File Storage solution

[limvo05]

Hello,

I would like to know your thoughts on the file storage solution. For years I've been buying external storage drives to store my photos. While the cost for storage is fairly cheap, I am curious if there are other storage solutions available?

I have heard of cloud storage services such as Amazon, Apple, Google, etc. Have anyone used those and if so, what your experience like? Would you say it's cheaper and move convenience to store photos on the clouds or locally? I once had a drive died on me, luckily I was able to recover all my photos.

Thanks.

[ebiggs1]

I have five 2TB external HD. My desktop has three 2TB HD internal. I do not use nor do I like cloud. Only active and recent photos are stored on the computers HD, the Z drive is given up to PS/LR and Finale as cache usage.

[wq9nsc]

Like Ernie, I am not going to rely upon the cloud for files I want to keep because I have zero control over any company in terms of whether they will stay in business or will do something foolish with lax data security.  I keep archive files on duplicate external drives with one offsite, it is inexpensive and not time consuming.

Rodger

[RobertTheFat]

I strongly concur with Ernie and Rodger regarding the cloud. There was a case a few years back, where a well-known cloud service with a good reputation suddenly went broke. Their creditors didn't give the customers time to download their files before they shut down the servers and sold them off. If you must use a cloud service, use it for secondary or tertiary backup only.

But don't imagine that merely having on-site backup drives will save you. I recall another case where a professional photographer was a tenant in a converted factory in the Boston suburbs. He had an enormous inventory of stock photographs carefully backed up, but all the backup media were on-site. One night the building burned down, and he lost everything. A call went out to his previous customers, asking for copies of pictures he had sold them. Sad to watch.

[ebiggs1]

" Their creditors relatives didn't give the customers anyone time to download their files before they shut down the servers drives and sold trashed them off."

Probably where they belong since no one will be willing to go through all this when I am long gone from this world. Easy and fast!  

[Waddizzle]

I have used a Microsoft 2008 r2 configured as file server for storing CAD files, which was an upgrade for 2003, and an upgrade from NT4 before that.  Adding another couple of drives inside of it for storing photos was easy.  It has 8 drive bays. 

But, when it came time to pick out a dedicated machine for photo processing, I went with a gaming laptop that was on sale at B&H.  It contains an NVidia video board two hard drives, one of which is solid state.  It is portable, but I lose my connection to the file server when I am not at home.

So, I bought some Velcro and four 4TB USB drives.  I have two drives Velcro onto the rear of the laptop screen.  It's perfect for processing photos on the go, and then backing them up when I get home.

[Mitsubishiman]

This is more of a budgetary question than technological, drive space has become affordable in multiple options. 

I emphatically agree with those that dislike cloud storage, once it is out of your realm there is a risk, and if you ever bother to read the fine print on the agreement there is little protection if they fail. 

Strongest advice I can give... It is as important that you have multiple locations for back up. 

The one issue I always hear after a house fire is... I can buy everything destroyed, I can not replace the precious photographs (computer or paper) 

Scan everything - backup everything - at your house and a location away from it - farther the better

And someone someday will be extremely happy that you did... 

Memories don't die but wth time become hazy... 

[limvo05]

Thank you all for responding and provided greater suggestions and comments. I think the best solution for me is to store them on my solid-state drives. While the size of the solid-state drive isn't as big as other media types, SSD tends to be more reliable, plus a lot faster to read and write. Just need a good way to manage and catalog them. Thanks.

[ebiggs1]

"Memories don't die but wth time become hazy... "

This is true of special events that are friend or family related but for people like me that has thousands upon thousands of business related photos not so much. I am the one that took them and I do not cherish the thought of going through all of then to see if anyone wanted something.

[limvo05]

Believe it or not, last night my 3TB external drive decided to give up on me. Anyone here have experience with Western Digital USB drive? I've tried using the Mac OS First Aid kit to fix the drive, only to make it worse. It unmounted the drive and now I can't remount it to do anything with it. Dang!