Backups

[rhys]

This is aimed at those that actually backup their data as opposed to those that are thinking about backing up data.

What manner of backup do you actually use?

[rw2]

I back up on an external hard dive and also on DVD's. I backup to the hard drive after I download and discard the poor shots. Then at the end of the month I will back up to DVD's, these are stored off site.

[Pete W]

Stored on 2nd HD in PC and backed up onto DVD's

[Eagle]

Store everything on #3 internal hard drive. Backed up to CD after shooting. Then backed up to DVD at irregular intervals.

[kuanyu]

I used MS syncToy to copy from editing PC to external drive Then 2 a second PC that holds a tape drive.

[salexande867]

I backup to an external hard drive and leave it at different location across town. Of course that means I have to go retrieve it when I want ot do another backup, but it protects against fire and localized flooding (both of which have happened to me in the past).

[René Damkot]

Backup on DvD (Raw and processed on different DvDs), and external HDD

[Eagle]

I backup to an external hard drive and leave it at different location across town. Of course that means I have to go retrieve it when I want ot do another backup, but it protects against fire and localized flooding (both of which have happened to me in the past).
For all the people that do this......How do you protect against an auto accident while transporting? ;);)

[40d]

I use AllwaySync (http://www.allwaysync.com) between PC and external drive. (or between two PCs at work). At home I have it sync every 2 hours, at work every 60 seconds.

MS SyncToy looks interesting too though.

[sOid]

I use AllwaySync (http://www.allwaysync.com) between PC and external drive. (or between two PCs at work). At home I have it sync every 2 hours, at work every 60 seconds.

MS SyncToy looks interesting too though.
Check out SyncBack http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/syncback-hub.html I really love it and it's free :) (the normal version)

[blonde]

i backup to 3 internal HD's and once a month or so to an external HD that sits in my office.

[kevin_c]

Backup to server on-site, and external HD (normally stored off-site) and occasionally to DVD's

[Anke]

Hmmm, no option for keeping just an external HDD at home. I must be doing the wrong thing.

[bieber]

I have three computers, a desktop at two separate houses and a laptop. Everything I shoot goes straight to the laptop, and then when I get the chance synced with both the desktops, so all my data is on three separate computers at at least two physical locations at any given point in time.

[SkipD]

We have a separate computer that is nothing but a storage bin for files as well as pocket-sized USB-2 portable drives for backups.

[blonde]

Hmmm, no option for keeping just an external HDD at home. I must be doing the wrong thing.

you are since you are keeping all your backups at the same physical location. your backup might be great in case of computer/ HD failure but will not work very well in case of a more serious event like a force of nature..

[rhys]

For all the people that do this......How do you protect against an auto accident while transporting? ;);)

Simple - transport it in one of these!

[Grentz]

Well, I choose optical as I try to burn DVDs every now and then with a backup. My true backup is like this though:

My PC with main drive that pictures are on, secondary drive in the same PC that I run a sync tool to make a backup of my pictures to. Then I have a server on my network that backsup my pictures twice a week to a RAID array. I also have an external drive I will do a backup to everynow and then.

I do not do offsite backups as of right now as I have not found a method that works well for me. I might throw some backup DVDs in a safe deposit box someday, but for now I have a very redundent setup that has been working great. I also do not love burning optical disks...much easier to use a dynamic storage like hard drives that you can constantly update.

[kelstar]

I backup to an external hard drive and CD or DVD.

[Jman13]

I do an immediate backup to an external hard drive (keeping all files also on one of my internal hard drives) as soon as I transfer files to the computer. I also burn DVDs from time to time, which I store at my office, so if there were a fire or some other catastrophic failure, I'd have an off-site backup.

[Ephemeral]

I backup to a 2nd PC more or less weekly (both with raid 5 arrays), and backup to an external HD that I keep at work to serve as off site backup.

[jacmurphy]

back up to 2 external hard drives and then also dvd's

[Tony-S]

Time Machine to a 1 TB external drive.

[mrcoons]

I back up to 2 external hard drives, a DVD copy and Jungle Disk online.

[rklepper]

I use HP's Personal media drives. I have 2 750 GB drives that I back up to. One stays here and gets a complete backup once a week and a differential backup daily. Each week I swap out with the other one that stays at work.

I use to be a great believer in tape backups, but tapes have not kept pace with the physical size of a hard drive.

[£Note]

I backup to an online service provider. So simple and automatic at £60 PA. Has got me out of trouble on several occasions.:D

[Jim G]

If I could choose two I would; I backup all the finished jpegs online and every few months or so dump my RAW files onto a second hard drive so that I have two copies. One internal, one external.

[Andy_T]

Backup all my RAW files (and the occasional post-processed and finalized JPGs) on my Desktop PC, an external HD and (in intervals) to a second external HD that I keep in my office. Also back up to DVDs (and prior to archive-quality CD-Roms).

Best regards,
Andy

[FeXL]

1. Backup RAW's and/or JPG's to an internal HD immediately upon downloading.

2. Regular (3-4 days) backups made with original & post-processed images to external HD's, one of which is kept offsite.

3. Once externals are full, duplicate DVD's are burned, again one set of which is kept offsite.

Not quite paranoid about losing data, but close...