Backing up files

[Kawarthabob]

Do any of you back up your files to a cd or dvd? If so what program do you use when doing so? I've wasted a few dvd's and its starting to rerally irritate me to the point of throwing my laptop against the wall.

[Wicked Dark]

I don't use CD/DVD, but I do have a 3-tier strategy that I'd just started writing a short blog article about. Funny.
Primary storage = external HDD - all raw files from memory card
Secondary storage = external HDD - subset of the best photos, raw files
Tertiary storage = USB drive - subset of the best photos, large jpegs
I may add online storage at SmugMug in the future, but for now this works

[Bambi]

I use an external drive to back up. Also, my favs on flickr

[Richard]

I used to back up my work on to Zip Disks, CD's and then Dvd's when I was at uni, who uses zip disks any more right???? I've found some of the CD's deteriorated over time, you have to be quite careful where you store them.

My current system is all my photos are kept on my laptop, which does a weekly backup with my network HD, and this does a weekly backup with a USB drive. I use Cobain backup (free and reliable)

[Marko]

IMO backing up to DVD should not be the primary way to backup photo files...DVD's are just too small and managing thousands of files on multiple DVD's sounds like a nightmare.

Primary storage = external HDD - all raw files from memory card
Secondary storage = external HDD - subset of the best photos, raw files

I use a method similar to WD where thousands of images are moved OFF my computer's HD onto 2 externals.

Then occasionally I will copy a few files onto a DVD for a 3rd layer of backup.

I was using Adobe Bridge to do this but a few months ago i started using lightroom.

Hope that helps - Marko

[Wicked Dark]

Always look to magnetic or solid state storage over optical. Optical (DVD, CD) degrades over time and requires specific archival conditions. Magnetic (HDD, Zip) doesn't. Solid state like thumb/USB drives don't either. And with them being so cheap now, they can be added to a back up strategy easily.

[Wicked Dark]

I finished the article on Digital Photo Storage Strategy. Not the most exciting thing I've ever written, but after I almost had a heart attack over a malfunctioning hard drive, I think it's important. Digital Photo Storage Strategy « Wicked Dark Photography

[mbrager]

Thanks for sharing your research and methods. The article is very thoughtful, and I agree that the question is "when" and not "if". I have recently signed up to MozyHome Online Backup, so I can upload my RAW files to the cloud. But upload speeds are abysmal, and it has taken over a month to upload about half my files. Although they initially offered unlimited space, I recently received a notification that upon my next renewal, I will be charged a fee for storage over and above a limit. Still, peace of mind is priceless. Mike

[Gremlich]

Primary -- Internal 500GB HDD
Secondary storage and postprod backup - 2TB external HDD (in a dual drive enclosure)
tertiary backup - dual-layer DVD-RW (almost 9 GB of storage).

Later, when external/removeable storage is changed, I can copy the tertiaries to the newer format. A blueray disk can hold about 25 GB of data, a PC internal burner costs about $100 for an LG. That could be another option, but no telling how much longer either DVD or Bluray will be around.

[asnow]

My backup methodology is.

1. I have three drives. First one (1GB) has two partitions, system and data (where my pictures are). Second one (1GB) is for backups only. And third one (2GB) is for off-site backups.

2. Periodically I will do a full image backup of my system drive onto the backup drive.

3. Everytime I load pictures onto the data drive, I use a microsoft tool called synctoy and sync my pictures folder to equivalent folder on the backup drive. (I also use the same tool to sync any documents, etc. to and equivalent folder on my backup drive)

4. I do weekly lightroom catalog backups to the backup drive.

5. Periodically I will bring the off-site drive home and update it with the latest sytem image, pictures folder, documents, and lightroom catalog backup.

This way if the system/data drive was to fail, I can restore everthing from my local backup drive.
If the worst case senario was to occur like my house was to burn down, then I could restore everyting from my off-site backup.