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Nov 24, 2016 06:48:58   #
will47 Loc: Indianapolis, IN
 
whitewolfowner wrote:
Two drives is the answer but Seagate drives are the worst ones out there for longevity and dependability. The best are Western Digital and Toshiba. The cheapest are the Wester Digital My Book series with their green drives installed and they are an excellent choice for an external drive to store photos on. Don't go too small, leave extra space for the future; they can have a long life. As soon as you take your photos off the camera and put them on the computer, copy them immediately and store them on both external drives, and when fixed, do it again. That way if something happens when working them, they are not lost. Remember the golden rule with hard drives; it's not WILL my hard drive fail; it's WHEN WILL my hard drive fail. At all times have them on at least two drives the minute they go into the computer and don't format the card until that step is achieved.
Two drives is the answer but Seagate drives are th... (show quote)


I am using Seagate 1TB external drive but have been considering going to another to back up the back up. I may get the Western Digital. How would I copy the Seagate to the new one?

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Nov 24, 2016 06:52:58   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
grampy26 wrote:
Just learned that my external hard drive which held my pics is unrecoverable. Unfortunately I did not have all of them backed up some where else. Hard lesson to learn and am looking into the best and least expensive way to have multiple back ups.


"Least expensive" isn't a backup option. You want good quality external drives. I like HGST, based on reviews. WD Black are also good. I would buy an internal HGST drive and then buy a case for it to slide into. When you buy a prepackaged external drive, the case might have spent a lot of time with the design team to make it look good, but what's inside? You should be able to remove the drive from your external case and use that. I hate to say it, but you really need two external drives. If one fails, you will still have a backup.

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Nov 24, 2016 06:55:21   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
will47 wrote:
I am using Seagate 1TB external drive but have been considering going to another to back up the back up. I may get the Western Digital. How would I copy the Seagate to the new one?


I would do a backup directly from my computer, rather than from another external drive. You should use a program like SyncBack, SyncToy, etc. The first backup will take a long time, but after that, it will be fast, with just the newer files being copied. Seagate is being sued because of its drive failures. Get a 7200 RPM drive.

https://smile.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-3-5-Inch-Internal-0S03664/dp/B00HHAJRU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479988635&sr=8-1&keywords=hgst+internal

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Nov 24, 2016 07:07:20   #
will47 Loc: Indianapolis, IN
 
jerryc41 wrote:
I would do a backup directly from my computer, rather than from another external drive. You should use a program like SyncBack, SyncToy, etc. The first backup will take a long time, but after that, it will be fast, with just the newer files being copied. Seagate is being sued because of its drive failures. Get a 7200 RPM drive.

https://smile.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-3-5-Inch-Internal-0S03664/dp/B00HHAJRU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479988635&sr=8-1&keywords=hgst+internal


This is sound advice but many of the photos are only on the back up drive because of new computers and others reasons. So what I really want to do is get those files on the Seagate transfered to a more reliable external. Fry's electronics has some good prices on Western 2TB. So I want to copy from Seagate to Western. Thanks.

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Nov 24, 2016 07:35:11   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
aellman wrote:
Contrary to what some have suggested here, there is no hard drive-based solution that is foolproof. Any hard drive can crash at any time.
I have Carbonite cloud backup, which, when added to backup drives, gives you protection as close to perfect as you can get. www.carbonite.com
>>>Alan


Cloud backups are not foolproof either. Have you ever restored 3 tb worth of data on a 50mbit internet connection? At 6.25 megabytes per second, and assuming you have a full and constant 50mbit data rate, it would take you almost 6 days of uninterrupted downloading.

Multiple, redundant high-quality hard drives still remains the best overall solution. I agree, it's not perfect, but it is convenient, and with enough redundancy and careful vigilance it works great.

A plug for Synology - I've personally set up several dozen Synology solutions for customers, and they are the best out there. Several experienced data loss using other, less capable solutions.

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Nov 24, 2016 07:36:05   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
jdubu wrote:
A long time ago, I was a Mac user. But the demands of the business for AutoCAD and other software made me move to PCs.

Now, I get much more bang for my buck with PCs than I could if I bought the equivalent power and number in Macs. Perhaps the idea that Synology customer service isn't geared for Macs is a distinct possibility.


I have set up a few on Mac, and they work fine. It must be another issue.

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Nov 24, 2016 07:38:59   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
grampy26 wrote:
Thanks for input, I realized after I posted that the way I put what I was looking for was kind of an oxymoron, can't have best and least expensive for this. The hard drive was a 3tb Seagate and it was them that told me stuff was unrecoverable, told me not to keep it plugged in all the time. Mistake # 1. Have some saved on DVD's and flash drives and someone mentioned using Amazon for photo backups, something to think about along with other options. Hard lesson learned but life goes on.


I think you will find a middle ground - a tradeoff between convenience, cost, level of data integrity required, etc. that will work best for you. There is no absolute solution, but there is one that will emerge as best for you. Good luck!

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Nov 24, 2016 07:52:56   #
blackest Loc: Ireland
 
jerryc41 wrote:
I would do a backup directly from my computer, rather than from another external drive. You should use a program like SyncBack, SyncToy, etc. The first backup will take a long time, but after that, it will be fast, with just the newer files being copied. Seagate is being sued because of its drive failures. Get a 7200 RPM drive.

https://smile.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-3-5-Inch-Internal-0S03664/dp/B00HHAJRU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479988635&sr=8-1&keywords=hgst+internal


For a mac or linux

sudo rsync -vaE --progress /Volumes/SourceName /Volumes/DestinationName

should be enough. For windows users google rsync for windows. Rsync can work for windows but you would need cygwin to run rsync from windows or use a windows port they usually have a gui.

It works for local disk to disk disk to network. Its generally better than a copy command since often you will not know where that stopped.
the first run is always slowest since nothing is at the destination. After that only changed or new files get transferred. Over a network lossless compression is used to speed up the transport and unpacked at the other end.

You need redundant backups. I won't argue how much you should pay for disks but lets say a cheap disk lasts 2 years and a more expensive disk lasts 4 if the more expensive disk costs less than the 2 cheaper disks then long term it is cheaper although generally data storage falls in price per GB. On the other hand in case of disaster say a lightening strike both the cheaper and the more expensive option can be killed. Dropping any drive 5 feet onto concrete will damage it no matter what the price. Does it need to be on continually 2 hours once a month would be pretty much the same as running a drive for a day over the course of a year. It's probably better to think of service life in hours ran like construction equipment rather than physical age. Try not to hoard for the sake of hoarding :)

but be redundant thats always going to be your best strategy.

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Nov 24, 2016 07:58:41   #
mborn Loc: Massachusetts
 
I use Backblaze as my cloud backup $60/yr for unlimited HD I am backed up right now through 7:09 AM today

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Nov 24, 2016 09:32:29   #
markie1425 Loc: Bryn Mawr, PA
 
aellman wrote:
Contrary to what some have suggested here, there is no hard drive-based solution that is foolproof. Any hard drive can crash at any time.
I have Carbonite cloud backup, which, when added to backup drives, gives you protection as close to perfect as you can get. www.carbonite.com
>>>Alan


I'm going to get Carbonite eventually, but for now I use Amazon Prime Photos which takes all my photo files, originals and low-res.

Let me relate a horror story:

I'm a Mac user. Always backed up my files to an auxiliary drive automatically using Time Machine. At some point, my Mac's hard drive began to fail, but I didn't know it. As it failed, it sent incorrect information to Time Machine, causing my auxiliary drive to empty out as well. When my hard drive died, the auxiliary drive was empty too. Bad news.

Lesson learned, use a cloud-based backup; don't rely on multiple hard drives.
--

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Nov 24, 2016 09:43:26   #
Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
 
grampy26 wrote:
Just learned that my external hard drive which held my pics is unrecoverable. Unfortunately I did not have all of them backed up some where else. Hard lesson to learn and am looking into the best and least expensive way to have multiple back ups.


It happens to everyone at least once... There are a lot of suggestions in this thread already, but I will add my process to the list...

I have 2 internal hard drives, C and E (data). Every day, my backup program (SyncBack Pro) copies the contents of E to a spare partition set up on the C drive, and the contents of C to a spare partition set up on the E drive. Then there is a profile running automatically which takes the contents of both to an external drive. Every month or so, I run a manual backup to a second external drive which is not plugged in until I am doing this. Just to guard against power surges, and that sort of thing. I also have everything backed up to the cloud using Carbonite. This is a last-ditch precaution, since it would take a *long* time to download everything from them, but it is nice to know it is there if needed. I consider it well worth the $50 or so per year for the extra insurance.

This system has saved my bacon through several hard drive failures, and I have never needed to pull stuff back from the cloud. Yet. One of these days I will get a couple of spare drives, and keep a copy of my stuff at a friend's house, or even in the car. I haven't done this yet, on the basis that if we have a catastrophe which destroys my apartment, saving old photographs will be somewhere well down my priority list!

I also have an external Blu-ray drive, and have thought about burning copies with that, but my pictures folder is almost 700 GB, so it would take something like 20 disks to hold it, and I haven't had the patience...

Given that I already had the 2 large internal drives, I reckon my total outlay has been maybe $200 for the externals, plus $50 per year for Carbonite. You can pick up 4 or 5 TB drives for not much over $100 if you look around. I agree with the sentiments about Seagate, too. A few years ago they *were* the drive to go for, but I have heard many tales of woe in recent years. One of my externals is a Seagate (the older one), but my new 6TB one is a WD.

Only you can decide your comfort level of safety vs. cost, but I hope this setup shows that you don't need to spend a fortune for peace of mind.

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Nov 24, 2016 09:52:21   #
Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
 
jerryc41 wrote:
I would do a backup directly from my computer, rather than from another external drive. You should use a program like SyncBack, SyncToy, etc. The first backup will take a long time, but after that, it will be fast, with just the newer files being copied. Seagate is being sued because of its drive failures. Get a 7200 RPM drive.

https://smile.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-3-5-Inch-Internal-0S03664/dp/B00HHAJRU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479988635&sr=8-1&keywords=hgst+internal


I don't think that the speed of the drive is a factor for doing backups. It isn't like you would be actually working from it. You just set the backup and let it run... SyncBack is a good program. I eventually upgraded to the Pro version, but I cannot remember what the specific reason was. As I mentioned in my longer post above, there are about 5 profiles running automatically every day, plus the one to the second external which I run manually. I have the program speak to me when it starts the auto runs, and announce if it succeeds or fails at the end.

To the OP, if you don't have all the stuff on your computer any more, you could plug them both in to USB ports, and copy old to new directly. Also, I wouldn't skimp on disk size when you buy the externals. There are many things on your computer you probably should be backing up. Documents, financial spreadsheets, emails, downloaded software files, etc.

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Nov 24, 2016 09:54:32   #
whitewolfowner
 
will47 wrote:
I am using Seagate 1TB external drive but have been considering going to another to back up the back up. I may get the Western Digital. How would I copy the Seagate to the new one?


Do you have a mac or PC; may be the same. If you have a mac (PC users can confirm this or correct it for the microsoft world) open the drive you want to copy. Access every file in the drive and click copy. Got the new drive, open it and click paste, and the new drive will make an exact copy of the first drive. Depending on how much you are copying it may take several hours. Usb 3 will do it quite a bit faster that USB 2 will.

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Nov 24, 2016 10:01:18   #
Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb
 
Had the same problem several years ago. Now I have 4 hard drives on 2 different computers. You can do it on one. I will take all my pictures as taken and put them on two separate hard drives named DATE 1 & DATE 2. I put all in under the date today is 161124. Then i process my pictures on my computer and when finished I save on the other 2 Final 1 & 2 by definition. Michigan- Detroit-2016 parade. That is I file like we did when we had files in cabinets. It works of me. You might also disconnect the drives when not in use to protect from power surges or lighting strikes.

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Nov 24, 2016 10:20:09   #
jayd Loc: Central Florida, East coast
 
I use 3 ,,,4tb drives. One at my office, one at home and one I travel with between the home and office so at any one time I have two complete backups.
Next I print two books. One with all genres separated and keep a DVD or cd in a pocket inside the back cover with each file named for the page.
This makes it easy to show photos to guests and save them as the 4th back up. Then I print with sections for birds, architecture, planes, weddings ect and use it as a portfolio with a cd in the back..
Jmho

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