Question for hard drive backup experts (Page 3): That's the way to do it. I remember backup programs that created one indecipherable file.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

bleirer wrote:

On the windows one I mentioned you can access individual files. You pick the folders to include and set a schedule and it runs in the background.

That's the way to do it. I remember backup programs that created one indecipherable file.

Old Dutch

bleirer wrote:

So I backup my windows 10 pc that i use just for p... (show quote)

If you use WD (western digital) drives, they make a free automatic back up that will do so incrementally on a schedule you specify, and also distribute free software that will check your drives for you to spot problems before they occur, called Data LifeGuard for Windows. Their back-up is made specifically for USB drives from "C" drive where, presumably, your originals are stored, and 2 different versions are offered for free download. Acronis offers a paid version of incremental back up as well that allows you to make a separate "boot" drive that will start and restore your PC in most cases but will in any case allow you to boot your usb drive and access normally. To reiterate others, do what is necessary to back up your photos. When they are lost to a crash it is a long, long and expensive process to get them back, and never 100% of them, and only if the drive can be read, which is not always the case. Good luck

rck281 Loc: Overland Park, KS

bleirer wrote:

1. Is using the windows backup system, the one that works through the file history part of system tools to write to a designated backup drive on a user set schedule as good as copying the folders directly? Or is it more or less likely to lose data?

IMO File History keeps each version of a file for however long you choose. Each file and version of a file is easily retrieved. I believe it's main purpose is to save the various revisions of a document. For that purpose it works well but takes an increasing amount of disk space.
For backup, I suggest you use the built in Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Each files is easily retrieved and, if enabled, is capable of storing a System Image for a defective drive.
Everything you need, other than cloud backup, is built in.

papakatz45 Loc: South Florida-West Palm Beach

Longshadow wrote:

Unless the current Windows "backup system&quo... (show quote)

Windows file history (backup program) does indeed allow you to view\restore individual files.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

papakatz45 wrote:

Windows file history (backup program) does indeed allow you to view\restore individual files.

Good to know for future reference.
Quite content with my batch file right now.

Murray Loc: New Westminster

I use a couple of external hard drives.

pilot64 Loc: Atlanta, GA

I just spent four miserable days consolidating ten years of photography from three hard drives and two computers to one backup hard drive. It would have been much easier to use the cloud. I am now looking for a good cloud backup service for disaster recovery. Any recommendations?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

pilot64 wrote:

I just spent four miserable days consolidating ten years of photography from three hard drives and two computers to one backup hard drive. It would have been much easier to use the cloud. I am now looking for a good cloud backup service for disaster recovery. Any recommendations?

Carbonite and Backblaze seem to be very popular.

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Old Dutch wrote:

If you use WD (western digital) drives, they make ... (show quote)

Just to add to this, the WD free backup program also does revision backups, up to 5 I believe. Also, you can restore files from the back up program,including revisions but you can also just copy the files (not sure about the revision files) with any file manager, meaning they are not compressed/encoded.

bleirer

BigDaddy wrote:

Just to add to this, the WD free backup program also does revision backups, up to 5 I believe. Also, you can restore files from the back up program,including revisions but you can also just copy the files (not sure about the revision files) with any file manager, meaning they are not compressed/encoded.

Explain more about what revision is, talk to me like I'm a beginner at it.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

bleirer wrote:

So I backup my windows 10 pc that i use just for p... (show quote)

The whole concept of hard drives fully protecting your irreplaceable files from loss is flawed. Without cloud backup, you are at significant risk. See carbonite.com.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

aellman wrote:

The whole concept of hard drives fully protecting your irreplaceable files from loss is flawed. Without cloud backup, you are at significant risk. See carbonite.com.

They really are better than no backups though.
If more than one, where are the second (or third) stored?
Different room? Neighbor's house? Fireproof safe? Safe deposit box? Bail-out bag?

Not like they are worthless and cloud is the only way to go.

And of course Carbonite wants to sell you their service.

And we all have our own opinions, right?

I'll agree, Carbonite (cloud) IS a great convenience as it backs up files almost immediately when the are created or modified. Saves me the trouble of backing up individual files between my regular backups.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

papakatz45 wrote:

Windows file history (backup program) does indeed allow you to view\restore individual files.

They got smart...

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

aellman wrote:

The whole concept of hard drives fully protecting your irreplaceable files from loss is flawed. Without cloud backup, you are at significant risk. See carbonite.com.

Hard drives should be your primary archive. The cloud should be secondary but essential.

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

bleirer wrote:

Explain more about what revision is, talk to me like I'm a beginner at it.

If a file changes but the name stays the same, it's a "revised" file. Normally, a backup program only keeps the newest "version" of the file.

For example if you have pic.jpg, and it's backed up, and later you add a keyword description to the IPTC part of the file, WD will mark the original as deleted but will keep it, along with the new, changed file. Same for say a batch file you use for back ups. If you edit the backup batch file, say add a folder to back up to the batch file, it will keep the new file, but also keep the previously backed up file as revision 1. WD backup program allows you to keep up to 5 revisions (the number is configurable up to 5) This is handy at times but of course takes up to 5x the space.

Generally, this is not all that useful, unless perhaps you are a programmer and make frequent changes to an app you are writing, and even then, most programmers keep their own versions. This obviously is why it is configurable.