Lightroom Back-Up? Need New Method.

[limeblu]

I currently run lightroom on my laptop with the catalog and the images on an external 3tb WD hard drive. Once a week I use a second Identical hard drive to back everything up. The issue is that when I back up from my first hard drive to the back up drive I am basically having to fit my entire catalog and images onto that drive twice, once it is copied completely I delete the prior back up and wait another week. This will not work forever as soon my images will take more room then I can fit onto the backup drive, twice. The other issue is time as it is taking up to 6-8 hours to transfer to my backup drive. I do not want to keep my backup drive doing continuous backup as if something goes wrong it will back that up as well. I am currently working from all over my collection so I cant just back up from where I left off either. Just looking for some input, advice or your way of doing it.

 

[Light Guru]

It takes that long because you are copying everything instead of only the changes. If you are on a mac you can use a program like carbon copy cloner it can compare two drives and only copy the changes.

 

[KmH]

There is a lot about backing up image files to know about.

If you don't already have it, I highly recommend you get The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers.
There are many references to various aspects of backing up image files listed in the Index.

 

[limeblu]

Thanks so much, I knew There was a better way, I just couldn't see everyone spending hours backing up there work. If anyone wants to chime in and let me know what you are using, On a windows platform, I would be grateful. Cheers and thanks again.

 

[AceCo55]

I use a program called "AllwaySync"
Will just update the changes since last sync
You can decide if one source will be the master and the destination will change to match the source ... OR ...
If you have two sources, it can synch the changes on each so they are both the same.

 

[The_Traveler]

Syncback from twobrightsparks
incremental backup unattended in background.

 

[limeblu]

Syncback from twobrightsparks
incremental backup unattended in background.

So my backup drive would stay attached to my working drive? Also, if I accidentally delete a year, will the program follow suit? Not familiar with backup and don't have time to read that book right now.

 

[Light Guru]

So my backup drive would stay attached to my working drive? Also, if I accidentally delete a year, will the program follow suit? Not familiar with backup and don't have time to read that book right now.

Leaving the backup drive attached is completely up you. And yes if you accidentally defeat a year the next time you sync the two drives it would get removed from the backup drive.

 

[Wizard1500]

If you are using 2, 3TB drives for backups, and if you do not know how to set it up, have someone set it up as one of the various RAID configurations,this should include some software to do backups, unassisted, sometime during the wee hrs. of the morning, when you're not using the laptop. Not that expensive to set up, and will make life a lot easier.....

 

[The_Traveler]

Syncback from twobrightsparks
incremental backup unattended in background.

So my backup drive would stay attached to my working drive? Also, if I accidentally delete a year, will the program follow suit? Not familiar with backup and don't have time to read that book right now.

No, no, no

2BrightSparks ? Index page

Using Syncback SE, the user has complete control of what gets backed up, to where and when.
For example, if there is a file on the target that is not on the main, you can choose to make the decision, to skip deleting, or delete or just stop the profile from running.

You set up a backup profile for backups.

AFAIC this is perfection in control , safety and usability.
I've been a user since the first version was in Beta.

 

[astroNikon]

I simply copy my "Nikon" folder from my working drive to my backup drive, as a live backup. Thus no software is needed for restoration.

In Windows 7, Vista, XP I had a dos batch file that did this very quickly
Windows 8 I have to rewrite the whole thing (which I've yet to do).

For now, I just drag and drop, and select not to copy existing files with the same date/time.

FYI, my "work" drive is an external 3TB WD USB drive - this is actually faster than working off of my internal disk.
and my backup is a Network based 3TB WD drive.

 

[limeblu]

Syncback from twobrightsparks
incremental backup unattended in background.

So my backup drive would stay attached to my working drive? Also, if I accidentally delete a year, will the program follow suit? Not familiar with backup and don't have time to read that book right now.

No, no, no

2BrightSparks ? Index page

Using Syncback SE, the user has complete control of what gets backed up, to where and when.
For example, if there is a file on the target that is not on the main, you can choose to make the decision, to skip deleting, or delete or just stop the profile from running.

You set up a backup profile for backups.

AFAIC this is perfection in control , safety and usability.
I've been a user since the first version was in Beta.

Alright, I have the program now. I opened it and am given the options of backup, synchronize(smartsync) or mirror. I am not sure where to go from here or if there are any other settings which I need to be sure to check. Please send some info, just want to get it set up . I would prefer to keep things as they are, My laptop contains the lightroom program, my first external hard drive contains my images and my lightroom catalogue, this drive is always attached to my laptop. The second external drive is in its original box and is brought out weekly to backup everything that is on my first external hard drive, after which it goes back into its box. Hoping you are able to help me out. cheers.

 

[The_Traveler]

2 steps will do it.

read the help manual on how to get started (that is easily accessed )

set up a profile

 

[limeblu]

k throw me a bloody bone here, I am just asking, as I have been searching with no luck, do I want to sync,mirror or backup? Everywhere I am looking I do not find the perfect way to avoid an error/deletion/corruption from my main drive being passed onto my backup drive by this or other programs. I am asking for help, as you already know the answer, I could find another forum but usually members here will gladly pass on knowledge without giving a guy who works damn hard an issue about not reading the help guide tonight, not lazy and not afraid to use the search function, just tired and want to get this **** running asap. I leave this with you, Traveler.

 

[The_Traveler]

limeblu, you have a history here of asking for help on issues that are easily and more efficiently discovered yourself.

The documentation from Syncback is clear and simple on the difference between mirror, sync and backup as implemented in their software and actually fairly clear from the words themselves.
And I won't write a paragraph on each when that work has already been done by the software makers.