USB stick for System Image

Bob1212 · 16 Apr 2021

I was just about to order a 256GB flash drive, when I took a look at the reviews. There are more than few complaints about them overheating, which causes (a) early total failure or (b) it disconnects before the end of a many-GB transfer. Sandisk seems to be one of the worst for heat, getting very hot to the touch. (Meanwhile, people who are only using them for playing music etc don't have complaints.)

I'm posting this in Backups because I would get the drive for System Images only, and people here should have direct experience for that particular usage. Some complaints say that even doing 20GB of photos overheats, whereas I'd be at 250GB transfers or so. Are problems common or rare? Should I get an external HDD instead?

dalchina · 16 Apr 2021

Hi, considering the size of the disk required, if you were discussing disk imaging, then your image set would, as a minimum, be of all partitions comprising the O/S.

Images are compressed. The degree of compression naturally depends on the source file types.
The first image file is the largest.
Subsequent ones, assuming you are using differential or incremental imaging, are smaller.
Depending on how many you choose to keep, giving you different dates to which you might restore the O/S, determineds largely how big a disk you might need.

As a minimum I'd suggest at least 1.5x the maximum size of the used space you are imaging. 2x to be safe and to allow for some future proofing.

If, however you are creating a single system image, that's another matter, and is less flexible that using disk imaging e.g. with Macrium Reflect (free) or some other imaging program.

Note that Windows 7 (Backup and Restore) is NOT recommended - even by MS which advises 3rd party solutions should be used.

I can't comment on your question about heating, though.

sygnus21 · 16 Apr 2021

Bob1212 said:

I was just about to order a 256GB flash drive, when I took a look at the reviews. There are more than few complaints about them overheating, which causes (a) early total failure or (b) it disconnects before the end of a many-GB transfer. Sandisk seems to be one of the worst for heat, getting very hot to the touch. (Meanwhile, people who are only using them for playing music etc don't have complaints.)

I think people get caught up in other people's non issue complaints. Yes, flash drives can get hot but that is normal. Mine get hot at times, but they still work without issue. It also might help to remember flash drives are not meant to be a 24-7-365 constant in use device. They are temp devices to use to move hold, move, or transfer data.

BTW, all I use are SanDisk...

USB stick for System Image-sandisk-drives.jpg

Bottom line is I think you're getting caught up in a non issue.

ignatzatsonic · 16 Apr 2021

Consider getting an ordinary M.2 2280 SSD and putting it in an external enclosure.

It would connect to your USB ports by a short cable, rather than plug directly into the port. Connect it only when you intend to use it.

Likely to run cooler.

Considerably faster than a typical flash drive.

The enclosures are designed as a heat sink and often include optional thermal tape that can be applied if you fear heat issues.

Not as flimsy as the typical flash drive.

You can choose whatever brand or size M.2 drive you want.

Total cost with enclosure at the 256 GB level......circa 60 to 80 bucks. I built a 500 GB NVMe version a few months ago for 83.

Here's the enclosure. This one is for NVMe drives only, but you can easily find a SATA version.

https://www.amazon.com/TDBT-Enclosur.../dp/B07TJT6W8K

sygnus21 · 16 Apr 2021

The other choice for the OP to consider is an external SSD drive such as Samsung's T-drivers. I have the Samsung 1TB T5 drive. It also has built in software to secure and lock the drive. They are very small and lightweight.

Bob1212 · 16 Apr 2021

sygnus21 said:

Bottom line is I think you're getting caught up in a non issue.

That's what I'd always thought, until I saw the review that said: "I never pay attention to negative reviews, but I should have when it comes to the heat because my flash drive was destroyed in short order". Others even showed photos of partly melted drives, ones with very thin plastic coverings -- though not the older case styles as you illustrate. Maybe the old style ones are better. The newer ones are mini style.

Ghot · 16 Apr 2021

Bob1212 said:

I was just about to order a 256GB flash drive, when I took a look at the reviews. There are more than few complaints about them overheating, which causes (a) early total failure or (b) it disconnects before the end of a many-GB transfer. Sandisk seems to be one of the worst for heat, getting very hot to the touch. (Meanwhile, people who are only using them for playing music etc don't have complaints.)

I'm posting this in Backups because I would get the drive for System Images only, and people here should have direct experience for that particular usage. Some complaints say that even doing 20GB of photos overheats, whereas I'd be at 250GB transfers or so. Are problems common or rare? Should I get an external HDD instead?

I use Macrium Reflect (paid). I decided to try the same thing. My full OS image backups are approx. 16GB.
So I bought this... and ran a few speed tests. Supposedly, the larger the file, the slower it goes.
That seems to be the case.

Just now, after seeing your thread I decided to try to make a backup on the USB stick... and monitor the temps.
However, once in Macrium Reflect, after starting the full OS image backup, it didn't seem to get past the "Volume Snapshot" phase. I waited about 5 minutes, it was still going.
My backups only take about 2.5 minutes total... from OS SSD to internal HDD.

I have also uninstalled Macrium's CBT (w/e that is), as it supposedly causes BSODs occasionally.
I thought maybe the lack of CBT was the cause... so after using Task Manager to stop Macrium taking the "Volume Snapshot", I made a backup on my internal HDD as usual. That worked fine.
I don't know, yet... why I couldn't make a backup on the USB stick.
I will have to research that.

sygnus21 · 16 Apr 2021

People make all types of claims on the internet, the key to wading through some of the noise it to think critically to what it is you're reading.

As I said, I use SanDisk all the time - have a 250gig micro SD in my phone. My professional DSLR uses both SD and CF SanDisk cards. Trust me, if they were bad I wouldn't touch them.

At then end of the day you're the who has to make the decision no matter what I or others have to say.

Good luck.

Bob1212 · 16 Apr 2021

Ghot said:

I don't know, yet... why I couldn't make a backup on the USB stick.
I will have to research that.

Wow, that is a big drop in speed.

Maybe it also just eventually just stops functioning. Does it still work at all after the stress test?

- - - Updated - - -

sygnus21 said:

People make all types of claims on the internet, the key to wading through some of the noise it to think critically to what it is you're reading.

As I said, I use SanDisk all the time - have a 250gig micro SD in my phone. My professional DSLR uses both SD and CF SanDisk cards. Trust me, if they were bad I wouldn't touch them.

At then end of the day you're the who has to make the decision no matter what I or others have to say.

Good luck.

Let me ask: have you done a 220GB+ transfer?

I was looking at this model, have you used this mini or similar? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...KIKX0DER&psc=1
(melt photos review: "Don't buy this product, it runs hot to the point of melting, I had to cut it out of my computer.")

I do have a 32GB Sandisk plugged into my hub, I'd never noticed warmth but it is the old fashioned model.

ignatzatsonic · 16 Apr 2021

I have a similar "mini" Sandisk 16 GB stick. About the size of a jelly bean. Something to grip and not much else.

But I use it ONLY for mp3 playback in a car............which puts very little demand on the stick. It just reads a different 4 or 5 MB mp3 file every 3 minutes or so.

I'd expect it to get quite warm if I wrote a 15 gb image file to it.

The small dimensions of the stick mean less surface area to dissipate heat.

But it would be rank speculation to say that that would necessarily lead to early failure or issues.

If in doubt, use something else. Why worry over something relatively critical like a system image....let alone speed issues, build quality, and general flimsiness.

I am quite antsy about putting anything I don't want to lose on a USB stick. I've had those things come apart in my hand. They are just a dab of glue away from that at any moment.