Backing up files
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- gramme
So, all you other one-man (or woman) bands out there. How do you back up/store your files? I'm weary of DVDs. Do you just fill up an extra hard drive and store it away from your office? Or do you use a server?
I was looking at subscribing to Mozy, but then found out the monthly fees go up each month as you add more (you pay per gig). That could get hella expensive in a couple years.
I've got about 43 gigs of work on my computer right now, and 80% of it doesn't exist anywhere else. I know, I know...
- Ravdyk0
Put the files your not working on on a external hd and backup the hd.
Fort he files on your computer use time machine.
- Ravdyk0
Put the files your not working on on a external hd and backup the hd.
Fort he files on your computer use time machine.
- anthonyzinonos0
i back all my bits up on an external hard drive, i've heard that dropbox is pretty good too
https://www.dropbox.com/
- M_C_P0
ive noticed in these types of threads, several truths emerge:
• RAID is not backup
• backups must account for theft and fire
• a backup physically exists in at least 2 places
• backups must be done with regular frequencyjust wanted to fast forward this thread a few posts.
- d_rek0
All files get stored on an xhdd. I will copy working files over to the laptop to reduce loading time but always save back to the xhdd. I have time machien backing up to a second xhdd on a weekly schedule as well (I know, probably not frequently enough).
- ArmandoEstrada0
Mac? Plug in external, turn on time machine, done.
- ethanfink0
I back up 2-3TB's on Mozy. I only get charged $5 a month. Look for the personal plan.
Dropbox is good, but for sharing files, not for mass storage.
I use external's, raid internal HD's and Mozy.
- Stian0
I have a lot of terrabytes in my system, and this is my routines:
Active files:
2 separate internal drives + Time Machine (on workstation)Archive:
Internal drive, External drive, DVD´s and online.When a project is completed, I burn it on DVDs, and keep one digital index and one handwritten. Next I put it on an external drive. I hook this drive up to one of my home computers (mac), and back up the disk to BackBlaze (www.backblaze.com).
As ethanfink says, Dropbox is good for sharing files, but not for mass storage. A good idea is to keep your documents (invoices, to-to-lists etc) on there, and sync it to all your computers.
- iCanHazNTC0
I used to have several hard drives, and a book of DVDs, then I realized that there is really no safety in any of that, plus all of that tech garbage is just that—fucking garbage.
I use Dropbox now, on the 50GB a year account and would not use anything else again.
- I don't do a lot of print design, so I have no need for backup systems of terabytes of files (absurd).iCanHazNTC
- TB's of storage for me are for Video and Raw photo files.
One video or photo session can be 10-40 GB's.ethanfink
- acescence0
and what happens if dropbox just evaporates your data one day? their terms explicitly say they're not responsible if your data just disappears, which makes sense of course, but it's not very comforting. I don't know that I could put that much faith in them without some extra backups of my own.
- It's just data to me. It would be a blessing if everything I was working just evaporated.iCanHazNTC
- ethanfink0
^ This is exactly why I choose Mozy. The company is owned by EMC a multi-billion dollar company specializing in this service. I would not trust a web start up with my data.
- gramme0
I might grab the personal plan from Mozy then. Otherwise, this time next year I'll be paying like $50 a month just to store my files somewhere.
Thanks all for the advice. :D
- 4040
I use time machine and also backup everything to another external hard drive.
- cerberus0
Use thumb drives then shove them up your ass.
- orrinward0
I use Dropbox and Google Docs for any main important current working documents and every other month or so I back up to 2 external Hard Drives.
- MrBixler0
Drobo and Time Machine
http://drobo.com/products_time_m…
- twooh0
Definitely Drobo. I have the DroboS, and it works great. Uses a proprietary RAID 5 setup, so you can use a mixture of drives if you so desire.
I never use Time Machine. I use Chronosync every hour, along with Dropbox.
I started a clean install of OS X and Windows 7 with all my apps and fonts installed, then I created an image of both and backed it up onto my Drobo, so if my drives fail, I just reload the image onto the drive in 10 minutes and it's as good as new.
- Daithi0
Backblaze is $50 a year for unlimited storage, I've found it to be good. It installs as a system preference pane on OSX, and runs in the background. Between that and time machine I feel secure enough.
- robot520
you might also consider simply buying a spindle of DVDs and make backups (might require more than one dvd) when you do heavy sessions or whatever. DVDs are pretty cheap nowadays. Make 2. store one away from your usual computer junk at your home and the other somewhere else entirely. You didn't say what OS you are on but with Mac OS X you can create a smart folder of stuff last modified in the last x days which helps lessen the madness.
I use time machine, with back up at the end of the day. end of the week i do an extra copy to a separate external hard drive.
A band called DubTribe that had this situation. everything on one harddrive. harddrive died and an entire album among other things was lost.
The online solutions are ok but for things that truly define me I would rather they be under my responsibility as much as possible.