Has a backup saved your bacon?
Aug 29, 2014 07:54:52 #
The topic of backups shows up frequently here. Usually it starts with a question from someone who did not backup or is trying to set up a system. In the replies, often things like the following are said: It isnt if a drive will fail, but when!; you could loose all of your work if you don not backup! or You must backup locally and off-site!!
I thought it might be interesting to hear the stories of people who have backed up and then were happy they did. It would be helpful to know:
What caused the loss the backup restored?
From what source were the files restored (Cloud, attached external drive, networked drive, DVDs, CDs, DVRs, offsite hard drive in a safe deposit box, etc )?
How was the restoration experience?
Did the experience change your workflow?
Anything else?
I thought it might be interesting to hear the stories of people who have backed up and then were happy they did. It would be helpful to know:
What caused the loss the backup restored?
From what source were the files restored (Cloud, attached external drive, networked drive, DVDs, CDs, DVRs, offsite hard drive in a safe deposit box, etc )?
How was the restoration experience?
Did the experience change your workflow?
Anything else?
Aug 29, 2014 08:09:14 #
I have had instances,both at work and at home where an external hard drive (work) and a hard drive dock (home) has proven very useful. Fortunately, none of these times involved any significant number of photos since I keep them backed up on DVDs. I have several hard drive docks which have allowed me to recover data from both my own and other people's hard drives when there have been components such as motherboards that have failed, rather then the hard drive itself. I know of one case where a friend of mine, a highly respected professional, lost 25,000 photos to a hard drive failure with no hope of recovery. That kinda sucks!
Aug 29, 2014 08:13:30 #
Yes, both when I was working and in my photography, cause = operator error, deleted the wrong thing
Aug 29, 2014 08:13:44 #
I have in years past lived thru the nightmare of having to reload the whole works... but doing that life is not the same. The settings, the little side programs, the giveaway programs... poof all gone.
Backups are somewhat inconvenient... add remove store an additional hard drive. So now I use a front door approach for my hard drives. Two $20 SATA trays with doors can change the character of your Computer from XP to W7 in seconds. Backup drives can be inserted and start and next morning the backup fairy does the work. Pull the drive out and store in a antistatic bag in your sock drawer.
Newegg: iStarUSA BPN-DE110SS-BLUE 1x5.25" to 1x3.5" SATA/SAS 6.0Gb/s Trayless Hot-Swap Cage
Backups are somewhat inconvenient... add remove store an additional hard drive. So now I use a front door approach for my hard drives. Two $20 SATA trays with doors can change the character of your Computer from XP to W7 in seconds. Backup drives can be inserted and start and next morning the backup fairy does the work. Pull the drive out and store in a antistatic bag in your sock drawer.
Newegg: iStarUSA BPN-DE110SS-BLUE 1x5.25" to 1x3.5" SATA/SAS 6.0Gb/s Trayless Hot-Swap Cage
Aug 29, 2014 08:20:21 #
dpullum wrote:
I have in years past lived thru the nightmare of h... (show quote)
"Sock drawer"!!!
I knew there must be a secret element to backups!
Aug 29, 2014 08:36:30 #
I have had a number of hard drives fail on me over the years. More recently, which leads me to believe the quality of manufacturing has deteriorated somewhat.
The last drive that failed was an external drive on which I had stored the bulk of my photos. But I keep multiple backups (the cloud is a wonderful thing!), so I just needed to replace the drive and restore. Time spent: one day (two hours to drive, purchase, set up, and another two to restore).
I am currently in possession of three failed hard drives, all of which were purchased within the past five years.
Caveat emptor!
The last drive that failed was an external drive on which I had stored the bulk of my photos. But I keep multiple backups (the cloud is a wonderful thing!), so I just needed to replace the drive and restore. Time spent: one day (two hours to drive, purchase, set up, and another two to restore).
I am currently in possession of three failed hard drives, all of which were purchased within the past five years.
Caveat emptor!
Aug 29, 2014 08:36:58 #
Somebody on this forum awhile ago lost over 150K photos when his external HD crashed.
I backup to a second internal HD, a 256GB flash drive and a 2TB external HD. Plus I allow Win7 to save an image every Sunday morning when I go out to eat.
Paranoia "R" us!
I backup to a second internal HD, a 256GB flash drive and a 2TB external HD. Plus I allow Win7 to save an image every Sunday morning when I go out to eat.
Paranoia "R" us!
Aug 29, 2014 08:41:15 #
Just Fred wrote:
I have had a number of hard drives fail on me over... (show quote)
What brand and what size? Some large hard drives, 1 terabyte or larger initially had rather high failure rates. I haven't read much about that still being the case so it may have just been a problem that came about as size grew and has since been resolved.
Aug 29, 2014 08:51:25 #
Aug 29, 2014 08:53:04 #
My external HD is a 2TB Toshiba. I only have it running when I need to use it.
HDs MTBF normally is 100,000 hrs~11 years.
I've only had two drives fail in the last eighteen years, of course I've replaced a lot of them just because (faster-bigger, etc.).
HDs MTBF normally is 100,000 hrs~11 years.
I've only had two drives fail in the last eighteen years, of course I've replaced a lot of them just because (faster-bigger, etc.).
Aug 29, 2014 08:59:11 #
On my MAC once in the last year I had to use Time Machine to recover a file. Thats what I get for trying to run Excel on my Mac.
On my wifes PC I had to switch a drive last year. I use Acronis on her PC, once a month just prior to Microsoft Tuesday I clone her HD, then install the patches MS releases 2nd Tuesdday of each month. She also has a cloud BU that backups data in her My Files or whatever MS directory it is.
So a few months ago MS installed a default video driver and took out her monitor capabilities Took 15 minutes to crack the case - swap drives and boot back up.
On my wifes PC I had to switch a drive last year. I use Acronis on her PC, once a month just prior to Microsoft Tuesday I clone her HD, then install the patches MS releases 2nd Tuesdday of each month. She also has a cloud BU that backups data in her My Files or whatever MS directory it is.
So a few months ago MS installed a default video driver and took out her monitor capabilities Took 15 minutes to crack the case - swap drives and boot back up.
Aug 29, 2014 09:08:38 #
Yes! With desktop computer.
Got another computer, hooked up external, backup storage drive and moved files over.
Backed up files worked fine.
Pat
Got another computer, hooked up external, backup storage drive and moved files over.
Backed up files worked fine.
Pat
Aug 29, 2014 09:09:46 #
bobbennett wrote:
One word: Carbonite.com
Great to hear from a Carbonite user.
So, how did it save your bacon?
Aug 29, 2014 09:56:24 #
fritzbaker wrote:
My external HD is a 2TB Toshiba. I only have it running when I need to use it.
HDs MTBF normally is 100,000 hrs~11 years.
I've only had two drives fail in the last eighteen years, of course I've replaced a lot of them just because (faster-bigger, etc.).
HDs MTBF normally is 100,000 hrs~11 years.
I've only had two drives fail in the last eighteen years, of course I've replaced a lot of them just because (faster-bigger, etc.).
Most HD manufacturers have discarded the use of MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) as a benchmark, as it's been shown to be a mostly useless and arbitrary number (do you think your HD manufacturer actually tested your current model for 11 years before bringing it to market? I think not!).
The truth of the matter is that hard drives fail. And unless you're using SSD, the hard disk is pretty much the only device in your computer that has a mechanical component to it (stepper motor, read-write head, platter, etc.). All mechanical devices wear out, and since hard drives are sealed in a closed container, there is no way to service them periodically.
The truth of this statement, which dates back to the 1970s, is still apparent:
Old Adage wrote:
There are two kinds of hard disk users: Those who have had a disk failure, and those who haven't had a disk failure -- YET.
Aug 29, 2014 10:01:10 #
HD makers still use MTBF, they simulate the years of use very easily. Same as your car tire makers simulate miles and miles or use. Same way they test camera shutters. Perhaps it might be better to say they compress 11 years of use down to a few months.
But I agree all mechanical devices fail at some point
But I agree all mechanical devices fail at some point
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