storing photos

[mikergj]

I presently have all my pics on my laptop, could some one please tell me what method they use, or the best way to store all those photos that you would like to keep for ever.

I could burn them on to a disk, but they scratch easy in time.

Thankyou in advance

 

[mikergj]

O.K no reply's,but then I suppose it has only been a couple of minutes

A little research on google and I see there is such a thing as a portable photograph storage device, does any one have one of these and if so which one.

Thanks again.

 

[DemiLion]

Just use an external USB hard drive, preferably doubled up.

 

[neil_g]

portable storage tends to cost a lot for a small amount of space..

it has been discussed quite a few times but whatever method you chose its best to keep at least 2 copies of your data on 2 separate physical devices at all times. i.e - laptop and external hard drive, 2 external hard drives, external hard drive and optical media.. etc. if you can factor in an off site copy too, e.g hard drive at your parents house etc then all the better.

 

[studioworks]

I use a network staorage device to keep not just photos but all my media on, can access it from any computer on the network then or it can even be set up to access it over the internet.
Any crucial photos i`d back up onto cd/dvd as well though, a lot more chance of a hard drive failing than a cd if its stored somewhere safe.

 

[DemiLion]

I use a network staorage device to keep not just photos but all my media on, can access it from any computer on the network then or it can even be set up to access it over the internet.
Any crucial photos i`d back up onto cd/dvd as well though, a lot more chance of a hard drive failing than a cd if its stored somewhere safe.

More likely the exact opposite I would have thought. The weakest point of an external HD is the mount or caddy, not the disk itself.

 

[neil_g]

cd/dvd has more chance of failing in poor conditions. if moisture gets into the glue they can delaminate extremely quickly.

blu-ray supposedly does not have this issue due to construction differences.

 

[mikergj]

Thanks for the replies and as you say Neil it has been discussed on here alot and after a little google session I can see why.

Apparently the way a digital photo is stored it will never deteriorate , unlike film or an actual photograph. But the device that digital information is on can deteriorate, that being a hard drive or disc.

So what I read which pretty much goes along with what you guys have said, is do both.

Thats that little question answered then, thanks again, its all interesting.

 

[andybeach]

More likely the exact opposite I would have thought. The weakest point of an external HD is the mount or caddy, not the disk itself.

Precisely! I had that issue so my 1TB network backup drive is now a 1TB internal backup drive!! However this means I no longer have an 'independent' backup (in case of fire or theft).

Some of the 'cloud backup' solutions look quite attractive until you reaslise how sloooww they are - I have a fairly modest storage system (400GB external + 250GB internal) but after a scan I was duly informed my first backup would take 3.8 months!! Don't want to hijack the thread but as this is 'on topic' I'd be interested to know if anyone's used one of these systems to good effect?

Andy

 

[srichards]

CD/DVD can have a short life, some as little as a few years. I've got all my pics on idrive which is a monthly online backup. It's about a tenner a month for 500GB and up to 5 computers. I have also got a livedrive account which is also a tenner a month but unlimited space. A NAS box with mirrored drives is another solution if you have a lot of images.

I also use the livedrive for server backup as it has ftp support. Saved me £50 a month doing that

Online storage is only suitable if you have a decent broadband connection with decent upload.

 

[studioworks]

I would of thought a branded cd/dvd kept sensibly and not used would last for a good number of years. While I have had cd's fail its always been from scratchs. I have had a few hard drives fail over the years though just from usual use.
I'd just feel safer knowing theirs a dvd backup kept safe plus the backup on the nas, can't hurt to have multiple backups after all.

 

[Mikesphotaes]

CD/DVD can have a short life, some as little as a few years. ............

I have just accessed a CD from 2004, photos just as crap as the day I took them!

As long as you store the Cd's/DVD's in a drawer somehere dry and away from light, they should be OK.

I have never heard of Cd's or DVD's delaminating unless I have put them in the garden, to scare away the cats, or read Neil's posts!

 

[neil_g]

or read Neil's posts!

thats a little harsh.. i suspect im not the only one on here that has had cd/dvd failure.. i have had amoungst others pre-recorded movie DVDs that have spent all of their life in a cupboard have this issue.

but for those that prefer optical media some useful information..

If you have purchased quality media from a quality manufacturer, you are still not assured of 50-100 years of data life!

You are the greatest danger to the data longevity of your personal, family and business information that is stored on CD and DVD. Direct exposure to sunlight and intense heat can do dramatic damage. Rapid changes in temperature and humidity can stress the materials. Gravity can bend and stress the discs. Fingerprints and smudges can do more damage than scratches.

But by following a few Do's and Don'ts you can ensure your precious family and friend pictures, movies, family records and business files have the maximum data life.
Do

* Handle discs by the outer edge or the center hole
* Use a non solvent-based felt-tip permanent marker to mark the label side of the disc
* Keep dirt or other foreign matter from the disc
* Store discs upright (book style) in original jewel cases that are specified for CDs and DVDs
* Return discs to their jewel cases immediately after use
* Leave discs in their spindle or jewel case to minimize the effects of environmental changes
* Remove the shrink wrap only when you are ready to record data on the disc
* Store in a cool, dry, dark environment in which the air is clean -- relative humidity should be in the range 20% - 50% (RH) and temperature should be in the range 4°C - 20°C
* Remove dirt, foreign material, fingerprints, smudges, and liquids by wiping with a clean cotton fabric in a straight line from the center of the disc toward the outer edge
* Use deionized (best), distilled or soft tap water to clean your discs. For tough problems use diluted dish detergent or rubbing alcohol. Rinse and dry thoroughly with a lint-free cloth or photo lens tissue
* Check the disc surface before recording

Do not

* Touch the surface of the disc
* Bend the disc
* Store discs horizontally for a long time (years)
* Open a recordable optical disc package if you are not ready to record
* Expose discs to extreme heat or high humidity
* Expose discs to extreme rapid temperature or humidity changes
* Expose recordable discs to prolonged sunlight or other sources of UV light
* Write or mark in the data area of the disc (area where the laser "reads")
* Clean in a circular direction around the disc.

 

[DemiLion]

You aren't the only one Neil. I wouldn't trust anything important to either CD or DVD media unless it was at least the third line

 

[Mikesphotaes]

thats a little harsh.. i suspect im not the only one on here that has had cd/dvd failure.. i have had amoungst others pre-recorded movie DVDs that have spent all of their life in a cupboard have this issue.

but for those that prefer optical media some useful information..

Not meant to be harsh, Neil, I genuinely had not heard of any problems until you started saying so in your posts.

 

[neil_g]

not taken personally, just saying as far as i was concerned a lot of people have had at least one failure in my opinion

 

[hollis_f]

Some of the 'cloud backup' solutions look quite attractive until you reaslise how sloooww they are - I have a fairly modest storage system (400GB external + 250GB internal) but after a scan I was duly informed my first backup would take 3.8 months!! Don't want to hijack the thread but as this is 'on topic' I'd be interested to know if anyone's used one of these systems to good effect?

If it would take 4 months to upload the backup it would probably take a couple of years to restore it! The Cloud is a great place to store images and other data so you can access then from anywhere. But it's no backup.

DVDs are slower than hard drives, more expensive, take up more storage space and it's a real hassle to retrieve images. Multiple hard drives, with one stored off-site, is fast, reliable and cheap.

 

[srichards]

If it would take 4 months to upload the backup it would probably take a couple of years to restore it! The Cloud is a great place to store images and other data so you can access then from anywhere. But it's no backup.

DVDs are slower than hard drives, more expensive, take up more storage space and it's a real hassle to retrieve images. Multiple hard drives, with one stored off-site, is fast, reliable and cheap.

Broadband download is generally much faster than the upload so downloading and restoring would take much less time.

Unless you have a minimum 500Kb upload speed I'd probably steer clear of online backup if you have more than a few GB to do at once. My first 64Gb one took two weeks with a 200k ish upload. Some of the estimators are also hopeless so you have to really try and see how far they get in a few hours and work it from there.

The online backup service from Virgin Media which they provide free is dismal. I have found idrive and livedrive both to offer reasonable back up times. Both are around £10 a month.

As broadband gets faster and faster then online backup becomes more attractive.

I had one CDR fail after a year. I've also had a few pre recorded cds start to delaminate so they don't last forever.

Shedloads of cheap flash drives is another option instead of CD. Hard to organise but data would be safer than on an HDD.

 

[Cistron]

Shedloads of cheap flash drives is another option instead of CD. Hard to organise but data would be safer than on an HDD.

As far as I am informed, a magnetic hard-drive is still the most practical way of data storage (unless you're into NAS and appropriate RAIDs). Use an external SATA dock, transfer data and store HD in its clam-shell packaging in a secure space.

However, this still means that you'd need several copies of your data.