Seagate STEL8000100 Backup Plus Hub 8TB External Desktop Hard Drive Storage

This hard drive was the perfect upgrade from my little 2TB Seagate GoFlex Drive. I moved over all of my files (over 1.5TB) from that one to this new one (which was a super fast process considering that Seagate equips these drives with USB 3.0 compatibility) and Ive been using this drive ever since. The two USB hubs on the front are super convenient for me considering I keep it right on my desk. I keep my phone plugged into it all the time, but it makes for easy file transferring to and from any flash drives that I have as well. I like the cloud feature that comes on the software included with the drive. It makes it to where I can backup my hard drive and all of my files with twice as much security and gives me a place to retrieve any files if I happen to lose them. Overall this is a really solid drive and the amount of storage that you get for the price really makes this thing a steal in my opinion.

This product (black version) works well once formatted and loaded with Toolkit software. The hub I received was unformatted. 3 tech support reps gave me bad advice and were no help in diagnosing the problem. I had to pay a repair shop to delete the hub drives partition on my computer, reinstall it, and format the drive as NTFS.

Great drive with good features and a good price. I use two of these as primary and redundant backup for my computer and thousands of digital photo files. Im a photographer and shoot countless photos and videos every year. When my old NAS backup started showing signs of dying, I picked up a couple of these to replace them. Initially, I was just going to use the drives out of them in my Buffalo TeraStations but figured Id just set one as my primary backup, and the second would act as a redundancy for the first, all using Acronis software. Much faster than a NAS using the direct USB 3 connection and a whole lot smaller. Ive used Seagate for decades and had very few issues. The two times I did, Seagate replaced the drives with larger capacity ones at no charge!

Capacity and tech support is excellent sleep mode for the purpose Im using it isnt very effective cuz its not connected to the computer its actually connected to a TV so I had to get a on/off switch for a USB hub so I can shut off the drive when its not connected to the TV which houses home movies

What else can I say? No issues until recently when the drive (not enclosure) power cycled several times during a large file transfer. I bought two Seagate 8TB drives to replace this. Ill keep using it as a scratch drive until it finally dies then repurpose the enclosure with a SSD. FWIW: Primary use, A/V media storage for my AppleTV and secondary, Time Machine backups.

I know one can get a lemon sometimes, but how Seagates customer service dealt with the matter left me discouraged. Seagate states they provide a 2 year warranty, but let me share with you my experience in dealing with the dead drive covered by support/warranty ... The product was purchased about 90 days ago, but was not used for several weeks; and thereafter, usage was light (for example, Time Machine backups for a couple laptops). Then after about 2 months of use it died last week. I attempted to locate another adapter to confirm that the adaptor was not the issue, but was unable to locate the unique one that comes with this unit (Seagate power supply: 12V 3A / barrel outside 5.5mm inside 2.5mm center positive). Therefore, I contacted customer service regarding the matter and they asked me to purchase one to test their drive. Yes, they wouldnt send me a replacement adaptor to test their product, but rather wanted me to purchase one. So with that support interaction, I elected to return the unit under their product warranty coverage. That is when I was informed that they only warranty the product and DO NOT cover sending the product back to them to replace. And BTW, their warranty replacement unit will be a refurbished unit, not a new one ... another surprise in warranty coverage. Today I mailed the drive to Seagate, and my wallet is another $20+ dollars lighter ... YIKES. Therefore, due to the experience of the units life (60 days with light usage) and Seagates support/warranty, I have to rate this product a ZERO!

UPDATE: After unmounting the drive, unplugging it for a moment, then booting it back up, the USB Ports are now working properly! All is well. Fantastic drive. _ _ _ _ _ _ I love these drives, its my second purchase. My first was the white, 8TB made for Mac. I needed another smaller drive so I purchased the black 4TB pre-formatted for windows. I reformatted it for Mac (Mac OS Extended (Journaled)). For some reason, the front USB 3.0 ports provide power to devices but will not connect to the computer. My printer was not connecting to my computer; I tried with my phone, same deal. Other than this, the device does its job. Its just disappointing that this feature is broken. Its really a nice addition, especially when youre running a Mac with limited USB ports.

Great product!

UPDATE: Well, it turns out that Time Machine is REALLY the culprit in causing this drive to make a lot of head movement noise when it is new. Time Machine encrypts the data (a good idea, in case the drive is stolen) by default. The initial back up is fast but the encryption is long and constant for some days. Maybe even weeks. Ive used Time Machine for years but, on an older OS X which does not encrypt. So I was not aware it was doing the encryption initially. I just heard an active drive. I dont know if Spotlight is also an active drive head culprit (often it is!) but, I turned it off from cataloging the drives contents just to be sure. Make sure you exclude this or anything on it from Spotlight. Unless you want that search tool to work on the drive, it just adds days and days to the drive settling down. Then, it will just be Time Machine writing to it and organizing. Eventually, the drive is silent, unless it is doing a back up to Time Machine or other uses. I raised the rating back up to 4 stars. If the drive lasts 3 or more years, I will make it 5 stars. ------------ I had Seagate desktop and internal drives fail BAD in the past so, I skipped buying them. But the USB on front + they seem to be making better drive mechanisms now (they learned their lesson?) hooked me. The outside design and form factor is as good as to be expected for the price and brand. About what you would expect. Not La Cie. The ugly logo on front is too big and lights up (hard too see in the images here but too left in grey band). The top and sides are plastic—a fake grey plastic meant to look like aluminum makes up the top and a panel on front. It does not look like aluminum though. They should have just made that white or black. I am using it almost exclusively as a back up with Time Machine. Ideally, I will get a second one and swap them out once a month. Keeping the second in a fire safe or at work (or home) can work too. Just, not in same place. I also off site back up to Backblaze or similar service. (I do not recommend using CrashPlan for off site. They just threw all their users under the bus! They are dead to me and many others now.) The drive is smaller then it looks in the images shown on Amazon because the commercial photographer shot the product with too wide angle a lens. It is more like an average size hard cover novel. The photos here also make it look short and tall but it is long and short and is a horizontal drive. It kind of seems more square but, it is long and horizontal. Now, I used to be a bit unsympathetic to reviews here that complained about Amazon shipping packaging. But, I was shocked to see this drive shipped to me with shipping labels right on the actual product box/packaging. Not in a cardboard shipping box with a bag of air. This might be OK, if the driver confirms the person is home and then pulls away but, lately, the Amazon drivers (or UPS?) have STOPPED RINGING MY DOOR BELL! I think, they assume, no-one is home so they leave it on the front stoop. Packages are easily seen from and swiped from the street. So far, it has not happened. But this was THE SEAGATE BOX and clearly showed what it was. Right there to be taken. How do we get Amazon to tell ALL drivers and contractors to RING A DOORBELL no matter what? (Many, when they did bother, also just pounded like apes on the door, waited less then 5 seconds, then drove off. This should also be banned!) They used to WAIT too but, even that seems to have vanished. Delivery of online orders has become dump and drive unless the product is of value (over a few hundred? only if the seller or Amazon mark it as such? who knows…) and a signature is needed. Even THEN, they do not wait for you to get to the door! They need to count to 30 before leaving the UPS post it note that they will be back tomorrow. So, be home. Dont expect a ring of your bell or even a bang on your door. Better yet, get it as work, if you can.