Backup is Too Big

The answer would be yes.

I like to put them to a large USB Drive myself so they can be seperate from the entire machine and another put in it's place easily or added for that matter in case I needed it.

For me personally, with photos, I don't use a backup application to backup my files.

Instead, I run a utility like robocopy (which comes with 7) to make a duplicate copy of my files on the external drive. I create a batch file on my hard drive with syntax similar to the following
C:\windows\system32\robocopy.exe C:\pictures X:\backups\pictures /E /MIR
C:\windows\system32\robocopy.exe C:\movies X:\backups\movies /E /MIR

With robocopy, the first run takes a while as it copies over the files. All subsequent runs are fast as it only gets files that are updated or have changed since the last run. With the /MIR switch, if you delete a file on your source drive, it will also delete it from your destination drive when you next run the job.

I keep 2 external drives, (offsite) and plug them in occassionally and run the above batch file. Been using this method for years and years and years and it's solid (for me).

swamped said:

Do I need an enclosure that houses several of these big drives?

Yes, or have multiple drives and break up your data into multiple collections and ensure that each collection fits on a drive.

Make sure your eSATA ports support the port multiplier option.

Also, have you considered how you will keep your backups safe in the event that your house/apartment is robbed, burns or floods? A secondary copy right next to your existing computer doesn't do much good if your house burns down.