External Backup Drives Compatibility List

External Backup Drives Compatibility List

Windows Small Business Server 2003, 2008, 2011 - External Backup Drives Compatibility List

Which external drives have you had work when you've used them for backing up SBS 2003, SBS 2008, and SBS 2011, and which have failed you?

After responding to a thread in the Small Business Server Forum regarding failing USB backup drives, figured we would all benefit from this list. Please add your successes and failures.

External Hard Drives Rating Table for SBS
Manufacturer
Model(s)
Part Number(s)
SBS2003
SBS2008
SBS2011
WS2012 
acomdata 750GB  w/ production date of 11/2008 PQHD750USE-72  OK ?   
Buffalo Drivestation 3Tb USB 2.0 HD-LB3.OTU2-UK        
Buffalo
MiniStation 1TB
HD-PCT1TU3/BW-EU
?
?
OK (USB 2.0)  
Dell RD1000 (USB Model)   OK OK   
 Fantom Drives  GreenDrive 1TB  GD1000EU ? Failed
Freecom
Toughdrive Pro
?
?
OK
 
HP SimpleSave 1, 1.5, 2TB   ?
OK
 OK  
Hitachi Touro Desk Hard Drive (USB2.0), 2TB 0S03292 ?
OK
 OK  
Hitachi Touro Desk Hard Drive (USB3.0), 2TB 0S03398 ?
Failed
 Failed  
Iomega 
eGo Portable HardDrive 1TB USB 3.0 35245   ?  Failed (USB 2.0)
? (USB 3.0)
 

Iomega

Ego drives


?

Failed

Failed

 

Iomega

Portable Blackbelt drives


?

Failed

Failed

 
Iomega
Prestige™ Desktop Hard Drive 1TB
35180
?
?
Failed
(USB 2.0)
 
Iomega
Prestige Portable Hard Drive - 1.5 TB 35213   ? ?
 Failed  
LaCie
P'9230 USB 2.0/3.0 Porsche Design - 2 TB

302002EK OK
Ok
OK (USB 3.0) after formatting drive as 512 bytes/sector  
Samsung


?
?
?
 
Samsung
G3 Station 1.5TB
?
Intermittent detection. Also, drive not very durable. USB port worn out and drive dead after 18 months. Not recommended.
?
 
Seagate
Backup Plus 3TB
STCA3000101 

?
Failed Failed  
Seagate

FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-Portable 1.5TB
STAA1500100 

?
Failed ?

 
Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro 750GB  9ZR8A2-500 ?
 ? OK USB 2.0   
Seagate
FreeAgent GoFlex Pro Ultra-Portable

?
?
?
 

Seagate

FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 2TB

9ZQAN1-570


?

? USB 2.0
OK USB 3.0

OK USB 2.0
OK USB 3.0

 
Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 3TB   ?
 Failed Failed
 

Seagate

Freeagent Go



OK

OK

 

Seagate

Freeagent Desk


OK

OK

OK

 
Seagate Freeagent Pro     OK    
Seagate FreeAgent XTreme 1.5TB ST315005FPD2E3-RK   ? OK (USB 2.0)   
Seagate
Expansion External 2TB

?
?
OK USB 2.0
OK USB 3.0
 
Seagate Expansion External 3TB  STAY3000102 Fail Fail USB 2.0
Fail USB 3.0
 
Seagate
Expansion Portable

?
?
?
 

Thermaltake

BlacX Drive Caddy (USB Connection Only) 

 


?

OK

OK

 

Thermaltake 

BlacX Drive Caddy (USB/eSata Connections)

 


?

intermittant connection with eSata

OK
(USB 2.0)

 

Thermaltake

BlacX SG Drive Caddy (USB 2.0 and 3.0)


OK
(USB 2.0)

?

OK USB 2.0
OK USB 3.0

 
 Toshiba Canvio Basics 1.5TB (2.5") HDTB115XK3BA ? ? ? Failed

Toshiba

StorE

PX1710E-1HJ0

?

OK

OK

 
 Transcend  StoreJet 500GB mobile (2.5")    ? OK USB 2.0
OK USB 3.0
OK USB 3.0   
Verbatim Store N Go    OK OK
OK USB 2.0
OK USB 3.0

 
Western Digital
NESN Drives

?
Failed
Failed
 
Western Digital
Passport (non-NESN) ?
?
?
OK
OK
 
Western Digital
Passport 1TB
WDBACX0010BRD
 
 
Failed
 
 Western Digital
Elements Desktop 2TB External Black USB 2.0
WDBAAU0020HBK 
?
OK
OK
 
 Western Digital
 Elements Desktop 2.5TB Ext black
and Elements 3.0TB ext black
WDBAAU0030HBK
WDBAAU0025HBK 
Backup OK
Restore FAILED 
Backup OK
Restore Fails 
 
Western Digital My Book Essential 2TB WDBACW0020HBK-NESN  ? ? ?  
Western Digital
My Book 1140 (USB 3)
WDBACW0030HBK-NESN   ? ?
Failed. Also not compatible with Hyper-V
 

To return to the SBS backup information,click here.

Note that Microsoft recommend drives are reformatted as NTFS before being used with Windows Server Backup (WSB). Large drives (eg 3TB+) should be reformatted with 512 bytes per cluster as large drives tend to be factory formatted with 4096 bytes per cluster which can cause problems with WSB.
 
Thank you to Merv Porter, SBS-MVP, for writing up the following workaround for USB backup drives that fail to wake from sleep! - Steve

Workaround for External USB Backup Drive not waking from sleep

SBS 2008 administrators may notice that certain makes/models of external USB drives may go to sleep during periods of inactivity resulting in failed backups.  One workaround for this utilizes Microsoft’s Devcon utility with scheduled tasks to first remove the USB device and then to rescan the USB bus.  Unfortunately, the original 32-bit version of Devcon does not function properly on a Windows 2008 system.  However, the Windows Driver Kit (Version 7.1.0) contains a Windows 2008 compatible version.

On a workstation…

Download Windows Driver Kit (Version 7.1.0) iso to a folder on the hard drive

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=36a2630f-5d56-43b5-b996-7633f2ec14ff&displaylang=en

Download Universal Extractor

http://legroom.net/software/uniextract

  1. Install Universal Extractor (which will create an entry in the Windows Explorer Context Menu)
  2. Navigate to the WDK iso
  3. Right click on the iso and select “UniExtract to Subdir” (this will create a subfolder called ‘GRMWDK_EN_7600_1’)
  4. Now navigate to the  \GRMWDK_EN_7600_1\WDK  folder
  5. Scroll down and right. click on ‘setuptools_x64fre.msi’  (the extension may be hidden)
  6. Select “UniExtract to Subdir”and click OK on the MSI Installer Extraction warning to select the MSI Administrative Installer method. (this will create a subfolder called ‘setuptools_x64fre’)
  7. Open the ‘setuptools_x64fre’ subfolder and navigate to:

                   \WinDDK\7600.16385.win7_wdk.100208-1538\tools\devcon\amd64

  1. Copy the Devcon.exe utility to a flash drive

Back at the SBS 2008 server, log on as a domain administrator and copy the Devcon utility to a convenient place (like the root of the C: drive) and then create two Scheduled Basic Tasks…

Name:  Devcon Remove USB before backup

   Program:  devcon.exe

   Schedule:  (10 minutes before backup)

   Arguments:  remove usbstor*

   Start in:   c:\

Name:  Devcon Rescan USB Bus before backup

   Program:  devcon.exe

   Schedule:  (5 minutes before backup)

   Arguments:  rescan

   Start in:   c:\

   Other parameters to include in each scheduled task…

   Run with highest privileges

   Wake computer if necessary (Note:  not sure if this one is actually necessary)

   Run even if user is not logged on

 

Note:  You may see the following critical errors in the event log after implementing the Devcon tasks.  (It is believed that these can be ignored):

Event ID 16:  The shadow copies of volume \\?...340-11df-a3e5-001b217ab973} were aborted because volume \\?...340-11df-a3e5-001b217ab973}, which contains shadow copy storage for this shadow copy, was force dismounted.

Event ID 137:  The default transaction resource manager on volume \\?\Volume{921672f3-f340-11df-a3e5-001b217ab973} encountered a non-retryable error and could not start.  The data contains the error code.

You may also see Event ID 51 and Event ID 57 warnings. 

 


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Wiki - Revision Comment List(Revision Comment)
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Comments
  • ABI_Consulting edited Revision 89. Comment: Added column for Windows Server 2012. Also added Toshiba Canvio Basics 1.5 (2.5"), Fantom Drives GreenDrive 1TB

  • helsby edited Revision 86. Comment: added WD Hybook 1140

  • dwpoyner edited Revision 82. Comment: Add Elements Desktop 2TB drive model #

  • Steven Banks - SBS MVP edited Revision 77. Comment: To correct table formatting gone mad.

  • scottuk1 edited Revision 72. Comment: Added two Hitachi Drives (Touro) USB 2 okay USB3 version not okay.

  • Yagmoth555 edited Revision 71. Comment: adding the dell rd1000 to the list

  • Ed Price - MSFT edited Revision 70. Comment: Font consistency. Great article!

  • Susan Bradley edited Revision 58. Comment: edited for subject line font

  • Darren Woodford edited Revision 57. Comment: centred final entries

  • Darren Woodford edited Revision 56. Comment: think I've finally sorted it

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Wikis - Comment List
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Comments
  • We are using acomdata 750gb harddrives with success, model #PQHD750USE-72 with a production date of 11/2008, SBS 2008 Enterprise

  • I am looking for a backup drive for 2008 and you mention the Western Digital Passport (non-NESN) I assume this is the one without the Smartware software.  I have looked to try and find this version but not successful yet.  Do you have a part number for this?

  • The Thermaltake BlacX Drive Caddy you've got "SG", do you mean  the "5G"?  I just purchased SBS 2011 Standard and am trying to figure out which external HDD system to use for backups.  Thanks!

  • Andy Kinnard edited Revision 17. Comment: Note BlackBelt FAIL on SBS 2011

  • We are using Western Digital EESN, result = intermittent FAIL on SBS2008

  • Ed Price - MSFT edited Revision 19. Comment: White space

  • Susan Bradley edited Revision 21. Comment: Added Verbatim Store N Go

  • Tested Iomega® Prestige™ Desktop Hard Drive 1TB (Item # 35180) with HP ML-350 G6 running SBS 2011 and hotfix 982018.  This drive appears to be the same as the iomega Ego drive and emulates a CDROM drive.  It does not report its "Bytes Per Physical Sector" correctly so it will not work with backup software in 2008.  See Below:

    C:\Users\administrator>fsutil fsinfo ntfsinfo f:

    NTFS Volume Serial Number :       0x2ebc529bbc525d81

    Version :                         3.1

    Number Sectors :                  0x000000000e8b4eff

    Total Clusters :                  0x000000000e8b4eff

    Free Clusters  : &nb