How to get pics off an external hard drive?

[Fireball]

I've been using the Seagate FreeAgent Go for a few months now, always backing up everything, especially after lots of editing. My problem is I'm trying to now look at pics that I put on it from March and can only find pics back to May. Where in the world are all the other months I put on there? Thankfully I also burned these pics to a disc, but I'm worried this thing isn't working the right way. I have it set up to backup all my photos only when I plug it in.

[Rson]

The backup sometimes keeps over writing the files. So you may have backed it up, but the next time you plug in the backup writes over it. Check your settings.

[Fireball]

Oh, you're kidding! So how do I keep it from overwriting what's already there? Don't see anything that explains that. I'll have to look again. Thanks.

[Fireball]

Checked and I have the automatic overwrite unchecked. Good thing I also burn images to discs but I'm wondering about future pics.

[tukaniray]

Hard Drives are a scary thing these days. You never know when they will give you issues.

Burning the files onto a more hard medium is a great idea. I do that as well. I have 2 1TBs and have a large CD/DVD holder for the copies.

I too have had hard drives fail or erase files ... out of no where.

Just keep those hard backups with your hard drive and you should be okay.

-Ray-

[Flea77]

Another option is that it may be "syncing" your images. What this means is that it is making whatever is on your external match whatever is on your internal. You delete a file off your internal (thinking it is still on the external) and when you plug the drive back in it "syncs" and BAM! Deletes all of the files off the external that you deleted off the internal.

Allan

[Fireball]

I think that's what's happening, Allan. As you said, when I've backed up files I usually delete them from my computer. Hmm...will again have to check into that sync thing. Wonder if I can just uncheck that also. I don't leave the portable hard drive attached at all times. I just plug it in after editing photos and back them up, at least that's what I thought I was doing.

[r_kasmir]

ICEMirror is a neat free program that can be set up to mirror a drive, but has a mode not to erase a file that has been erase off the main drive. The bad thing about it, sooner or later your backup drive fills up since nothing is every erase.

[bburton]

Easy to use; reliable; and free. Microsoft SyncToy

Download details: SyncToy 2.1

[MT Stringer]

Synctoy is what I use also. Several options to select the way you want to backup your files. I have used it to copy just a single folder to the NAS box. Works pretty well for me.

[Flea77]

I will third Synctoy, the mode with Synctoy you want to use is called Contribute. This will copy everything to the external, including if you rename a file on the internal, it will rename it on the external. It will NOT however delete anything off the external even when you delete it off the internal.

Allan

[apollo.11]

Originally Posted by MT Stringer

Synctoy is what I use also. Several options to select the way you want to backup your files. I have used it to copy just a single folder to the NAS box. Works pretty well for me.

so synctoy will work on a NAS?

[Fireball]

So synctoy works in conjunction with my external hard drive or does it replace it? I'm confused.

[Flea77]

Synctoy is a piece of software that copies files from one location (internal hard drive) to another (external hard drive).

Allan

[MT Stringer]

Originally Posted by apollo.11

so synctoy will work on a NAS?

Yes, works for me.
Mike