data backups

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andyt70

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AndyT
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i've just seen that BT advert about the digital vault where the foxy looking woman in the bed has 'lost the folder' and i wondered what do 'we' backup, what do we need to backup, and what methods of backup should we consider?
multiple memory cards?
save RAW files to 'something'
use online backup services - backup RAW AND processed files or just RAW?
any pointers or advice appreciated
 
Thanks to an earlier thread on the same thing, I now backup everything online atomatically, using Carbonite. It's the ultimate backup, but slow to upload and I can imagine slow to download (only real gripe is that it does not support external drives, althought according to an e-mail from their customer services they are working on it), but it is totally safe from loss, theft and fire etc. On a day to day level, backed up to a portable HDD, just for ease of use and speed of recovery if the worst happened.
 
I tried Carbonite out, but found I wanted to backup and delete from my hard drive, but have files on my external and DVD but that this wasn't possible.

Not come across a solution but PeteMC was talking about an Amazon solution http://www.amazon.com/S3-AWS-home-page-Moneyb?ie=UTF8&node=16427261 Which looks quite good as a storage area.

Not tried it yet though
 
It all depends on how much data you need to back up. Most online services tend to limit this to about 2Gb or charge extra.

If you cost it out it's cheaper to buy an external hard drive and back up to this. Alternatively you could simply back up to CD/DVD. Even a combination of both. But it's important to have a back up policy. It may be your folder that gets lost/deleted. Or even worse hard drive crash!!!!
 
DVDs, cheapest option.
 
marky_h said:
I have my photos (15,000 or so and counting) stored in 4 places - local hard disk, network hard disk, DVD at home, and USB hard disk at work. Too paranoid? :shrug:
Click to expand...

No:I'm not far behind you:lol:
 
Unfortunatly DVD is not the solution as they only have a very limited life after burning, I have had them fail to read after 9 months:'(

External drives in 2 places is the best option
 
I have an external hard drive and I use EMC Retrospect (£75) for backup. It's brilliant - full incremental backup, even backs up open files, runs overnight, allows me to retrieve old versions of files if I accidentally over write them, etc. etc. - basically an industrial-strength system at a bargain price.
 
When I take images off the CF card, they get copied sraight to an external hard drive. Lightroom library back ups also go to this hard drive.

My user directory on my Laptop gets backed up to another computer on the network (soon to be time capsule so I don't need to remember to do it).

And lastly to cover the "house burning down situation" I have everything backed up on Mozy.
 
I use Time Machine to backup all my files to an external drive. Then on top of that I use Mozy as well.

Having an off-site backup is one of the most important things or you're still vulnerable to fire/theft.
 
raw's and exported jpg's on two different drives, backed up to two different external usb hard drives, plus jpgs burnt to dvd.

I'm just wondering if it's overkill to take home a tape drive we've just upgraded...
 
I've a Bufalo network drive that can have 1 (or 2) USB drive attached which can be used as a backup source. Just set up the backup schedule (full/incr) and it does the rest. :thumbs:
 
i use an ext hard drive then 2 dvd copies in different locations, I may have to have a rethink if the life of DVD thing is true, i've not really had any problems with them so far :S
 
I use Time Machine (mac osx Leopard backup utility) to back up my entire system to an external drive. I also manually backup my photos, music and important documents to a seperate external drive. I also keep a copy of that drive on yet another drive at work - ie off site. A little paranoid perhaps but I've learnt from experience that there is no such thing as too many back ups!
 
I have about 3000 users using a product called Acronis, it produces 'on the fly' images of your hard drive.
 
i use DVDs and Carbonite. as mentioed the dvds are ok till they degrade and are no use against being stolen or a house fire.
 
I use Amazon's JungleDisk for offsite backups. Very slick. :thumbs:
 
i've got to admit in my line of work i am often extolling the virtues of offsite backups and disaster recovery planning but it has never really been something i have considered for myself at home. as touched on above my training and experience tells me that no end of copies and backups in one location will be of no use in a 'disaster' situation.
to those of us who are 'keen hobbyists' the implications and costs of losing data may not be a severe as to the pro or semi pro's amongst us- but what value can we put on our data?
what is a decent reliable secure backup worth?
i can see me researching costs of offsite / online backup solutions..
 
I've started backing up to rewritable DVDs but only RAW files and not the processed ones. I'm really wanting to get Time Machine sorted on my mac though so that it's taken care off without me spending too much time on it. Offsite backups are also very important in my opinion.
 
KayJay said:
....Offsite backups are also very important in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more! And with the cost of external storage so low nowadays, it's actually a remarkably easy thing to do. Backup to an external drive once a week and take it to another location (work / friend's or parent's house etc) :thumbs:
 
Grendel said:
I couldn't agree more! And with the cost of external storage so low nowadays, it's actually a remarkably easy thing to do. Backup to an external drive once a week and take it to another location (work / friend's or parent's house etc) :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Or stick in a fire safe along with all your important papers etc you would not want to lose in the event of a fire :)
 
I've started using Carbonite. It took several weeks to upload my files.

It is true that it cannot upload files from an external harddrive, but I place my new files in a temporary folder on the internal drive so they get backed up, then move them to the external drive
 
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