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Post by chrispeas on Oct 18, 2015 20:17:04 GMT
I have an external HD, but want to have a second backup. I have never backed up to a disk of any kind. Not sure where to begin. Which one is better to use? How much can I store on a disk? What brands do you use? Thanks!
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oaksong
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Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
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Post by oaksong on Oct 18, 2015 20:25:51 GMT
A DVD is going to hold more. It's really easy to drag your photos over to copy them. If they aren't in folders, you might want to group them into events, or at least years to make it easier to find things. I don't think the brand matters.
To be extra safe, I would also add some kind of cloud backup. And store the DVDs in a separate location completely in case of fire.
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Post by katlady on Oct 18, 2015 20:42:28 GMT
Also, I have heard that the quality on CDs/DVDs deteriorates after a while, so you will need to make new disks every few years.
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scrapbug
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Jun 26, 2014 0:11:46 GMT
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Post by scrapbug on Oct 18, 2015 23:04:57 GMT
I use regular CD's and make 2 copies. They can go bad and I've been lucky the couple of times that has happened to have a backup. I plan on buying an external hard drive this week and will be saving to that as well for extra protection. My main computer's hard drive went on the fritz last week and I haven't been good these past 2 years about saving my pics to CD's like I normally do and I'm just lucky that my computer guy was able to save all the files.
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Post by redshoes on Oct 18, 2015 23:12:34 GMT
I use flash drives as my 2nd copy. I label the drive with a Dymo label on the outside and put them on a ribbon ring to keep all the flash drives together.
My primary copy is on an EHD.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Oct 19, 2015 3:48:38 GMT
Our computer guy said that in order to have the best longevity, you need to use gold CDs or DVDs. Apparently they don't degrade as fast. I have my stuff backed up on an external hard drive, CDs, DVDs, the original media they were taken on, and most recently I started using a PictureKeeper too.
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tracylynn
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Post by tracylynn on Oct 19, 2015 16:07:49 GMT
Keep in mind, computers with CD/DVD drives are going away very quickly. Online/Cloud backup is really the way to go (along with EHD).
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Post by STBC on Oct 19, 2015 16:19:54 GMT
Keep in mind, computers with CD/DVD drives are going away very quickly. Online/Cloud backup is really the way to go (along with EHD). That is true. My current laptop at home and at work both do not have a CD/DVD drive. I feel like I have come full circle as my first work laptop did not have a CD drive! |
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Post by chrispeas on Oct 19, 2015 23:57:46 GMT
Thank you all for your responses. I didn't know that about the CD/DVD drive.  Wouldn't you need that for program install? What if you wanted to watch a movie? I just bought a new printer that has DVD printing. I need a new laptop soon. Ugh! |
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Post by anniefb on Oct 20, 2015 2:04:41 GMT
I used to do CD/DVD backups years ago and just remember how tedious they were. I back up to an EHD, to a separate EHD with Apple Time Machine and also upload my photos to Dropbox and Flickr. I think a mixture of EHDs and cloud storage is the way to go.
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Post by chrispeas on Oct 22, 2015 19:41:03 GMT
I need to know which disks to get. I went and looked today, but I'm not sure which ones I should be getting. I saw DVD-R, DVD+R and CD-R. I also looked at the jump sticks. Ugh!
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Post by katlady on Oct 22, 2015 20:46:53 GMT
I need to know which disks to get. I went and looked today, but I'm not sure which ones I should be getting. I saw DVD-R, DVD+R and CD-R. I also looked at the jump sticks. Ugh! It will depend on your hardware. Not a good answer sorry! I have an Apple computer and use DVD-R. DVD+R are supposedly better, but it is not compatible with all machines for recording purposes. You can play both on any machine, but for recording you have to use the one compatible with your laptop. |
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caangel
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Post by caangel on Oct 22, 2015 23:02:23 GMT
I could be wrong but I thought the the R meant rewrite able. That you could save over the original data or add to it. Not sure if that is correct.
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Post by chrispeas on Oct 23, 2015 13:57:39 GMT
I need to know which disks to get. I went and looked today, but I'm not sure which ones I should be getting. I saw DVD-R, DVD+R and CD-R. I also looked at the jump sticks. Ugh! It will depend on your hardware. Not a good answer sorry! I have an Apple computer and use DVD-R. DVD+R are supposedly better, but it is not compatible with all machines for recording purposes. You can play both on any machine, but for recording you have to use the one compatible with your laptop. Where do I find that info? |
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Post by katlady on Oct 23, 2015 16:21:05 GMT
chrispeas - I think the best way is to read the specs on your hardware. They usually tell you what your DVD drive can or can't accommodate. I would also google something like "dvd-r or dvd+ for Toshiba laptop", and insert whatever brand of laptop you have. It seems like not only does -R or +R matter, but also the brand matters in some cases.
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Post by chrispeas on Oct 24, 2015 18:26:52 GMT
My new computer says this
Optical Drive: DVD-RW
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Post by LisaDV on Oct 24, 2015 19:39:51 GMT
I have never had much luck with the CD's and then DVD's. I've used both through the years. They are a PIA, imho. I'd use USB drives or another EHD. To download my photos onto cd/dvd's, took sooooo many. The EHD is much more compact, so it saves space too. Plus they are all in one spot as oppose to flipping through the discs to get the right year/month, etc.
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iowgirl
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Post by iowgirl on Oct 24, 2015 19:53:24 GMT
I use 2 EHD's. Cloud isn't an option for me.
I store one offsite.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 6, 2024 19:48:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2015 0:06:50 GMT
Check out a passbook. For the price and amount they hold, it may be better than DVDs or CDs. Just did my backup today.
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Post by ahiller on Oct 27, 2015 21:19:52 GMT
For $5/month, you can do an online backup to Backblaze. Totally worth the peace of mind and super easy to download files if you lose them.
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Post by DinCA on Oct 28, 2015 3:55:56 GMT
I have an external hard drive. And I use Amazon Prime's free unlimited cloud storage as an offsite backup. I do have lots of photos on CDs, though, and I'm constantly afraid I'm going to lose them. I really need to take the time to back them up to Amazon.
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caangel
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Post by caangel on Oct 28, 2015 4:43:57 GMT
I saw a 2T EHD for around $80 in costco's coupon book for Nov.
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Post by streetscrapper on Oct 28, 2015 12:45:42 GMT
Having lost photos in the past, I am super crazy about making sure that they are backed up properly - and having said that, I know that cloud storage is the best way to go, but I have a hard time justifying the cost - because even at just $5 a month, that adds up pretty fast! I have my photos backed up on two external hard drives and most recently a flash drive. I have used both CDs and DVDs in the past and have lost photos because of "bad spots on the disc"! For that reason alone, I would NEVER recommend CD or DVD storage for something as precious as your photos. That and the fact that I know my next computer won't have a CD/DVD drive...
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dald222
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Post by dald222 on Nov 1, 2015 0:53:55 GMT
I have been using gold cds for years. I first bought them at an online arhival supply site but later my camera store carries them.
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Post by Scrapthology on Nov 3, 2015 8:44:51 GMT
If you're open to suggestions I'd say get a decent sized flash drive, they're cheap and small enough to carry around so your backup is away from home.
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Post by chrispeas on Nov 3, 2015 19:43:00 GMT
I bought a 64GB flash drive. I will need at least 3 of them. Thank you all for your input.
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Post by TracieClaiborne on Nov 3, 2015 19:46:04 GMT
I back up to gold DVD's, couldn't tell you the brand. I want an external hard drive but I mainly rely on printing my photos as my backup. I figure that's what my parents did so if I have all my photos I love printed, I'm not too terribly concerned about the digi version.
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Wouldn't you need that for program install? What if you wanted to watch a movie? I just bought a new printer that has DVD printing. I need a new laptop soon. Ugh!
