Picture & kit storing and backing up

[mariafer]

I bought a new camera and with it came bigger photo sizes. I used to keep pictures in my computer Hard Drive and backup in the EHD but started running out of space in my computer so I started putting them on my EHD. My kits and zip were kept in the EHD because I started running out of space on my computer. Anyway my picture folder became unopenable and then the computer decided to REMOVE it and even though they are trying to open it they can't. I still have my picture backup folder available and the digistuff intact so it isn't mayor catastrophe (except for I had gotten some REALLY nice pictures this fall and my daughter's bday was in there too). I save my clients to CDs as a 2nd backup but I keep hearing they aren't reliable.

I know eventually I need a new computer with more space but I have a new camera so I can't get it right now. I also know I need two backup systems from reading threads online. I don't feel like I can trust an EHD now (they told me it is common on EHDS for parts of them to be failed and that is probably what happened to mine! to buy a new one). I know CDs don't last. So what would you do? I am thinking to EHD's and online at the moment. Do you think I am on the right track.

Thanks! Maria

[Muma]

I am in 2 minds about what type of back up to have .... I have heard the same things that CDs will not last and neither will EHDs ... I've heard so many fatal problems about EHDs that I dont even want to buy one. Will watch this with interest.

[Kathleen]

It sounds like you haven't hit a disaster, but a little road bump (albeit a little sad for what you did lose). Glad it's not too bad.

Here is my system ... I have a 500GB internal hard drive that is where all my stuff gets stored. I have a 500GB external drive that all my stuff gets backed up to automatically once a week (my photos, and digital scrap stuff gets backed up twice a week). In addition, I use Phanfare (http://www.phanfare.com/) for (1) photo sharing with friends and family, and (2) an off site back-up for photos. Once I get my photos downloaded, do a batch rename, and sorted (keepers, rejects and delete) I upload the keepers to Phanfare. It is quite simple, literally just drag and drop from Windows Explorer to the Phanfare application - it does everything in the background. You can have Phanfare accessible to anyone, password protected, or connect to family/friends/customers kind of making your own network or circle of people who can see your photos. Access can be set at your "site" level, or by album. They have a free level of service for up to 1GB, and then their paid service (unlimited storage) is $55 per year. The other leader, in my opinion, of photo sharing and backup sites is Smugmug (www.SmugMug.com), but I really prefer the slideshows in Phanfare so much more (you can even download a slideshow, with music, to play anytime anywhere). If you would like to have a look at my Phanfare, just send me a PM and I will hook you up. Phanfare would also be a great way to share proofs with a client.

I know there are other services that are more automated (Carbonite (www.carbonite.com) comes to mind), but for me I wanted a way to share photos, and that was what I was most concerned about having in multiple places.

Another note on hard drives. Depending you what kind of computer you have, and what your technical abilities are, an additional internal hard drive might work just as well as an external drive. They are often less expensive and seem to be more reliable.

[mariafer]

My dh is pretty computer savy I just am not sure if we have additional space for another internal HD. We will be talking tonight. I get the photo sharing thing in Smigmug and Phanfare but what about other type files like your digital kits, word documents and pdf files? I don't back up my pdf files at the moment cause I backup my jpeg but there are some I should. Like the cards/storyboards for my photo business. It would be tough on my time if I lost those layered files. Where do you backup those? Just the external hard drive?

One of Dhs friend from work (An IT guy) was able to find some of my photos so even they were not all lost but he told me that they are all now renamed and it won't even tell me what type of file it is (NEF or jpeg) so it will take some time. It is a bump not disaster but I feel like it is my WARNING!

[Kathleen]

I know there are people who will tell you they have had disaster situations - house gets hit by lighting, and EVERYTHING gets fried (computer, internal drives, external drives), a fire destroy everything, a flood, etc. It can happen. Personally, in our home (know your own environment), the chances are unlikely. So I made the decision that I wanted to double protect what is most important to me - my photos, and my completed scraps (hi-quality JPG images, suitable for printing). So if we were to have a disaster, my most precious electronic files are backed up in multiple places.

As for my scrap supplies, which are quite honestly a growing investment, every few months I copy all my scrap stuff and photos to yet another external hard drive that I use with my laptop. It stays disconnected other than when in use.

The extra precaution I feel I should take is to do a hard drive swap with my mom - we've talked about it, we just haven't done it. I should dump all my stuff on a hard drive, she should dump all hers on a hard drive and we should swap them. We should do it twice a year. Chances of both our homes having a disaster at the same time are pretty slim. Or take it to your office (or husband's office) if it can be locked up and you don't worry about having access to it.

External hard drives fail, yes. But they are a back-up of your main data. So you need to be aware of your back-ups ... how do they happen, when do they happen, have you tried to restore from your back-up. In my opinion, back-ups should be automatic, but you should also periodically verify that they are doing what they are supposed to. For me, if my external hard drive fails, it needs to be replaced immediately, so that my system is still in place.

[mariafer]

Thanks so much for your input Kathleen. Tonight dh and I will be having a LONG talk about backing up and what will work best for us :)!

[gammie]

I have EHD and use it for all my scrapping. Nothing is guaranteed forever so what I do is copy the zip folder when I buy a kit to cd's then open and store on the EHD I work with the EHD to guarantee me speed on my computer. It is a pain to do both but if the EHD does fail I have the kits stored on a cd.

[mommarock]

I am told that CDs don't last as long as DVDs.. so i am storing my things on DVDs and then backing them up again on EHD... where I will use them from. the DVDs are the back up in case of terrible accident, and therefore not often used and hopefully that way they won't wear out. I can just use them to put the information back on the EHD in case of catastrophe.

[Leslie]

OK, I don't think I have backed up for over a week so am doing it right now onto my 3 EHDs.
I didn't have to buy any of them luckily, but one DID fail last month and was replaced under warrenty. And that was after my laptop had to be completely restored so I lost everything off that.

SO on a good day - I have everything on the laptop backed up to 3 EHDs. On a bad day - a month ago, I had two back ups. :)

[mommarock]

Oh Leslie, I do so know what you mean by loosing stuff on your laptop. I lost everything! And I do mean Everything!! This is why I now us the double back-up system, and hubby got me the EHD for Christmas. I cried, and then decided it was a good way to get organized LOL.. so I'm NOT organized at all, I see all of the free sample scrapbook things that are available on blogs and I can't help d/l them.. I need to make time to learn, but I'm so busy getting all of the wonderful things that are already made.

[Leslie]

I lost about 15 new LOs - and remade six I think, of the most important ones that I really wanted for my next blurb book. :)

I'm trying really hard now to back up onto an EHD as soon as I finish a LO now so that I can't ever lose another one.

Re: organising - it took me a few months to develop the system I am using now, but I'm pretty happy with the way I can find things quickly now. :)

[mommarock]

Ahhh all that hard work!! Horrors! I imagine you cried too.. Glad you have re-created some of them.. you are much more in the advanced stages than I am. I'm still learning. I am learning new techniques each day, and thrilled with myself. Backgrounds are wonderful fun! My big loss was all of the family photos that I had just finished scanning, and hadn't had a chance to save to DVD yet.. time consuming. Alas, time to start again. But my PSP passion seems to get in the way of the work.

[Leslie]

Oh dear - I know what you mean about the family photos. I scanned all of mine when I started scrapping last January. I have had a great time scrapping those this year.
Aren't backgrounds fun! I am still focussing on blending and recoloring backgrounds and working with overlays.
I am still learning something new most days and am working with PSE6.

[mommarock]

:) I just got PSE6 yesterday, and have no real clue how to use that one.. but I have been using PSP XI for a bit ..

[Leslie]

Well this is the right place to be if you want to learn how to use it. DSP can set you up with a mentor and there are forum threads here where you can ask questions and learn as you go along.
In The Forum, go to Digital Scrapbooking, then The Tools, then Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

I used to read those threads often when I was just starting with PSE6. :)

I just filled out the forms to be a mentor again. :) Here's the link:

http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/mentor.shtml

[caraffle]

My 2cents:

I have a smugmug account for the photos that I take of my clients. This keeps them safe and there is an unlimited amt I can store.

I tried carbonite but after many phone calls and much research, I cancelled and gt my money back because it only backs-up things from you INTERNAL HARD DRIVE. if yu delete of move to an EHD, carbonite wil delete it.

I am now backing p to Elephant ...there is a 15 day trial. I have spoken to them and they assure me that if backsomething up and then alter my hard drive, Ele[hant will not delete it from my 'Trunk'. It alos will back up 1 EHD so I copied everything from my other 2 on to my new one and am seding that one there for storage as well. We shall see.

I have been trying to recover my WD 500BG but it is going very slowly. So far I have gotten back about 500 photos out of about 25,000.......I will keep praying that I get more each day. EHD's are great but they need to be backed up too.

[Leslie]

EHD's are great but they need to be backed up too.

I'll say! My latest back up after the laptop crashed was on the EHD that failed. Thank goodness I had 2 others.

I have been teaching a teacher friend scrapbooking in my lunch hour once a week all year. She works exclusively off one EHD. Not even backed up to her computer. If she drops it - then she has lost everything.
Having had one EHD go in the bin, I am very leery of just having one form of back up.

[mariafer]

Well we opted for extra internal memory (not attached to the main external memory) and an EHD. AS one EHD failed I am not so confident of it but I am thinking not all three will fail. For my customer pictures I am also backing up on jump drives right as they come off my camera (I think I didn't come back and say that after I wrote this I realized that there were some I had downloaded and not sorted so I hadn't backed up in a disk yet... I almost freaked out when I realized that but Dh was able to restore them) So anyway they stay there until I am finished editing and deleting the ones that won't be used and storing in Cd.

I am going to go see those you talked about caraffle. I still think maybe I should do some online...

[kaliko88]

Well, I use Photobucket for photos and have one EHD, a 500GB MyBook. Love it, but would like another one for a secondary. Hubby just told me you can now get a 1TB for about $150. I just KNEW I should have waited!