Backing Up Your Images And Data; The Other Side Of The Equation

First Bald Eagle of the Year (click to enlarge)
This fine specimen was about 75 yards away and 3/4 backlit.  While sitting in my car,
 I used my Fuji X-T2, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens @ 400mm (600mm FF FOV); 1/1000th sec. @ f/6.4; ISO 200;
This is a 100% crop from the image. It held up much better than I would have thought.  Thank you Fuji!

I want to quickly revisit and mention the topic of backing up one's data.  We all know we should do it, most of us do (to at least one place) and even fewer of us make multiple copies with one offsite.  We all know it and I don't need to go into it again here.

There is one thing some of you may have thought about and something I don't do often but I was reminded a few weeks ago that I need to do this more often.  What is it?  It is the other said of the backup equation.  Data = Backup data.  Check your backup drives to ensure your data is actually being backed up successfully as you have set it up.  How often do you actually check your backup drive to ensure your data is backed up fully, accurately and just how you wanted it done?

I recently found mine wasn't.  Not a good feeling.

I have created several backup protocols that copy data from my internal and external drives to external backup drives.  I don't use a cloud backup—yet. Each of my protocols run individually and sequentially.  Recently, I found out one of my backup protocols was not backing up a certain set of image files as I had set it to do.  A setting seemed to have been changed.  So, even if my protocols have a feature that checks backups for success, it would not have caught this.  That got my attention and it was at that time that I realized I needed to check the data on my backup drives more often to ensure that the protocols were were being followed.

I don't have a complicated backup system but it is still probably unnecessarily more complicated than it should be.  I could and should buy a multi-drive backup system. Simple and all in one box.  I just don't want to spend the money and I keep reading bad reviews (as much as 25% of them bad which is extremely high, in my opinion, for any particular product) about most of them so I created my own system. Also, I don't want my image files encrypted in any way.  Most commercial solutions seem to encrypt the files or you can't access your data if the backup box (and internal computer) fails.  In other words, you can't just take out the drives and access them directly to get your data.  I'm sure some do, but I worry about some company or product having control over my data and having to buy another box to get it in the future.  'Nuf said.

I keep three sets of all my data and four sets of my image files.  I have protocols set up to backup all of my data on my computer every night when I'm not using it.  I also have a drive dedicated as a second image import when I import images into Lightroom.  In other words, when importing from my camera's memory card, I import to Lightroom on the primary image drive and a copy of those images automatically go to another, external drive.  I ensure I have two copies of the images successfully copied before reformatting my memory cards.  I have another backup drive that stays offsite and I connect it once or twice per month to back up all my data and images, then return it to the offsite location. 

Finally, I have an uninterruptible power supply to which everything attached to my computer as well as my computer is connected so if there is a power surge, dip or loss, everything runs for well over an hour and I'll suffer no losses or data corruption.

When backing up to my offsite drive is where I found that I had a problem.  Some of the images were not being backed up to the offsite drive.  I thought they were.  I was wrong. I should have been checking the offsite drive each time I used it but hadn't checked it in a few months.  Now, I will check it each time.  Again, lessons learned.

Just a word to the wise.  If you are not backing up your data, you should do so regularly. But you already know that.  If you choose to not back it up, I wish you well.  If you are backing up your data and don't have an offsite or cloud backup, you should as your backup drive(s) could be the victim(s) of a power surge, power dip, stolen, burned up or flooded with water by the fire department trying to save your home or office.  Why take the chance when you have put so much of yourself into making those images, especially family images?  Heck, just do it!

Just a personal note:  I once accidentally deleted all of my images.  Unbelievable but it did happen! There were about 75,000 at the time and I don't know how I did it, but you know the feeling you get in your gut when something like that happens?  I had it, BIG TIME.  Your jaw drops.  You feel the pit at the back of your stomach.  You feel baffled and stupid at the same time and wonder how in the world you could make a mistake like that? We've all done something in our lives to feel like that.

Luckily, I was able to immediately copy all of my images back onto my primary drive from an external backup drive exactly in the same structure as I had them and took up just where I left off.  No harm, no foul but, you can bet I haven't and won't ever do that again. I'm now extremely careful.  I thought I was before.  I don't like that feeling at all!

I keep learning lessons, yes, even as old as I am....  :-)

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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