Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Reminder to BACK UP  (Read 2387 times)

David Sutton

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1345
    • David Sutton Photography
Reminder to BACK UP
« on: October 23, 2017, 11:58:37 pm »

Hi folks.
The power supply on my main computer just failed.
It's fried every drive.  :o
I'm not that great on regularly backing up, but I do have back ups of each drive in two separate locations, and I think I've only lost about half an hour's work.
Just a reminder.
Cheers,
David

PS. Just thinking, if I had only one back up and it was connected when the power supply did its thing, I'd probably have nothing left at all.
Logged

David Sutton

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1345
    • David Sutton Photography
Re: Reminder to BACK UP
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2017, 04:56:03 pm »

Wow, the power supply failure even fried the dvd drive.
I used to drop some backups on the scratch disk if it was getting late. Very glad I've stopped doing that.
I use Acronis to back up the operating system and GoodSync for the files. I keep a usb powered keyboard and mouse out the back for emergencies like this. As it turned out, I couldn't find the mouse, but the arrow keys on the keyboard worked.
I plugged in the drive with the OS backup and loaded and booted from the Acronis cd I'd burned 5 years ago. I've taken this opportunity to double the size of the ssd for the C drive.
The transfer went fine, but then the computer wouldn't boot due to a missing mbr. The Windows 7 installation disk failed to repair it, due it turned out, to the drive being fussy over which sata cable is attached. Once I'd identified the correct one, the installation disk found the problem and made the repair as soon as it loaded. I'm glad I didn't have to go into command line.
So by just after 11pm last night I got the C drive back. Now there are only four drives to format and a few tb of data to transfer.
I keep my main back up drives in a fire resistant safe out the back, but know I'm a bit lazy and not likely to get them when it's raining and cold, so I keep some usb powered drives in my studio. This system seems to work well enough.
I realise I need to label these drives better. There is stuff all over the place in them. Also, while my photo drive is backed up well enough, my drives with projects and tuition aren't. At least what's lost isn't a big deal. I back up the C drive after any major software change, so that's about twice a year.
What hasn't worked is backing up the Lightroom catalogue. GoodSync slows right down on all the fiddly little files, so I exclude LR. I think I have a recent catalogue back up somewhere, it's just finding it. I need to write metadata to file more often. This command in LR is a bit buggy, but works often enough to make it worthwhile.
It's finding a backup workflow that is a balance between being thorough and not being tiresome.
What I'm really pleased about is that since 2014 this computer only does photo work, and I use my laptop with an extra monitor for everything else. The laptop files and emails are synced regularly and can be loaded onto any computer. It's amazing how much we use these things to conduct our lives, and a week of being out of action could be a right pain.
David
Logged

Farmer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2848
Re: Reminder to BACK UP
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2017, 05:49:44 pm »

Sounds a lot more serious than just a PSU failing.  A dead PSU might cause loss of data to a drive that was currently writing, but nothing short of a massive surge should actually kill everything, and even then fuses should stop most things first.  Do you have a surge protector or UPS connecting to the PC or does it run directly to mains power?

Also, very glad you have your backups!
Logged
Phil Brown

David Sutton

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1345
    • David Sutton Photography
Re: Reminder to BACK UP
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2017, 06:45:40 pm »

Sounds a lot more serious than just a PSU failing.  A dead PSU might cause loss of data to a drive that was currently writing, but nothing short of a massive surge should actually kill everything, and even then fuses should stop most things first.  Do you have a surge protector or UPS connecting to the PC or does it run directly to mains power?

Also, very glad you have your backups!
Yep, there's a ups and it's working fine.
I was somewhat unpleasantly surprised that the psu would do this. I thought there'd be fuses. I don't want to talk about the expense. I don't password protect or encrypt drives, but I've heard of power spikes resetting access codes. Hard drives will fail before fuses. Computers will fry trying to protect the power surge protector. I've had an earth leakage protection relay fry a hedge trimmer before the house fuse tripped.
I just thought I'd make the post to point out that eventually what could go wrong will, and remind folks that a back up strategy that works is a good idea. And that dark chocolate soothes all woes.
David
« Last Edit: October 25, 2017, 07:09:45 pm by David Sutton »
Logged

BernardLanguillier

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13983
    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/bernardlanguillier/sets/
Re: Reminder to BACK UP
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2017, 07:58:13 pm »

Sorry about this David.

Out of curiosity, was that an off the self PC or a DYI one?

Cheers,
Bernard

David Sutton

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1345
    • David Sutton Photography
Re: Reminder to BACK UP
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2017, 08:48:51 pm »

Hi Bernard.
Thanks for your thoughts. Stuff happens. :)
It was custom built for me around 2011 by a tech firm here in NZ. It's performed well up to now, and I'd still be hard put to improve on it.
Cheers,
David
Logged

Farmer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2848
Re: Reminder to BACK UP
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2017, 04:50:35 am »

Wow - really unusual and nasty luck, David :(

Yes, dark chocolate indeed!  Perhaps a chocolate fish or two, too?
Logged
Phil Brown

Otto Phocus

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 655
Re: Reminder to BACK UP
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2017, 05:59:08 am »

I want to add:  Also check your back up once in a while.  Just because your computer is telling you that it is backing up your stuff, maybe it ain't.
Logged
I shoot with a Camera Obscura with an optical device attached that refracts and transmits light.

Telecaster

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3686
Re: Reminder to BACK UP
« Reply #8 on: October 26, 2017, 04:05:03 pm »

I have 2TB of secure cloud storage in addition to primary & secondary physical drives. And iCloud backup for my smartgizmos. Both also come in very handy when traveling in areas with fast WiFi.

-Dave-
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up