Storing and backing-up photos

Sardine · Jun 30, 2009

How and where do you store your photos?

I have a 500GB external harddrive with all my junk on it, including my photos. Recently, I had to reformat it, so I had to find a place to put nearly 300GB of stuff. Was a mission, but at least I've FINALLY got back-ups of my precious photos. The back-ups are on DVD-RW's, so I can continue adding to them as I take more photos.

What do you use? What do you reccommend? I'm thinking of buying another harddrive that I'll use for just my photos.

Samanax · Jun 30, 2009

I don't use burnable media anymore. Found that it didn't hold up as well as advertised...after about a year and a half data was becoming unreadable. Was having to reburn my CD-Rs every year. The high humidity here may have contributed to that problem.

I backup to external hard drives. I make at least 3 backup copies of my photos. The price of 1 TB HDDs is below $100 now so the cost factor isn't a big deal anymore.

snaggle · Jun 30, 2009

I would agree that a couple externals is the way to go. I will never hurt to have a back-up of the back-up. Even better if you can store a copy some where else, Like in a saftey deposit box or a friends house evene a detached garage will work, you never know when and where fire might strike.

Mystwalker · Jun 30, 2009

I burn one DVD (have learned that these do not last "forever"

)

Copy to 2nd computer.

Copy to two seperate external Seagate FreeAgent Go drives - I use a 500 and a 750. Today you can get the 1TB for close to $100 which is about what I paid for the 500GB.

Also upload to Flickr and Costco.com - not sure if they allow me to retrieve though.

LeftyRodriguez · Jun 30, 2009

I use an external that I run backups on everyday (if possible) then put in my fire and water-proof safe. I also have an account with mozy.com and use that for a last-resort backup (I'd hate to see how long it would take to do a complete download of my 500GB of data if I had to).

flyin-lowe · Jun 30, 2009

I just got a 500 gig external from ecost for $59.00 with free shipping. Every year I burn all my photos from that year to disk(s) and keep them in my gun safe. Plus the backup now on the external.

Defy · Jun 30, 2009

4 TB SAN RAID 1 (mirrored) so really 2 TB
1 TB drive that i keep in my gun safe and back up the really good shots/important stuff

2 250gig portable drives that i keep with my laptop so i can always have 2 backups when i am away from home.

And everything on like 3 computers (2 PC's, 2 laptops, and the Imac)

I really need to take a week off of work and sort threw all this crap! I must have like 10 80gig HD's sitting in a closet!

Sardine · Jul 1, 2009

I'm thinking about getting a 1TB internal harddrive, then using my 500GB external for back-ups. I'd feel more comfortable if the 1TB was external, but I can't afford it right now (live in South Africa). Ideally, I'd like a 1TB external, and two 250GB externals, and my 500GB external. Or something like that.

Must admit that in theory, the DVD idea was great, but in practice it's such a mission!

What's Mozy like? I'd only get the free 2GB, but I guess it's better than nothing.

NateS · Jul 1, 2009

I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I'd like to add a second 500gb drive (internal) and do a mirrored drive....this would protect against harddrive failure...then do a 500gb external as a monthly backup to keep in my fireproof lockbox.

Problem is....anytime I get extra money I have new camera gear I want to buy...so spending the money on more drives hasn't been taking a huge priority....I guess it should before a HD crash...lol.

benjikan · Jul 1, 2009

Sardine said:
How and where do you store your photos?

I have a 500GB external harddrive with all my junk on it, including my photos. Recently, I had to reformat it, so I had to find a place to put nearly 300GB of stuff. Was a mission, but at least I've FINALLY got back-ups of my precious photos. The back-ups are on DVD-RW's, so I can continue adding to them as I take more photos.

What do you use? What do you reccommend? I'm thinking of buying another harddrive that I'll use for just my photos.