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[Robert S]

I've been spending many thoughts on how to make sure my library is intact if anything happens. I do take frequent backups to harddrives in my house, that protects me from crashes quite good, but what if there is a fire or if someone steals the comupters? It would be nice to know that my music is stored in at least one other physical location.

An idea I got yesterday is this:
Probably at least 70 % of all my music is also stored by at least one other user here on Interact. How about analysing who's got what music and build a database from that. (The database would not contain any music, only tags and user references). And if someone in the group have a major computer loss, he or she can look in that database and see who to contact and ask for a copy, and then it's up to the group members to share their library or leave the group. I'm only takling about legaly purchased music here. I can see some problem in a project like this, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. What do you think? Would that be legal? - To get a copy the music from someone else if I honestly have the CD (perhaps with some recipt proof etc)?

/Robert

[KingSparta]

Media Center Has Finger Printing you Can Submit Your Files To It, It Will Save The Tags. That Has Also Other Users Data.

You Can Use The backup Option

You Can Back Up Your Files On Another Drive

You Can Svae The Tags Inside The File Along With The Cover Art Image.

Not Sure What Else You Would Need

[Robert S]

I'm not sure if I don't understand you or if you don't understand me (I'm swedish - I know nothing....) ;-)

I'm not talking about just loosing the MC database, or just loosing tag-info in the MC database.

I do take backups (nightly once a week) on other drives and computers on both the database and all media files.

But what I'm taking about is a total-devastating-catastrophical-massive-data loss. What if I loose all my backups and all my originals. Perhaps I might still  have the LP's and CD, perhaps not even that (the house burns down...virus, whathavyou...), but anyway, it's a lot of work to rip them again...it would be easier to download them from someone else, and it probably would be legal to download songs from someone if both users in fact have bought the media, wouldn't it?

Other people problably (together) have ripped most of the the songs that I have, and it would be easier to restore my music by simply copying the music from someone else than ripping them all again. But If I'm talking about a total data loss, I want to be prepared if that happens, and know who to contact and who to ask for copies.

/R

[KingSparta]

and it probably would be legal to download songs from someone if both users in fact have bought the media, wouldn't it?

No, Don't think So

[Alex B]

Take insurance!

Seriously, I think you will have other things to worry about if you loose your home.

However, there is some sense in your thinking. You have probably noticed virtual Internet "hard drive" sites that offer storage space. It's also possible to rent office software, use it and save documents over the Internet etc. However, in this case there would be outstanding practical, legal and even quality problems.

At first, somebody would have to build that very complicated system and keep it running. How much would you pay for it?

I would not like to replace my library with other people's various quality media files. Also, consider about the work you would have to do in gathering them back from all around the world. Even your personal work would probably be more expensive than a few large external USB2/Firewire HDs.

I have my work history starting from the year 1989 in my computers. Also, my personal photo library, mail archives, bookkeeping, tax calculations, Internet links, etc, etc, and of course my media library.

I don't like to lose any of them in case of fire, natural catastrophe of robbery.

So I keep one duplicate of my backups in a safe place outside of my home. I exchange that with the other updated one about weekly or so. It is not likely that I loose all three copies of my archives at the same time.

If the unbelievable happens and my home burns down (but I survive alive) I will still have a quite recent backup of my archives to start with after I have got a new home and computers.

Besides, I don't think it would be legal. You have legal rights to the peace you bought and Swedish laws allow you to make copies for personal use, but you have not bought a universal license for the intellectual work in case you lose the original product. You should calculate the risks and perhaps extend your insurance coverage if you like to play safe.

[Jaguu]

Nowadays it so easy to solve this problem.

Just by a few large external disks (like Samsung' s Low Noise  160GB disk) , put them in a USB/Firewire case, attach them externally via USB/Firewire, backup your data and store them at some other place (such as cellar, bank safe, parents, sisters or friends homes or even your car like Mastiff from Norway). There are backup programs (like backup MyPc) where you cannot read any data on the cd/dvd except with the appropriate porgram. And you can protect your backups with a password.

Could it be any simpler than that? The only thing is: You have to it regulary, at least once a month!

[Alex B]

Currently I have four Maxtor OneTouch 250GB/7200rpm USB2/Firewire drives for backups. The amount of data I have to backup is about 400 GB, so I split it on two hard drives. Two of them are stored at home and the other pair is at a safe place.

I have found that the included Retrospect backup program is excellent for my purposes (it comes with Maxtor One Touch drives). It can easily keep the drives synchronized. The process takes usually only a few seconds (or perhaps minutes if I have changed a lot of files).

EDIT

My home insurance covers the possible material losses, but not data.

[MrVegas]

Alex:

How much do you like those drives?  Are they noisy?  How much did they cost?

I have been lusting after one of those LaCie Terabyte drives, but they are VERY expensive.

[KingSparta]

Alex:

How much do you like those drives?  Are they noisy?  How much did they cost?

I have been lusting after one of those LaCie Terabyte drives, but they are VERY expensive.

I have Two 300Gig Maxtor One Touch I Dives And Two Maxtor 300 Gig One Touch II Drives.

They Have FireWire And USB2 Built In On Both Drives

You Can Find Them And Prices At www.maxtor.com

They Are Nice And Quite

[hit_ny]

I have been lusting after one of those LaCie Terabyte drives, but they are VERY expensive.

heh yeah, more expenisve then if you built it yourself with better redundancy. Of course if your not tech savvy, then thats the price you pay.

[modelmaker]

Technically, it is illegal to do anything with copyrighted material except use it for personal use. That includes borrowing from a friend (or others) and making copies.

I'm with Alex on this, keep 3 copies of everything. 1 internal and 2 external. I use 1 external as my car system HD. The 2 external drives are rotated about every other week or whenever I've done a lot of changes/additions.

I learned the hard way. lost everything due to a simple hard drive failure and no backup. I didn't need  a fire or earthquake or any other act of god.

You have to look at backup drives as part of the basic computer system, not as an extra. It's not a luxury. If you're going to store data then you have to have redundancy. Electronic and mechanical devices will fail.