Backup software or copy paste: I have a WD Passport and have been using the backup software on my desk top. I recently wanted to put some pictures on my laptop and thought the easiest...

Jerry G Loc: Waterford, Michigan and Florida

I have a WD Passport and have been using the backup software on my desk top. I recently wanted to put some pictures on my laptop and thought the easiest way would be from the passport, I was surprised to find no photo files on the passport but instead a 100+ gb file with suffix of .dir. I am supposing that is where all my photos are. I was wondering about doing copy paste instead of the backup software, what do you use?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Almost sounds like:
1 - you have a copy of a catalog, like from Light Room (I don't use Light Room, so I don't know what a catalog looks like.)
2 - you used windows backup? Or WD backup?
Who's/what backup software???

I just use Windows explorer to copy my images to another location. Simpler. "Backup" software requires a restore. Too cumbersome for me. Some do file compressions also.
Windows backup does not copy the files, it creates a backup file- totally different.
Some editors just copy the catalog list.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Re the "copy/paste" question: similar, but easier: insert a thumb drive to your desktop computer. Now, from File Explorer, just drag a photo to the thumb drive. Your original stays on the desktop computer, but you have a copy on the thumb drive which you can then insert to your laptop and do the reverse of the drag

You can do multiple photos at the same time, or a entire folder.

rplain1 Loc: Dayton, Oh.

Jerry G wrote:

I have a WD Passport and have been using the backup software on my desk top. I recently wanted to put some pictures on my laptop and thought the easiest way would be from the passport, I was surprised to find no photo files on the passport but instead a 100+ gb file with suffix of .dir. I am supposing that is where all my photos are. I was wondering about doing copy paste instead of the backup software, what do you use?

The suffix .dir means it is a directory and not a file. Your files are in the directory. Within the directory there may be other directories. Keep digging, your photos are there.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

rplain1 wrote:

The suffix .dir means it is a directory and not a file. Your files are in the directory. Within the directory there may be other directories. Keep digging, your photos are there.

Not a Windows directory?
My Windows directories (folders) have no extension.
But a .dir is a directory file for something.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Jerry G wrote:

I have a WD Passport and have been using the backup software on my desk top. I recently wanted to put some pictures on my laptop and thought the easiest way would be from the passport, I was surprised to find no photo files on the passport but instead a 100+ gb file with suffix of .dir. I am supposing that is where all my photos are. I was wondering about doing copy paste instead of the backup software, what do you use?

If you are using proprietary backup software, as in WD backup that came with the drive, it very well may produce a single large compressed file ( like a zip file) of your data.

The software should have an option to view what is within the file and allow you to restore individual files.

Have you read thru the backup software’s manual?

FWIW: I shy away from backup software that ends up with a single compressed folder, I much prefer copies of my data that is easily accessible without special software.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Dngallagher wrote:

If you are using proprietary backup software, as i... (show quote)

Yup. Used "Backup" once with DOS, never used it again, or Windows backup. I like to easily see what I have!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Linda From Maine wrote:

Re the "copy/paste" question: similar, but easier: insert a thumb drive to your desktop computer. Now, from File Explorer, just drag a photo to the thumb drive. Your original stays on the desktop computer, but you have a copy on the thumb drive which you can then insert to your laptop and do the reverse of the drag

You can do multiple photos at the same time, or a entire folder.

That's what I do, even for backups. Two explorer windows makes it simple (source & destination).

rplain1 Loc: Dayton, Oh.

Longshadow wrote:

Not a Windows directory?
My Windows directories (folders) have no extension.
But a .dir is a directory file for something.

They do - it just does not show on the screen. If you go to command prompt in windows it will show the directories.

Bill_de Loc: US

I use Norton b/u which compresses and shows a directory. Once into it is pretty easy to find the images. They can easily be restored to the original location or anyplace else.

I also periodically drag and drop photo files dated later than the last file onto another drive that is stored separately.

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Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Bill_de wrote:

I use Norton b/u which compresses and shows a directory. Once into it is pretty easy to find the images. They can easily be restored to the original location or anyplace else.

I also periodically drag and drop photo files dated later than the last file onto another drive that is stored separately.

--

FWIW:

I use Apple’s Time Machine which creates hourly backups of my entire system to a USB connected 4 TB drive. That will Store about 1 year’s worth of backups online 24x7. Easily accessible as a complete restore or a single file restore.

For me, I prefer an automated backup system based on file changes, not my memory.

I also maintain a 2 TB USB disk to backup my photos monthly, or when I make additions/changes. This disk is connected only when needed, and kept inside a waterproof/fireproof storage box on a shelf.

I also have off site backup of my entire system using Crashplan Pro. It runs every few minutes and maintains all my files with versioning in the cloud.

Restores are easily done from Time Machine or Chronosync from either of my local backups, or from Crashpla Pro using the client.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Longshadow wrote:

Yup. Used "Backup" once with DOS, never used it again, or Windows backup. I like to easily see what I have!

👍👍. Me too. I want a mirror, not a compressed backup file (that needs to be restored by the same SW). I’ve seen too many restores fail, even with enterprise quality BU SW like NetBackup.

PeterBergh

Linda From Maine wrote:

Re the "copy/paste" question: similar, but easier: insert a thumb drive to your desktop computer. Now, from File Explorer, just drag a photo to the thumb drive. Your original stays on the desktop computer, but you have a copy on the thumb drive which you can then insert to your laptop and do the reverse of the drag

You can do multiple photos at the same time, or a entire folder.

I use an administrative-privilege command window and use XCOPY /D /E /F /H /I /K /R /V /X /Y for all directories I wish to save. This copies file by file within the directories (including all subdirectories), so there's no problem restoring or viewing what you have saved. Obviously, File Explorer does something similar, but I prefer having full control over the process. Also, by gathering several XCOPY commands into a .BAT file you can copy all you need with one command line; if you want to copy the same directories to several disks, you can do that, too. (The easy way to do that is to have the low-level .BAT file contain several commands like XCOPY /D /E /F /H /I /K /R /V /X /Y C:\Carl %1%\Carl and then have the high-level .BAT file contain several commands like CALL LOW_LEVEL X:).

See the command-window help file for explanations (XCOPY /? and CALL /?).

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

PeterBergh wrote:

I use an administrative-privilege command window a... (show quote)

👍👍 A pleasure to see another guy that still knows how to command line...

hawleyrw Loc: Dayton, OH

Backup software by any manufacturer isn’t a good idea, since most use proprietary software to restore the files. Granted, they all use some sort of compression (bad idea in my mind). If you get a new system, or update part of the software, chances of not getting your precious data is at risk. I ALWAYS due simple ‘flat file’ backups, copying the full-res photos to another medium. My recommendation is to copy the files to a local drive (portable, etc), but then send the files to some sort of cloud service. The cloud service is another backup, BUT also makes it so you can view the files from just about anywhere. for added protection, you can make another off-site backup to another drive and keep in a safe deposit box, or something like that, in case your drive is ever stolen, or house-fire, or anything else catastrophic.

My 2 cents. If you can’t tell I’ve been burned by backup software.