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Working with two computers
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Aug 20, 2013 22:24:45   #
CTTonymm Loc: Connecticut
 
I run Lightroom with my catalog on the computer ssd and the image files and a copy of the catalog on a fast external drive. I backup with Chronsync to a second external hard drive ( synching from my computer) and then backup a third time synching with the first external drive (I alternate "sources" in case I corrupt one of the copies). I startup and run from one of the backups occasionally as a test to ensure the copies are usable.

Have not done it yet, but plan to keep a fourth.copy on a portable drive stored away from the others as soon as I find a good external place to store it. (Can't convince my spouse that this is a valid reason for a fishing cottage).

Tony M

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Aug 21, 2013 05:59:48   #
DaveHam Loc: Reading UK
 
This is a difficult subject; there are several possible solutions but each has a disadvantage.

The use of on line storage is terribly slow even when you have fast internet access, much slower than using a USB device attached to your PC. So the trade off there is the time that you spend looking at download bars on screen.

Using a single external USB drive is OK until you loose that drive travelling. So any USB system needs to be backed up, and when travelling you need to be able to backup the images you are adding to the system.

We have set up a system based on a storage system on the fixed computer which replicates to the portable USB drive on the laptop. When in the field new pictures are saved to the laptop drive and backed up onto the portable USB drive. When we get back the laptop is backed up onto the PC based system. When we want to take the laptop we run a copy routine that updates the laptop USB drive.

Simple it isn't but it does mean that we have at least two copies of our data in two different locations when travelling, which is apparently a good thing!

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Aug 21, 2013 06:22:22   #
Joecosentino Loc: Whitesboro, New York
 
I use the same 2tb western distal drives mention earlier, my Lightroom catalog and photos are on the drive and I can switch between desktop and laptop by just unplugging and plugging in. I know with LR 5 it will create a preview that can be edited, I am going to give that option a year or so to work out any bugs.

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Aug 21, 2013 06:33:20   #
The Saint KK4GO Loc: Florida
 
doduce wrote:
I suspect many of the Hoggers work with two or more computers, typically, I suspect, a desktop and laptop. How do you maintain a single repository you can access from both machines? I've tried using SkyDrive, but it is BRUTALLY slow. Some have mentioned DropBox--maybe that's a better option. Maybe a site like SmugMug would work better. I'm open to options but would like to get a sense of the community's experience.


I work with 4 Macs, and an iPad all connected to a LAN network. They all talk to each other flawlessly.

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Aug 21, 2013 08:06:41   #
rick-o
 
Hi, I work with digital files all the time, and I would use an external HDD or two for backup of all files, and a flash drive for easy portability. Beach Camera has them up to at least 32 GB (I bought three of them for a project) and I think 64 GB...
HDD drives load faster, and you never have to worry about trying to find a WiFi hotspot. Cloud is only good if you can access it. AND... keep shooting.

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Aug 21, 2013 08:11:34   #
MPW
 
warrior wrote:
External hard drive is the way to go!! :thumbup:


To enhance this and make it a bit "hands-off", this is what I do: On my desktop I have my files on an external drive. This is the default save location. This location is shared but only with myself. On my laptop I have MS SyncToy scheduled to run every hour and it mirrors the files on the laptop documents folder with the desktop external drive. If I add, modify, or delete a file on either computer, the change is replicated on the other. If I'm not on my home network it just silently fails and runs again the next hour. I never see anything happen, it just works.

On the desktop I use Windows Backup to back up to a second external hard drive. Thus I have three copies of my files. A similar setup is possible on Macs but may need third-party software for the computer to computer mirroring.

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Aug 21, 2013 08:15:36   #
londonfire Loc: NY to NC
 
rick-o wrote:
Hi, I work with digital files all the time, and I would use an external HDD or two for backup of all files, and a flash drive for easy portability. Beach Camera has them up to at least 32 GB (I bought three of them for a project) and I think 64 GB...
HDD drives load faster, and you never have to worry about trying to find a WiFi hotspot. Cloud is only good if you can access it. AND... keep shooting.


I picked up 2 flash drives on a trip and they're 256 gb each. Not real cheap but you can put almost anything on them. And fit in your pocket.

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Aug 21, 2013 08:15:53   #
mainshipper Loc: Hernando, Florida
 
Just remember that relying an external hard drive that uses a single disk is inviting disaster if it crashes. I use a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that has hardware redundancy in case a drive fails. Every PC in my network can see it an access the data on it at the same time. These units start in a two drive configuration that will offer basic redundancy (mirroring) and go up to multiple drive configurations offering more advanced redundancy.

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Aug 21, 2013 09:06:35   #
Bob.J Loc: On The Move
 
MPW wrote:
To enhance this and make it a bit "hands-off", this is what I do: On my desktop I have my files on an external drive. This is the default save location. This location is shared but only with myself. On my laptop I have MS SyncToy scheduled to run every hour and it mirrors the files on the laptop documents folder with the desktop external drive. If I add, modify, or delete a file on either computer, the change is replicated on the other. If I'm not on my home network it just silently fails and runs again the next hour. I never see anything happen, it just works.

On the desktop I use Windows Backup to back up to a second external hard drive. Thus I have three copies of my files. A similar setup is possible on Macs but may need third-party software for the computer to computer mirroring.
To enhance this and make it a bit "hands-off&... (show quote)


I agree with MPW, assuming you are running windows
Microsoft SyncToy was an add on to windows XP
Win 7 has under "All Programs/Accessories" Sync Center
It is very easy to use, but you do need to have your computers networked together
If you have high speed internet, you already probably have a router so networking is easy
There's also "Briefcase" in Win 7 right click the desktop and select "new" and you will see in the list "Briefcase" (should be the last in the list)
It will put an icon on the desktop "new briefcase" do this on both computers, both need to have a briefcase, all you have to do is drag and drop files into it. They will be sync'd between both computers or you can copy the briefcase to a external storage device and move it to the other computer
What's cool about either method is after the first sync they only move what's been changed, not everything, so it's fast
You also might want to look into Google Drive (free)
Picasa also lets you up-load and down-load but takes longer



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Aug 21, 2013 09:09:20   #
johneccles Loc: Leyland UK
 
Hi doduce, I have that set up, a PC with everything on it and a 500gb usb drive attached for back up. My laptop and the PC are on my home network so I can access the files from the laptop when I need to.
Cheers
John

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Aug 21, 2013 09:48:43   #
jlf1938 Loc: Acworth, GA
 
RTR wrote:
Save everything to a USB hard drive. You can plug it into your desktop when at home and take it with you to plug into your laptop when you are on the road. These are very inexpensive today.

Western Digital 2TB My Passport USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive, requires no external power, $124.95
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/890512-REG/Western_Digital_wdby8l0020bsl_nesn_2TB_My_Passport.html


Ditto.
I have use two external hard drives for a long time. I leave one in the house and one in my car. If the house burns then I have one in the car and if the car is stolen, or burns, I have one in the house. Seems logical to me

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Aug 21, 2013 12:40:05   #
Irontruck Loc: Phoenix, AZ
 
If you haven't tried to retrieve a backup from Carbonite you are in for a shock. On my vacation last year I used a laptop with a wireless service and a Eye-Fi setup. A computer setup as a server at home would let you have a central point to store files.

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Aug 21, 2013 13:24:04   #
UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA
 
RTR wrote:
Save everything to a USB hard drive. You can plug it into your desktop when at home and take it with you to plug into your laptop when you are on the road. These are very inexpensive today.

Western Digital 2TB My Passport USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive, requires no external power, $124.95
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/890512-REG/Western_Digital_wdby8l0020bsl_nesn_2TB_My_Passport.html


:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

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Aug 21, 2013 13:47:34   #
big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada
 
Just to clarify, Dropbox, while a cloud storage solution, does not use the cloud storage for you to work with. (you can if you really want to live slowly) It creates a folder(s) on your computer and those are the files you work with. As a save or addition is made DB auto sends the file to the cloud. You still have your file(s) on your computer.

Now the fun part. Should you install DB on a 2nd, 3rd, 4rth etc. computer AND use the same account as the 1st computer, DB will automatically send the new/changed files to each and every computer that is logged in. So let's assume you are at home and download some photos from your camera and place them in a DB folder. DB auto sends them all to the cloud. DB now looks for any and all computers that are logged into that account and sends the files to all those computers. Your computer at work (assuming you have left it on) now has a copy of all those files on its own hard drive ready for you when you come in the next day at 8 am. At work you do some editing and hit save. DB automatically sends to the cloud and any and all computers using that account so when you get home at lunch time your home computer already has those updated files.

No it's not instantaneous but as you can't be in two places at the same time it has some leeway to transfer the files.

This process also works the same on shared folders with other people. So if I place some files into a folder that I have shared with 7 family members then those files will automatically be placed on those 7 computers. Again, assuming they are on and connected to the web.

If your computer is not on then when you do flip the switch and become connected DB will automatically start transferring and new or changed files.

The only time to work from the cloud is if you arbitrarily delete some photos or other files. You can go to the cloud and recover them. Even different versions of files.

Dropbox is a good solution providing you are not storing thousands of RAW files on a daily basis. If that is in your realm then the multiple external HDs is the way to go.

Back up, back up, back up. Trust me, I found out the hard way. My main and backup drive both died within 2 days of each other with over 2 years of photographic work including weddings. And over $500 worth of recovery didn't help except for some thumbnails. I now use a 4 drive backup system.

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Aug 21, 2013 14:49:09   #
BigDen Loc: Alberta, Canada
 
In Lightroom, if you backup (copy) files on your laptop and then copy that to your desktop, does the pp you have done follow to the desktop or is it lost?

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