The older but universally compatible FAT file system is slower than NTFS is with small files, but the Backup Plus 5TB was indeed formatted to NTFS. So much so, that we double- and triple-checked the formatting, thinking it used FAT. But like its LaCie Porsche Design cousin (Seagate owns LaCie), it fell well off the pace writing small files and folders. The Backup Plus 5TB was a very good performer writing and reading large files, as well as reading small files.

If you need to password-protect, look to WD and others. As an interested reader and new Backup Plus owner recently reminded me via Answer Line, there is no security software bundled with this drive.

One thing you shouldn’t do is rely upon data recovery rather than maintaining multiple backup copies of your data, for the simple reason that it’s not always possible to recover the data. Indeed, most of mine have lasted more than three years. But it’s all about the odds–drives don’t always go bad. Data recovery without the warranty can cost many hundreds of dollars. What you do about that is your own affair. Recovery is not 100% certain, so keep your drive backed up. You can purchase recovery insurance, but don’t rely on it. Seagate provides a setup utility, which allows you to register, download the Seatools or Dashboard backup utilities, and offers you a data recovery warranty for $10 for two years, or $15 for three years. The unit features a micro-USB port and comes with a cable that plugs into standard USB Type A for transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps. But hey, if you want 5TB, you’re going to have to deal with a couple of extra ounces-it takes another platter or two to hold the extra data. That’s neither small or light for an external USB hard drive. The Backup Plus Portable 5TB measures about 3 x 4.5 x 0.75 inches and weighs about half a pound. The little black drive is always a classic.

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