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Miscellaneous Tips

Here's where I'll add useful posts people make. Post more, get more!

Originally Posted by Kn1nJa

Another way I have seen people back up photos is on a flash drive which is then kept in a safe location. While this may sound like a good idea, it is not the best way to archive files, especially important files. I work in a computer lab at my college and I see flash drives fail a LOT. Most often the drive just quits working and cannot be fixed (cheaply). While flash drives are great for transporting files, I would not recommend them for long term storage..

Can't argue with that. Flash drives have a limited number of read/writes by design and are about the same in longevity and reliability as using optical media for backups.

Originally Posted by rediguana

Another thing I'd suggest with respect to laptops, if you can, get them a stand to sit on so that air can flow over and under them. Whilst not proven, I've had a number of hard drive failures in laptops, and I'm fairly convinced that these were caused by the laptop running hot on a flat desk with inadequate ventilation. The additional heat buildup in the laptop dries out the circuit boards, and could eventually lead to failure.

I'm sure you've noticed how hot a laptop can get - just touch the keyboard or underneath surface. My laptop now hardly ever overheats and both keyboard and underneath surface are normal room temperatures when you touch them. It may be a small thing, but I believe that ensuring the laptop doesn't run hot all the time will extend its life, and reduce the risk of failure.

Disks CAN fail through overheating because the processor on the chip will start throwing errors, much like your CPU will when it overheats, leading to bad sectors. It can also cause internal components to expand beyond their operating tolerance, leading to malfunctions.

That said, drives will happily run at 70 - 80 degrees without too much complaint.

Originally Posted by Jamesc359

I think DVDs and CDs have gotten a bad reputation for backup because of inadvertent abuse. I've got cheap discs that I purchased and burned many years ago that are in perfect condition, while discs off the same spindle that I burnt for some family members had catastrophically failed within a couple of years. It doesn't take much effort to protect your optical discs, but it does take some.

I think the most important thing to remember is that optical media is made possible because of a thin layer of organic dye that is smashed between two plastic discs. While this dye is significantly more advanced than the pigments Leonardo used to paint the Mona Lisa, they still share one very common trait - exposure to light slowly degrades it. Ultra-Violet light in particular exacerbates the aging process. How do you protect your discs from UV light?

1. Never leave a disc in the sun, this can destroy even the best of discs in a matter of weeks. Short term exposure can also warp discs.
2. Always store your discs with the data side down so the label can absorb the majority of light.
3. Place your discs in a case with a opaque bottom.
4. Store in a cool area that receives as little light as possible or in a opaque container.

Because I handle them by their edges and always lift and lower my discs into the drive tray and case, scratches has never been a problem for me - with the exception of discs I've lent. Sliding a disc into the case or tray will cause scratches.

On laptop coolers:

They make laptop coolers that sell for anywhere from $20-$30 on up. These are a thin case you place your laptop on that contains fan[s] to circulate air under it, metal coolers also act as a giant heat sink. Most also have a USB hub and some features drawers for storing small items. Given the size of a stand, coolers are more convenient when traveling, plus active cooling is also far more effective.

One word of caution though, unless your plugged in they will drain your battery quicker.

If you care for your discs then I see no problem with using DVDs as a backup medium. I just think that most photographers would opt for the option that involves the least work, since backing up to DVD requires actually doing it :P