Topic: How are people backing up their media? (Read 4298 times)

tomgrossi · « **on:** August 24, 2004, 03:55:51 am »

Hi, I have a pretty large music collection (right now about 300 GB and still ripping) in lossless compression. I'm wondering what other people who have large collections are doing to backup their data. DVDs aren't really an option (more than 60 would be needed) and I think tape is too expensive. I'm thinking about just buying two more hard drives and backing stuff up, then taking them out of the machine and putting them in a safe. Is anyone doing somethiong more elegant like a RAID 5 array? What are people doing? Thanks.

Alex B · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2004, 04:42:43 am »

This has been discussed quite often recently. Here are some threads:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=22894

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=22755

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=22440

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=22301

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=21705

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=21311

Personally I use an external 250 GB Maxtor OneTouch (Firewire & USB2) with the included Retrospect software for daily media file backups. Retrospect copies changed files to it and deletes the files I have removed also from the external drive. I also copy MC library backups to it. My collection is just below 250 GB so I must soon get more space. An external drive is also handy when traveling. I can take the whole collection with me and play it with my laptop.

Besides the daily media file backups I also make backups of my entire main MC library PC (including the OS, software installations and user data). For that I use a HD rack and several HDs. Those I keep up-to-date about weekly.

Mastiff · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2004, 05:56:56 am »

I use "Super Flexible File Synchronizer", and I have a set of identically partitioned harddisks in an extra computer that I sync over the Network. The fun part is that I use this computer in my car, so it's built into a small tool suitcase. I control it with NetRemote, Girder and a few extra tricks.

edbro · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2004, 07:41:55 am »

SynchBack! Excellent freeware
http://www.2brightsparks.com/

lalittle · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2004, 07:48:41 am »

I just sync to another hard drive over the network -- I use SmartSync Pro (www.smartsync.com) to sync. (I use hard drives in removable drive bays from Kingwin, making it incredibly easy to manage drives.)

Larry

unclescrotor · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2004, 08:31:04 am »

Being paranoid I use a Firewire HD and take it to work and lock it in my desk. I also back it up over the wire at home. Off site backup is very important for what you consider critical data. Even if you have it backed up on 4 drives in the same building a fire or flood can wipe it all out.

Mastiff · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2004, 08:33:00 am »

Good point. Which is why I have mine in the car. Of course a flood is rather out of the question up here on the top of my hill, but a fire can always happen. I figure since my car's parked some meters from the house it won't be hit.

Jaguu · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2004, 09:28:27 am »

Quote from: Mastiff on August 24, 2004, 05:56:56 am

I use "Super Flexible File Synchronizer", and I have a set of identically partitioned harddisks in an extra computer that I sync over the Network. The fun part is that I use this computer in my car, so it's built into a small tool suitcase. I control it with NetRemote, Girder and a few extra tricks.

You mean you have a computer in your car and sync wirelessly directly to your car? Or do you simply store the backup disk inside your car?

I just bought a Freecom 120GB external HD and think of getting a personal bank safe to store it away safely

. I think some of the greatest threats in a private house are fire and robbery.

Mastiff · « **Reply #8 on:** August 24, 2004, 09:51:49 am »

Neither. I have the computer in my car and sync with a LAN cable I run out to the in-car hub. WLAN is so slow that my system (that has some rather big changes quite often these days - I'm finding around 50-60 covers every day, and I update a lot of the rips) would take hours to backup.

hit_ny · « **Reply #9 on:** August 24, 2004, 10:05:35 am »

I'm curious about the software people use to sync to their backups.

Are there any winners ?

I realise syncing is a lot faster than imaging to backup which is what i do curently.

edbro · « **Reply #10 on:** August 24, 2004, 10:12:02 am »

Quote from: hit_ny on August 24, 2004, 10:05:35 am

I'm curious about the software people use to sync to their backups.

Are there any winners ?

I realise syncing is a lot faster than imaging to backup which is what i do curently.

Being a cheap SOB, I use freeware whenever I can.

Already mentioned above, I use Syncback for backups and synchronizing. I recently moved to this from Karen's Replicator. It is very configurable and can be run from command line also.

Jaguu · « **Reply #11 on:** August 24, 2004, 10:16:35 am »

I do image backup only for my C: drive with Drive Image. I use Karen's replicator (www.karenware.com) to replicate my D: Drive (containing all data) and C:\Documents and Settings to a second pc and to an external backup disk connected through USB2.0.

Reasons:
Replication to a 2nd pc: In case pc #1 crashes, I am up right away with pc #2.Replication to external backup disk: I can detach it and store away in a safe place.

If you do an unattended install of XP, you could configure it to have "Documents and setttings" on drive D:. This would be the ideal case, it would make things much easier. you would only need to replicate that folder. With an online installation of XP you cannot choose another drive for "Documents and Settings"

shAf · « **Reply #12 on:** August 24, 2004, 10:54:02 am »

Quote from: tomgrossi on August 24, 2004, 03:55:51 am

... DVDs aren't really an option (more than 60 would be needed) ...

My library isn't that big, but approaching. I do archive to DVDs. Once initially done, incremental backups to a single DVD need only be done once per several months. Dependable archiving software for DVDs is a problem ... most do not recover from a problem very elegantly. Handy Backup is good and releasing a DVD version soon, and the latest release of Nero's Back It Up is pretty solid.

my CA$0.02

KingSparta · « **Reply #13 on:** August 24, 2004, 12:01:39 pm »

I have Two 300 Gig Maxtor One Touch USB\Firewire Drives

And One is Used To Back Up The Other With 19.8 Gigs Free

pipsqueak · « **Reply #14 on:** August 24, 2004, 01:28:52 pm »

i use karenware (because its FREE! its easy to use also) to backup my music to a bunch of external drives - nothing fancy really and nothing offsite (want to change that one day, but cant really justify my 6th and 7th hard disks yet!)

pip

bebop · « **Reply #15 on:** August 24, 2004, 04:07:49 pm »

Yes, backing up is very important, and having an off site backup is something I am going to look into. I have an in home safe and do all the financial stuff for our little corp (lost the arm wrestle to hubby for the position of president, so am CEO

) and usually keep it on my external drive and lock it up when we go away. Didn't give backing up regularily to much thought until I had some problems last week with both my main drive and the external, which I used as my backup. The post from Mastiff about the possibility of being robbed...brought back bad memories of when our house was burgled, not once but twice a few years ago when we lived out in the country.
Offsite also makes sense when I realized we have an off site location for our earthquake kit and all the important stuff for hubbys practice but had failed to include our personally important stuff, like music and photos (am in the process of putting them all on DVD).

Have Nero 6, and am looking at Syncback and a few of the others that were recommended here.

lalittle · « **Reply #16 on:** August 24, 2004, 05:56:04 pm »

Quote from: hit_ny on August 24, 2004, 10:05:35 am

I'm curious about the software people use to sync to their backups.

Are there any winners ?

I realise syncing is a lot faster than imaging to backup which is what i do curently.

A few months ago I researched this and ended up testing about a dozen different synching applications. I ended up choosing SmartSync Pro (www.smartsync.com). It's $35 (i.e. not freeware) but it's the only one that had all the features I was looking for in what I found to be an intuitive and relatively simple interface. Besides having all the "normal" features I was looking for, it also has some nice "usablity" features like the ability to create desktop shortcuts to run profiles or groups of profiles. This means a sync can be as simple as double clicking a shortcut on the desktop, and you can have different shortcuts for different specific synching routines.

I recommend it taking a look at Smartsync Pro, but I also recommend actually trying out a few different apps before you finally decide what to use. When I first started looking into this, I really didn't know what to look for -- i.e. I didn't know what there was to "like" or "not like" about synching and backup applications. After trying a few out, however, I started noticing functionality that I preferred, issues that I considered dealbreakers, and features that I couldn't live without. It was only after trying these apps that I knew what to look for, and the more I tried different apps, the quicker I was able to eliminate the ones I didn't like. Most of these apps (including SmartSync Pro) have demo versions that you can try before you buy.

Larry

shAf · « **Reply #17 on:** August 25, 2004, 09:20:16 am »

Quote from: lalittle on August 24, 2004, 05:56:04 pm

...
A few months ago I researched this and ended up testing about a dozen different synching applications. I ended up choosing SmartSync Pro ...

When I first started looking into this ... I started noticing functionality that I preferred, issues that I considered dealbreakers, and features that I couldn't live without. ...

I see no support for archiving to DVDs(?)

JimH · « **Reply #18 on:** August 25, 2004, 09:27:41 am »

MC can write to DVD data disks.

lalittle · « **Reply #19 on:** August 25, 2004, 04:13:16 pm »

Quote from: shAf on August 25, 2004, 09:20:16 am

Quote from: lalittle on August 24, 2004, 05:56:04 pm
...
A few months ago I researched this and ended up testing about a dozen different synching applications. I ended up choosing SmartSync Pro ...

When I first started looking into this ... I started noticing functionality that I preferred, issues that I considered dealbreakers, and features that I couldn't live without. ...

I see no support for archiving to DVDs(?)

I asked about native support for CD writing a little while back, and they said they were looking to adding this, but that for now you had to use packet writing software to do this. I don't know if this applied to DVD or not since I didn't have a DVD player at that time, and therefore was only asking about CD writing.

I agree that this would be a welcome addition to SSP, but my primary need is a rapid "synching" program rather than a "backup" program -- these two functions emphasize different specific features and workflows. For management of synching duties (to other hard drives), SSP is extremely well laid out. My audio library is too big for backing up to DVD anyway, so this would not really apply in my case anyway.

That said, I sent another email to them asking about this, so I'll post back if there is any new news.

Larry

Mastiff · « **Reply #20 on:** August 26, 2004, 03:27:57 pm »

Quote from: bebop on August 24, 2004, 04:07:49 pm

YThe post from Mastiff about the possibility of being robbed...brought back bad memories of when our house was burgled, not once but twice a few years ago when we lived out in the country.

I too live in the country, but with a loaded mastiff in the house (I'm talking about one on four legs, loaded with teeth, not myself being drunk), a papillon that can hear a leaf fall outside the house and will bark her head off to tell us about it and a very nice baseball bat beside my bed, in addition to the house alarm, robbery is not that big a threat here...

As for DVD backups the problem is that if you ever change files, it's kind of difficult to fix the backup.

KingSparta · « **Reply #21 on:** August 26, 2004, 05:28:15 pm »

Quote

i use karenware (because its FREE! its easy to use also)

me too

I backed up my music last night onto the new 300 gig drive using it.

bebop · « **Reply #22 on:** September 06, 2004, 09:42:16 am »

thanks Ian for pointing to the correct thread...was very tired last night when I posted!

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Author Topic: How are people backing up their media? (Read 4298 times)