It looks like all the problems I was having using my new external drive to backup data on the old and now very dead PC had nothing to do with the drive itself, and everything to do with the fact that the PC was… well… dying. I ran a full backup last night, and after a (very quick) check this morning on my way out the door, it looks like everything ran perfectly.

Makes me glad I didn’t return the external drive a few weeks ago (when I thought *it* was the defective bit).