, since this would be significant to the saving of emails.

Yes it is outlook. I just checked.

Joanne TIerney

Hi,
OK, you are going to have to find (on computer) and back up your Outlook data files called Outlook.pst and/or Outlook.ost. You likely may need the help from a Microsoft Outlook savvy friend to help you deal with this. Here are some article links for you to read about these files.
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS429US429&q=outlook+data+file+location

These files are not useable without the Outlook program, so your back up of these data files are for in case your PC or it’s drive crashed and you need to reinstall Office on another PC or drive is ever necessary, you would just copy one or both of these files to the new located, and all your email and other Office data will be there again. So, it is important that the data base files be regularly updated and current versions of the files stored on a backup drive.

I can now recommend an appropriate drive for the purpose.

Select from any of these.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/external/portable/
although I would likely select from the Ultra series if it were for me, although the entry level Elements could fit for you, too. Get the storage capacity size you will need, and since these drives come in both PC and Mac versions, be sure to get the type you need for your computer. Have the computer savvy friend help you select one.

Thank you Mike,looks like I have some reading to do. And have to find a Microsoft Outlook savy person.

Joanne TIerney

Yes, Joanne, since this is a WD forum and not a Microsoft forum, it is not appropriate to help with all sorts of issues that are not WD. I am a user of WD stuff as you are, so I try to focus on helping with WD issues, and not general computer issues. I did help you with your drive question very well I believe, and have pointed you in the right direction regarding saving Outlook email if you choose to do so…

You know, your email may be backed up by your email provider already. Mine is. The mail my Outlook collects is actually my online email account from my Internet Provider, Comcast, and I can also read it from my Comcast account. The “trick” is that when I set up Outlook to also gather my mail, in the setting it asks if you want to delete email on the (Comcast) server after Outlook gets the mail. I answered NO, because I wanted a backup of my email left at Comcast Mail. You can do the same, I am sure, with your email provider. Then you don’t even need to back up your email on a separate drive. I don’t. See if you can find this setting in your Outlook. It would be a good idea to back up all your other files like pictures, photos and videos, tho. I do.