Camera Raw Database backup
rstone
Registered Users Posts: 10 Big grins
Concerning backups: I have tried external HD enclosures in the past and found them to be rather clumsy, and with my budget kind of tight lately, I’ve ruled out (for now) purchase of a portable HD or two but that is what I’ll do at some point in the future. I’ve also ruled out online storage/backup as too slow and expensive. So here is my temporary solution:
I purchased a sata power extension: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812123340
And already have an 18” sata data cable, so they are both long enough to extend out of the hole in my case where I removed a locking latch (there are also thumbscrews holding the door on so they really aren’t needed). Here are a couple of photos showing the cables tucked away and one showing them out ready to use…
This works pretty good, just power the PC down, plug one of my two spare 500gb HDs in, power the PC back up and run this great little free backup program in mirror mode. http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/
So, here is my question: I don’t use the .xmp files, (too much clutter) I use the database for my camera raw settings. I’m not even sure if I’m doing this correctly but I’ve been backing up my database file which is here: E:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw\Database to one or both of my 500gb drives. My concern is this database seems to change size from time to time. I have checked it in the past and it was 45mb but currently it is only 19mb…? I’m thinking if I go back to some of my old raw files, I may have lost a good portion of my work which may or may not be a big problem, but I’d like to feel good about my back ups. Is it normal for this database to vary in size? How do you back up your raw settings?
I purchased a sata power extension: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812123340
And already have an 18” sata data cable, so they are both long enough to extend out of the hole in my case where I removed a locking latch (there are also thumbscrews holding the door on so they really aren’t needed). Here are a couple of photos showing the cables tucked away and one showing them out ready to use…
This works pretty good, just power the PC down, plug one of my two spare 500gb HDs in, power the PC back up and run this great little free backup program in mirror mode. http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/
So, here is my question: I don’t use the .xmp files, (too much clutter) I use the database for my camera raw settings. I’m not even sure if I’m doing this correctly but I’ve been backing up my database file which is here: E:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw\Database to one or both of my 500gb drives. My concern is this database seems to change size from time to time. I have checked it in the past and it was 45mb but currently it is only 19mb…? I’m thinking if I go back to some of my old raw files, I may have lost a good portion of my work which may or may not be a big problem, but I’d like to feel good about my back ups. Is it normal for this database to vary in size? How do you back up your raw settings?
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SATA to USB cable
there exist several versions and brands
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200155
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@Art, Yes I own a Thermaltake Dock, this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153066 But it makes the drive get quite hot and is seems to be way slower than connecting the drive directly to the sata cables. It works fine not sure why the drive gets hot though, I know I was working it pretty hard doing the initial backup.. Or maybe it's defective.. BTW Art, With the new price hikes at SM, I'm thinking about Zenfolio.. How much do you get if I use your coupon code?.. But...... More importantly, how much do (I) get
Thanks for the comments guys,
My drives in the ThermalTake dock never get hot and run 24/7/ almost 365 ... by almost, I mean, if I am gone for more than 24 hours computer and all get shutdown....otherwise are up and running...ofcourse if gone over 24 hrs computer goes with me
Code discount....10%, the code is from a friend and local photog ( 10% for both new client and referrer) ....I did not use his code as I got a email from Photo Dough and got a yr for $75....and could not use the code too......so I have posted his code for anyone to use...it is a bit different than the Smug Code that get YOU a $5 discount but the REFERRER gets a $10 credit to use for paying the next years subscription ... but now for me it would have been a $30 saving if now code or no Photo Dough Deal was used...as I was to get my site for the coming year at 150, but that instant discount cant be a lot more depending what your gonna get charged for your account ...
Thanks for the info Art, I've been studying Blu-Ray tonight and am thinking about using it in the near future. http://tinyurl.com/8hakgkq and the Blu-Ray discs here: http://tinyurl.com/7fv5wwo After the initial $72 for the burner, I figure the discs will provide 250gb of storage for $10. This seems like a pretty good way to go since the discs can easily be stored away from home for added security. Maybe in a PO box or where ever.. Love the fact that you can burn 25gb-50gb of data on a Blu-Ray disc now.
The problem with any optical media is corruption... A harddrive if it fails, aside from the disk being broken, can be rebuilt and recovered...
I have over 200 hundred CD's / DVD's that are corrupt, they were my only copies of the images...I have been able to recover some but not all and the software is not cheap...
Personally I would not bank on any optical Disk (especially a no name, non professional brand) over a hardrive, there is just way too much that can go wrong with them. then there is the times you forget to finalize the disk....it is burned but now it is unreadable ... ...
I worked at a Unversity here and we did professional recordings for all the students that needed recitals recorded and also for some professional recording artists...we also did Jazz Festival recordings on the fly...meaning as a band hit the stage they were recorded, the disk was labeled, jewel case inserts were printed all was put together and it was handed to the group or artist as they left the stage.....while using such name brands as Sony, TDK, Memorex, Verbatim and all the others we had failures...or in our terms hundreds of disks becoming corrupted from the burner to the client....we had to follow RED BOOK standards or the University could not use the Disks taht were made as archival material for students givning recitals towards their degrees... Then we found a company called MAM-A in Colorado, they were the makers of a gold CD-R (Mitsui Gold) that was purported to have the best failure rate in the business...we switched and tour failures went from hundreds / 1k beehive to under 5/ 1k beehive ... ... there is a huge difference in quality of optical disks and MAM-A is not cheap but they are very good....but now your paying big bucks and harddrives are way cheaper and much more reliable...much more....
Since you have been researching here is alink to the about of MAM-A ... ... ...
The problem with any optical media is corruption... A harddrive if it fails, aside from the disk being broken, can be rebuilt and recovered...
I have over 200 hundred CD's / DVD's that are corrupt, they were my only copies of the images...I have been able to recover some but not all and the software is not cheap...
Personally I would not bank on any optical Disk (especially a no name, non professional brand) over a hardrive, there is just way too much that can go wrong with them. then there is the times you forget to finalize the disk....it is burned but now it is unreadable ... ...
I worked at a Unversity here and we did professional recordings for all the students that needed recitals recorded and also for some professional recording artists...we also did Jazz Festival recordings on the fly...meaning as a band hit the stage they were recorded, the disk was labeled, jewel case inserts were printed all was put together and it was handed to the group or artist as they left the stage.....while using such name brands as Sony, TDK, Memorex, Verbatim and all the others we had failures...or in our terms hundreds of disks becoming corrupted from the burner to the client....we had to follow RED BOOK standards or the University could not use the Disks taht were made as archival material for students givning recitals towards their degrees... Then we found a company called MAM-A in Colorado, they were the makers of a gold CD-R (Mitsui Gold) that was purported to have the best failure rate in the business...we switched and tour failures went from hundreds / 1k beehive to under 5/ 1k beehive ... ... there is a huge difference in quality of optical disks and MAM-A is not cheap but they are very good....but now your paying big bucks and harddrives are way cheaper and much more reliable...much more....
Since you have been researching here is a link to the about of MAM-A ... ... ...
and to their store MAM-A STORE ... ... ...
Yes I almost forgot ...burners....a truly professional burner will cost you thousands.....but that Pioneer burner is ok but it will not burn anywhere as deep into to the media as a professional burner....so home burned optical disks are a lot more easily damaged ... ... ...
with a hard drive all we really need to do is make a new copy every 4 or 5 yrs and by then the amount of data that we will be able to store on a single platter of a harddrive will be a lot more than today...sing le platter HDDs will hold what 2 tb...my Hitachi 1.5 TB drives are single platter drives... ... ... ...
Good Luck with your decision.
its for Connecting bare SATA and ATA drives to PC via your USB-port
/ɯoɔ˙ƃnɯƃnɯs˙ʇlɟsɐq//:dʇʇɥ