I'm curious about the risks of file corruption when transferring files from a network server to an external hard drive. Specifically, if there's an interruption, like a power loss or accidentally stopping the copying process, how likely is it that either the source files or the copies will become corrupted? And if there is a corruption, will I still be able to recover the source files?
3 Answers
Typically, if there’s a problem during the transfer, it usually only affects the files that have been sent. The source files should be safe since copying is a read-only operation from there. However, all systems are at risk if they're improperly powered down, so keep that in mind!
Just a heads up, copying from a network location to an external drive might slow things down because of the bottleneck created by the serial connections. So keep that in mind!
Your source files should be totally fine, but it's a good idea to invest in an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) if you're worried about power outages during big transfers!
What exactly is a UPS?
A UPS is a backup battery that keeps your system running in case of a power failure. It's really useful for avoiding interruptions during long file transfers!