Now I only copy all my data to a CD once a month & have not done a complete disaster recovery plan. In May I will try to do a more professional setup: 2 pc in a network, 1 connects to DSL & the other connects to cable modem. Both will have identical data for fault tolerance. I still will burn CD once a month. Maybe keep one in my bank safety box. Keep 1 with my relative out-of-state. It is my off-site backup
A USB external drive is not bootable because USB needs Windows to be running to work. I don't know about FireWire, but I doubt it. If your BIOS doesn't recognize the device at startup, you can't boot off it.
MaxBlast 3 also makes an exact clone of your working HD... and it's FREE with the purchase of a Maxtor HD. (You might even be able to download it free, but it will only work if one of the HDs is a Maxtor.) Your measures are NOT extreme, but appropriate!!
If you are making an exact copy of a bootable drive, then it is also bootable. There are some conditions that make be a problem though, so I'd test it to be sure it works.
I use WD hard drives and like the "Data Lifeguard" utility that is a free download from the Western Digital web site. I have two removable hard drive bays for my primary "C" drive and backup drive. When I want to make an exact copy of my "C" drive, I slip in one of my three backup hard drives, that I use in rotation, into the backup hard drive removable bay and make an exact copy of the "C" drive. It is fast, simple, and easy to use. This has saved my ass so many times. When I install new hardware, software, or make any questionable changes to my system, I try it on one of the backup hard drives and make sure it works before making the changes on my primary "C" drive. I have been using this system for several years and it has worked great. I would think other hard drive manufacturers would have similar free downloadable utilities. During normal PC use I have only one hard drive in the PC. I only have two hard drives in the PC when I am doing a backup. Catoosa
I don't have one myself, but I believe it's a generic option you can ad to any machine whose OS and chipset will support it. (You could try a search on Google and find out what the system requirements are.)
(For others who read this...) I too use 3 HDs the same as you (but without the swap bays). I only mention this because I think it is "about right" for the proper precautions of protecting our valuable trading setups and avoiding downtime.... not to mention the aggravation of having to reinstall a system from scratch with all the drivers and patches.
I use mobile rack to change the HD into a removable HD bay. Usually pc servers has better hardware setup for fault tolerance.