I Need Help: v2/3: Archiving??

[eurotrash]

Ok guys #2 is Archiving...I have 4 HDD's with loads of space, but i recently turned over my 10K image point with my 20D and am thinking about archiving. I havent ever really done it, just kept folders for every camera that hold all the original files like a photo library. Anyways do you use DVD-R's or Zip them? where do you keep them? any thoughts?

[swanny338]

well I just backed up my entire collection to CDs, I would have used DVDs but I dont have a dvd burner at this point in time... I am also planning on getting a large external harddrive to backup to.

I didnt zip them up.

[MyKey]

DVD's and external 1TB hard drive, hold just about everything I need for each year I shoot however it is still a hard drive so I back everything up on 2 sets of DVD's one at home and one at my office or partner's house.

[eurotrash]

Originally Posted by MyKey

DVD's and external 1TB hard drive, hold just about everything I need for each year I shoot however it is still a hard drive so I back everything up on 2 sets of DVD's one at home and one at my office or partner's house.

1 TERRRAAAABYTEEEE man thats awesome.

[MyKey]

1 TERRRAAAABYTEEEE man thats awesome.

Yeah but it is also EEEEEEEEEXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXPPPPPPEEEEENSSSSSIVVVVEE!! !!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$


But worth it for piece of mind!

[Sheldon]

I finally got smart and bought (2) 250 gig external Firewire / USB 2.0 External Hard Drives. I backup all my digital files (as well as other important stuff) to both. I keep one hooked up to my computer, and the other is in a fire safe box we have in the house. I use to backup to CD's, then moved to DVD's, but I prefer the external HD's.

[OversighT]

Like swanny I backup to CDs. I have 12 filled so far and another 5gb of photos that I have to burn off. Since I started my photo-a-day project I'm beginning to use up HD space very quickly. I'd like to move to DVD or external HD as a secondary backup, but I'm pretty much tapped out right now and can't afford it.


T.

[Abel]

i do external 250g and DVDs....

u can never have too many backups... hehe

[Bill Huber]

I use Nero Backit Up, it is a normal backup program.

That is when you backup the files it set the archive bit so it knows the file has been backed up. Then on the next incremental back up it will not back up that file unless it was changed.
I use DVD, DVD drives are getting real cheap and the DVDs are also very cheap.

CDs or DVDs will not last forever, there has been a lot written about the live of them, some say its 5 years and some say its shorter. This is for the ones you write yourself.

So I start out with a full backup, all 30 gb of them, then every month I do an incremental backup, then about every 6 or 8 months I do a complete back up and start all over again.
At this time I have about 4 sets of backup, and I keep 3 at the house and one at work in our tape vault. The newest one always goes to the vault.
Now if I have images that I have take for someone I will put them on CD as soon as I have done all the post work on them.

[Hogleg 44]

I backup to two external 250GB Hard Drives as well as to 2 sets of DVD's.
I did a bit of online research recently and came to the conclusion that the best DVD brand to use for backup purposes currently is the "Taiyo Yuden" brand, or another using their coatings. they are reputed to have the surface coating that is the most likely to withstand the ravages of time. If memory serves, they are supposed to be good for 75 to 100 years...but who really knows??? The DVD technology is only a few years old, so there is no way to have any kind of real time aging test.
So, all you can do is rely on the tests of others who are supposed to be experts in this field.
However, irregardless of which brand, or coating is supposed to be superior, all "Experts" seem to agree that DVD's/CD's have the best chance of surviving time if stored in a COOL DARK area.