What storage device do you use?

[RebelChick]

I store everything i take, and make onto an IOMEGA. How safe is this external HD? anyone else use one?

[sandpiper]

I use several external HDs, they are very handy for general storage.

However, they are NOT safe. They can (and do) fail at any time, often the data can be recovered with software, although there is always a good chance it can't.

Having said that, NO storage system is completely safe. HDs fail, DVDs/CDs degrade and corrupt, raid controller failure can lose everything from ALL drives.

Even with something that is foolproof, you would still have the risk of fire, flood, theft etc.

All my hard drives are mirrored onto two more, one at home and kept in a different room (updated as the main one is used) to beat burglars, there is also another drive kept at a remote location in case of a major disaster at home (updated fairly regularly).

[SYS]

From my own experience and from everything I've read, I DON'T trust ANY brand when it comes to storing ALL THE EGGS in ONE basket, I mean HD. So, my solution: get two HDs and duplicate the storage and worry less about which brands as long as they're pretty well known...

[brucea]

Files are stored on two external HDs at the same time, archived onto a third HD, and burned onto a CD or DVD.

[rklepper]

I have 2 externals that I back-up to. One stays at work and then once a week I switch them.

[Citizensmith]

1 internal, 2 externals, and DVD backups stored at an off site location. 1 External gets used once a month and lives in a fire safe. The other external backs up nightly and is in a separate part of the house to my computers (basically its a NAS).

So is the Iomega hard drive any good? Probably. But keeping everything in just one location is bad. There are way too many 'help my hard drive died, how do I get my photos back' posts.

[DragonSpeed]

My USB enclosure packed it in and took the HD with it :(

Luckily, the USB drive was just one of my backups.

Photos live on mirrored HD's on the Computer. Nightly they are sync'ed to a USB HDD.

Also have an online Backup called "Carbonite" which holds the critical folders (c.a..50GB) in case my house burns down.

If I take a series of photos out of this loop for other purposes... 2 CD/DVD copies minimum - 3 if I feel particularly attached to the images. 1 disc at home, one at the office, and one at a friend's house.

As a System Admin I've seen my share of drive/cd/dvd failure.... people look pretty sad when they've lost their kid's graduation photos :(

I'm not going to be one of them :D

[Canon Soldier]

All my hard drives are mirrored onto two more, one at home and kept in a different room (updated as the main one is used) to beat burglars, there is also another drive kept at a remote location in case of a major disaster at home (updated fairly regularly).

Bwah! My main HD is locked in my underground lair in an undisclosed location, protected by motion sensors and heat lasers. Another is orbiting space in case of total Armageddon, that is updated fairly regularly. The last one is embedded in my flesh, for easy access.

[Mystwalker]

My "work" copy which is saved on computer's HD.

Make a back up to DVD/CD
Make a back up to external Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB.
Upload to flickr.com
Upload to costco.com (not sure if they will let me d/l pix back)

Have not got around to "sampling" winkflash.com - may use them instead of costco.com

[Bill Roberts]

2 internal hard drives, 2 external hard drives, plus DVD when I can remember.
This is one of the few disadvantages of digital compared to film. At least with a negative you had something tangible even though it was likely to degrade with time. I work in IT, so I'll accept I get a little paranoid about backups. NEVER trust a single hard drive, it's only a matter of time before it fails!

[RPCrowe]

Duplicate your storage on with at least two different storage devices and two different media.

I have a Iomega and Seagate hard drives. I will also back up my important images on CD's.

I carry CD's and a 20 Gig Cigar harddrive when I a traveling with my computer. The Cigar is pretty small but with the combination of my notebook hard drive, the CD's and the Cigar - my stuff is reasonably safe from loss.

[DragonSpeed]

Duplicate your storage on with at least two different storage devices and two different media.

I have a Iomega and Seagate hard drives. I will also back up my important images on CD's.

Your IOMEGA is most likely a Seagate inside. ;)

[Familiaphoto]

Personally I use several externals. It works this way for me.

- Images are stored on local HD
- That drive is backed up to a NAS drive.
- The NAS drive is backed up to 2 WD USB drives simultaneously.
- One of the USB drives is kept off site.

I also have a portable WD passport drive I use when on the road for backup.

Its simple but it works for me.

[Eagle]

1)All saved shots are on a internal hard drive. Nothing else is on it, just pictures.
2)All saved shots are backed up to an external hard drive.
3)All saved shots are burnt to CD.
4)All saved shots are burnt to DVD.

[Ade H]

.....The last one is embedded in my flesh, for easy access.

I don't even want to imagine where you stick the USB lead for that! :lol:

[seekphotography]

it'll probably bite me in the ass soon but i don't really have a backup routine yet.

all my photos are stored on my internal hard drive (seagate 250gb) and mirrored on my laptop .. i haven't had a hard drive fail in probably 5 years. *knock on wood*

i'll probably check sundays ads and see what a 500gb external drive costs and scoop one up .... just in case.