So Annoyed!!!

[snowdropz]

I use iPhoto for my photos and digi supplies. I have created 2 libraries for them. The one containing my digi supplies is stored on an external hard disk. On Sat, it failed me in the afternoon. One minute it was functioning. Then suddenly, it refused to load. Thankfully I always back up my files and therefore had a backup copy but it was dated 7th April. You can imagine my horror at having to reload all my kits obtained after 7th April but I'm thankful that I've not lost that library (I've got everything categorised by elements and designers).

Today, that particular hard disk failed to load completely! No amount of jiggling or fiddling would get my Mac to read it. Now on that disk are loads of digi kits which I've not uploaded to the library and PSD files of my finished LOs (they do take up a lot of space on the Mac so I had to transfer them to EHD). Once again, thankfully all of them have been backed up on another external hard disk as well as DVDs! That disk still shows signs of life but my Mac just doesn't want to read it!

So I had no choice but to get a new external hard disk tonight. Luckily I have loads of a supermarket vouchers and thankfully they sold the Western Digital Passport EHD that I wanted so I used the vouchers to get them!

Bottom line is please ensure you back up regularly! It's a disaster when an EHD fails especially one that contains all your digi supplies! I just hate the thought of having to reload all my supplies to my library again... so tedious and time-consuming!

 

[whatnext]

good advice. and i need to get busy with my backups! so orry you've had this difficulty.

 

[dwsewbiz]

ugh...feel for you Audrey! good luck!

 

[clarabear]

So...I lost a hard drive and was backed up. Pulling everything off it is a giant pain and it doesn't always grab everything. I do like CrashPlan for back ups. I am able to back up my ehd with it which I couldn't with Mozy. We rely so heavily on the computers and it is always soooo painful when they fail us. Hope the fixing isn't too tedious and I am so glad you have everything backed up.

 

[Heather Prins]

Rather than a 2nd iPhoto library have you tried Bridge?

 

[VickiStegall]

hugs hon and you have no idea how often i hear similar stories!

everyone backup your stuff!

 

[taxed4ever]

Thanks for the reminder ladies!! Backing up with crash plan tonight!

 

[trista]

backup! backup! backup! I feel your pain Audrey - I have had backup drives fail me on more than one occasion. We have switched to online storage - the money more than pays for my sanity. I also have redundant backups on multiple EHD including one that is rotated monthly that is stored off site.

 

[cellomom]

I never backup and I have the sob story to prove it...counting around 700 LOs???

but I'm soooo thankful for my O gallery!!! just sayin'...

 

[faerywings]

That is horrible.
I have has my WD Passposrt for 4-5 years not and thank goodness it is still going good- but you really jsut never no when it is the day it goes poof!

Carbonite recently added EHD back ups to its services too if you decide to go that route.

 

[CookingMyLife]

Backup just saved my dh who ...uh..spilled a glass of water into his MacBook. :mad2: <-- That's me!

Fortunately, his backup could go onto another spare computer we had. This is a good reminder to me to clean up my main ehd which is backed up by another ehd which is backed up by Crashplan!

 

[Bush Girl]

Oh Audrey, I really feel for you.

What program do you scrap with? If PS/PSE, do you have Bridge? I LOVE it - gave up pretty quickly with iPhoto.


I have a Time Machine backup permanently set up on my iMac. It does slow things up a little which drives me a bit nuts sometimes, but the safety net is brilliant. I've only ever once had to go back and get something old - and that's because MS Word crashed and took out the entire computer temporarily. I also do a manual backup to an EHD every month.






But I'm intrigued to know why so many people scrap from EHDs - doesn't this slow you up unbelievably? I have over a decade of photos, 2 years of RAW files (which are huge) and 5 yrs worth of digi scrapping materials and I've still used less than 50% of the space on my desktop. The only things I regularly remove from my desktop are my completed .psd files - I only keep the jpegs & web copies. And I move the RAWS about every 2 yrs. When I'm away I try and scrap from an EHD on my laptop and always give up in frustration as its sooooooooooooooo slow.

 

[hondachicc]

Oh my Audrey....I have been there too.....LOTS OF :hug: for you sweetie....

I have the WD passport now...and just bought another a couple of weeks ago (as the first one is almost full)....I have not had ANY problems with the passport!! KNOCKING ON WOOD/HEAD right now!!!!


I hope you can get it all transferred with as little pain as possible sweetie!!!

 

[snowdropz]

Thanks ladies for your ideas esp the online backup and names for particular ones. Will check it out.

Selena, I had to scrap from EHD as I was fast running out of space on my Mac. I upgraded to 320 GB (the highest it can go... believe me I've been hinting to hubby that I need a new Macbook Pro) and with 2 libraries on the Mac, I was constantly deleting files to find space! I didn't think it slowed down my scrapping. I simple drag and drop on PS and it didn't take that long. It worked well until blasted Samsung EHD failed!!!

I do use Time Machine so I'm not worried about my photo library as it's on my Mac but with the other digi library, I do a manual backup.

I've been going thru' all the kits that I've bought since 7th April to check that I've them on another EHD (some are missing as I had moved a fair number onto the Samsung EHD) so I had to download again from my order history in Oscraps. I've not checked other places yet.

I might check out Bridge and see how it works. Might re-organise my digi files to include those I use as I do have a lot of stuff that I don't use. Moreover, I kinda know my digi style now and know which kits I go for! It's just so tedious to re-organise everything again. I rather be scrapping!

I just tried my backup digi library and it's not showing up the image when I click on it so it's a bit faulty. In the process of rebuilding it using an app (not sure if it will work). I guess I might have to go down the re-organising everything again route! Urghh!

Anyway, thanks for recommending sites. Will check them out especially the online ones!

 

[snowdropz]

Ladies, is there a tutorial online or any explanation how to use Bridge? I've opened it but am finding it rather overwhelming at the moment. Thanx!