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[dcwebman]

After reading this article, I think I need to forget about buying/building an HTPC and concentrate on getting a better backup solution. I have decided that I'm going all paperless. My 4 high file cabinet should be reduced greatly when I'm done in addition to the 6-8 photo albums, few scrapbooks of favorite greeting cards, stack of magazines I have been saving for research when needed, etc. will all be gone. But I need to make sure that once they're gone, I'll never lose anything like this guy did. Just have to decide on the best and cost-efficient solution now.

http://baratunde.com/blog/archives/2007/09/please_backup_your_hard_drive_now_twice.html

[benn600]

I find that scanned photos and documents hardly take any space, too.  You can easily fit a thousand or more scanned documents with very good photo or lower quality full size document quality on a single DVD.  As I'm scanning my stuff I hardly see my server's free space get touched!  But with smaller drives that seems true also.

What kind of data are you talking about?  I would like to go paperless!  What are you doing?  Scanning stuff and recycling paper?

[dcwebman]

Most of the data will end up as PDF files for documents, probably JPG for scanned photos (yes, I know it's lossy but I don't plan on doing editing after and it takes up less space), and I guess that's pretty much it. I see a lot of PDF files in my future. I have Paperport so that will help in that regard. I plan on taking my old printed photos and sending them off to a service that will scan them all quickly so it won't take me weeks to do that. Right now I have all monthly statements as paperless except two. When those come in, I scan and then shred them. I think I will do the same with important receipts too. I have looked for receipts in my file cabinet that are years old and since they were printed on thermal paper, they are barely distinguishable now. If I had scanned them at the time I would still have a copy.

I think I have a process in mind. The problem is now coming up with a solid backup solution. I use SyncBackSE right now to an external hard drive but think I need to do something more.

[benn600]

I also use the paid SyncBack.  That is a good suggestion because it could really help.  I'm a big fan of not placing my trust in a program and its database.  But rather I prefer simply storing files with good filenames and in folders.  This way without any special software, I can access the keys to the data.

What resolution do you scan at?  I use 600 DPI for my photos because 300 just wasn't cutting it.  I'm using an Epson Perfection 4990 Photo and it seems reasonably fast.  It is very fast on lower resolutions but I would think you would want some good quality.  What are the advantages or disadvantages of scanning and shredding?  I guess I'm thinking back to many year old receipts.  You wouldn't need to show Best Buy, for example, so it wouldn't be hugely problematic.  The biggest requirement would be rock solid backups.  However, if you lost the files in a house fire because you didn't have an offsite backup, no biggie because you most likely would have without scanning them!  So you aren't taking any more risk by keeping backups only in the house.

The problem is that we have lots of old documents that we keep that simply take tons of space and will probably not ever be needed.  I'm going to do some more research and maybe I'll get this moving.  We're going through the scanning process on our photos.  It is taking a very long time but it means a lot to us to scan them ourselves--using our scanner and saving money.

Converting old analog to digital stuff seems like such an overpowering task now.  Luckily I've already finished all but a few tapes I found recently...but then the photos need scanned.  We've scanned around 500 photos but that's barely a dent.  I'm estimating 10,000 + 10,000 slides.

[dcwebman]

With the photos I've scanned in the past 300dpi was fine enough for me. But if I remember correctly, you like big cover art where I'm satisfied with 500x500. I have an HP 6310 All-in-one and am struggling right now with the scanning software as sometimes I need to reboot just to get a fresh system so it will scan. I'm also trying out VueScan to see if I want to go with that instead.

I have read too many stories of identity theft so that's the reason for shredding the statements. Anything I get in the mail that has an account number or something on it that I decide to throw away gets shredded. BTW, if you're going to get a shredder, I recommend a cross-cut one.

That's a lot of photos and slides you have. I just don't have the time to do all those. Thanks for reminding me because I also plan on converting a bunch of videotapes to DVD too. And then if I get ambitious, I'm going through some cassette tapes too. I tell you, all digital. LOL

I've been looking at the HP Media Vault because it can do Raid 1 and also thinking about maybe waiting until HP comes out with their Windows Home Server device. Like the article to the link I posted, I might go with Mozy for off-site storage or maybe just FTP to one of my websites. I'm really not a paranoid person because it wasn't until last year that I started backing up after years and years of working in the computer industry. But since I'm going to be all digital, I don't want to take a chance on losing anything.

I also like the simplicity of this article:
http://www.followsteph.com/2006/07/03/4-simple-steps-to-protect-your-data-from-999999-of-all-computer-failures/

There are just a lot of options and I have to decide on a solution that works for me. I'd like to get the backup system in place of course before I start converting everything.

[benn600]

I highly recommend the Epson scanner I'm using.  I, too, have had lots of trouble with scanning software requiring unplugging the scanner, turning it off/on, restarting computer, even reinstalling the software.  But this Epson is the first scanner where I have yet to have an issue--unless I forget to turn it on.

It cost $400 but was on sale for $350...oh, and it had a $100 rebate.  What a bargain!  $250!

But I'm sure their lower end scanners are similar.

We've got two nice shredders but they aren't cross cut.  I saw a really nice on at Staples that shreds to !tiny! bits--smaller than any of the other ones.  I think the best idea is to shred everything and then burn it!

I don't have to worry about cassettes or much else other than our photos and slides.  But that's a lot right there!

[benn600]

I've been looking at Carbonite.  It's a sponsor for Leo Laporte's radio show.  I see that they offer unlimited data storage for a very reasonable price.  So I emailed them and asked them about 3 TB of data backup space...lol.  I would seriously consider signing up!  Even if I couldn't store my entire DVD collection, which takes the majority of the space on my server, that may be a good solution.  It would be more of a backup backup just in case I have trouble.  I would have a tough time relying on another company only...besides, it's good to have 2 or more backups.

And uploading 3 TB could take two years.  Then, if I lost the data, I'd have to download it, which would take one year.  I may upgrade my internet speed if I had to do that!  And if I didn't backup the DVDs it wouldn't be much at all.

[GHammer]

Amazon S3
I'd go with a company that you think will be around in 10 years.

Also, what 's the IRS going to say if you walk in to your audit with a DVD full of scanned receipts?

[benn600]

Lol.  I'm not going to claim I know what's going on.  Nor have I started anything.  I would probably keep the important receipts for 8 years like you're supposed to.  That's not as hard as keeping everything.
I'm not the expert!

[dcwebman]

Also, what 's the IRS going to say if you walk in to your audit with a DVD full of scanned receipts?

I read and confirmed with my lawyer that PDF files are considered legal documents. So if that IRS guy doesn't like that, worse case you print them out.