What format for Backup...

[Docthomas]

Currently I backup all my images (both jpg/RAW) to a 1TB drive that is then archived onto another internal drive using Acronis True Image. Then I monthly make copies to a Seagate External (copying the individual JPGs/RAWs and the file structure) using a flie sunchronization software that essentially makes an exact copy of the 1TB main drive. I repeat this process on an external drive that I currently keep in a firesafe but am moving to my offsite office firesafe this week.

My question is this: should I keep the files in JPG/RAW format in heir original file structures or use the bundled file system that Acronis offers. The benefit is it simply updates incremental file changes (in an overall smaller file size) the downside is that without using Acronis the files are not accesible individually. Not a huge deal, you simply open the program and then choose thje individual files and extract them back to another location.

It seems like a case of personal preference but before I commit to one I wanted to bounce it off a few people and make sure there wasn't some advanatge or disadvantage I was missing.

Thanks

Shawn

[Michael_Lambert]

I just do what you are doing backing up both my processed jpegs and my Raw files with the data file.

[Kronie]

I leave that data as is, JPG/RAW format no compression, hard drives are cheap. I use second copy and just make an exact copy of the main drive to a backup external and then backup the backup drive.

I don't like backup programs that makes an image and compress the data because you can only access the data if you uncompress all of it and if anything happens you lost all of it.

[Docthomas]

Thanks

Probably keep doing what I'm doing then. Copy whole files/structure over as a direct copy to the other drives. it is nice that way because easier access to specific file if you need it.

Thanks for the feedback

Shawn

[tim]

Yep definitely how you're doing it.