Backup help needed (Nero)

[MarieBoyer]

I have everything backed up to an external drive. However, I want to have DVDs too. I have always made them using PSE3's backup software. It has always been easy.

Of late, however, I cannot get it to work. Crashes terribly.

I have Nero and want to burn copies of what's in my Organizer to DVDs. I know my external drive has the photos but I am consistently worried about my tags etc... Can some nice soul explain how to go from Nero to DVD backup of the Catalog? I will confess that this will be my first time turning on Nero.

Thanks in advance!!!!

[mom to 4]

Marie:

I am trying to do the same thing.....way too many photos on the computer, want to move some "off-line" I spent all of today copying everything to two sets of cd's....just in case..... Actually my DVD player won't play a photo DVD....only CD's I worked from 7 am till 5:15 copying. I then backed up to my Maxtor external drive, but only through my desktop and someone said that won't backup the photos in PSE4, that I need to do something else to get it to do that :eek: !!! WHAT????????

Also, I do want to burn a backup DVD of my photo's and also move them (or most) off-line and yet keep the tags which I have been very careful of attaching!!!

So Marie....I am with you ..............HELP!!!!!

[MarieBoyer]

Colleen:
Let's hope someone helps us. Maybe we can figure it out when you come visit in August!!!!! :):):)

I have a theory (unproven). It is that I have too many photos in my Organizer right now. I wonder if I separated my Catalog into four different catalogs and tried to burn them individually if it would not work.

Here is a photo of the Portsmouth harbor that I took the other night. Make sure to call when you're in town! We can take some photos and post them for our friends here!

http://marieboyer.smugmug.com/photos/81700400-M.jpg

[Carbone]

Ladies,

I think the catalogue file is named something like "My Catalog.PSA" It should contain everything (well, everything that is organizer needed to reconstruct your database, not the pictures themselves). So what you need to do is copy this file to your DVD, using Nero.

Now, Nero, that's something I absolutely have no idea what you're talking about because I have never used it. I used to use CD Roxio Creator Easy (or something alike).

But if you look at the size of the catalog file, you should be able to determine if it'll fit on a DVD or not, first.

Also, come to think of it, isn't the Organizer equipped with a backup function of its own?

Ray

[Ward Grant]

I'd thought I'd jump in and offer my two cents.

Elements backup-Using this will back up your photos, the catalog and proxy files if you have off line media.

Non-Elements backup-Using a software such as Roxio or Nero allows you to decide which files you need to back up. Some can be set to automatically back up selected files. The biggest hiccup is the Catalog file is not stored on the same folder as the photos by default so someone can back up their photo folder and not realize they are not backing up the catalog.

Some backup programs will compress and create special files (same in Elements) requiring you to use the same software to restore the files. You can also just use a regular Windows Copy/Paste command if you don't want to use any particular software. It may take more disks as no compression is done.

Catalog file-Ray is correct. The defalt catalog is My Catalog.PSA, a MS Access database. By default it is stored in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Catalog folder. This file is normally hidden so you need to turn on Show Hidden Files under Tools in Window Explorer.

Now, this file can be put anywhere. You just have to reset preferences under Files to point to the new location, so you can move this to the same folder as your photos for easier backup, if you want to.

Multiple Catalogs-Adobe's official stance is One Catalog, One Vote. However, you can have as many catalogs as you want. However, you can only have one catalog open at one time so if you want to combine pictures from two different catalogs for a slide show or montage, it becomes somewhat tricky. Also Elements Backup/Restore only works on the open catalog so if have four catalogs and back them up through Elements, you will need to repeat the process four times.

Photo Limit-I've seen some discussions about a 50,000 photo limit, but this seems to be a general, sounds-like-a-good number. I think it really depends on available memory, size and type of photos (50,000 RAW files will be larger than 50,000 JPGs), how much tagging and collections are made, etc.

Off-Line Storage-This is really a personal preference, but in today's world, this is something I avoid. For what you pay in extra DVDs and stuff, you can get a 100-200 Gig external hard drive. Also you have the proxy files to worry about when backing up. Not a big deal, just one more file to worry about (Elements will take care of this automatically). Then you got to label the disks, have them handy, hope the dog doesn't hide one, etc.

Having a backup copy of your files on DVDs/CDs is a good idea, especially if you want to store them off-site.

I did see a story today that Internet storage is expected to be the next Web wave. They were talking about companies doing automatic backups over the net for $5-10 a month. Advantage is automatic and off site; disadvantage for what you spend in a year, you could easily buy some external hard drives, much larger that what will be offered on the web.

[MarieBoyer]

:) This took some time on your part. Thanks very much. Off to try Nero. I intend to put my DVDs out of my house once burned. Fortunately, I have the external drive and everything is regularly backed up there.

But my Elements backup/burn software has simply sh** the bed. Does not work at all. And, I might get one DVD burned and then it crashes. So, I am simply moving on.

My Organizer no longer shows my most recent photos first, and my preference is set for that, and the icon for that preference shows up at the bottom of the Organizer. Yet no more recent photos. I can locate them by doing a search and by tags. But otherwise they do not appear first as they always have. This makes me think I am choking the Organizer with too many photos. Perhaps this is why my backup software no longer works?

Thank you for your hlep! Much appreciated.

[Chris Bishop]

Must be my frame of mind this morning, no offense meant, BUT
Put the DVD's out of my house once burnt--the house?
External drive everything backed up--cars lorries bikes?
SORRY
Chris

[MarieBoyer]

Yup, I wrote that before coffee. Now that I have chewed on some coffee grinds....

I guess I meant that I would get the DVDs off site in case my house burnt! But only after "burning" the DVDs.

Remember the song, "Burning Down the House"?

[snooze]

I think this link can help you out. Backing up files to cd/dvd/external hard drive. Two tutorials on how to do this. Hope this helps.

Dennis.

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselementscourse/a/pse205backup.htm

[Ward Grant]

Glad you are burning the DVDs and not the house.
Try a File>Catalog>Recover, if you have not already. This tidys up the underlying MS Access database. Hopefully this will correct your photo viewing problems.

[mom to 4]

Hello all!

Ok, Ward....WHOA!!!! Trying to read your post caused my brain to explode!!!! :eek: :D I think my brain begins to shut down when I try to figure this stuff out!!!!

QUESTIONS:

1. I am not sure if I understand you correctly......keep in mind I have very limited knowledge of what goes on inside my computer and how to do surgery to it. This is surgery to me :D ! So, I thought when I first read your post that you didn't like the idea of moving files off line onto DVD....then I thought you liked the idea......

2. RE: The external drive. I have a maxtor one touch 3 gig hard drive. It comes up from windows and says it is backing everything up. Should I go into Elements and do the backup to the maxtor from there??????

3. Do I need to do something special to back up the tags or would they be included in the backup????????

4 RE: Catalogs....I have only one catalog.....lots of pictures in it.....should I have more than one catalog...how do most people have it??????????????

5. Do you think it is a good idea to evenutally move photo's off line onto DVD's (is this the same question as question 1?????)

6. If I go into REcord Now or Nero and COPY my jpgs and psds to a disk.....isn't that similar to a backup??? what would be the difference with any given jpg or psd????????

Ok, now aren't you glad you responded to Marie's and my's post?????:D

Seriously, thank you all so much for you input.....I hope I am not being just plain dumb......but surgery is way over my head!!!!

[Ward Grant]

Colleen-Sorry about my previous epistle; I admit I sometimes get verbose so I'll try and edit my responses. You are not the first person to ask me to condense my answers.

QUESTIONS:

1. I am not sure if I understand you correctly......keep in mind I have very limited knowledge of what goes on inside my computer and how to do surgery to it. This is surgery to me ! So, I thought when I first read your post that you didn't like the idea of moving files off line onto DVD....then I thought you liked the idea......

Moving files to CD- For a second, off-site, emergency backup, I think off-line photos and catalog on DVDs are fine. For photos I use or wish to use, an external hard drive is my first choice. Again, this is just personal preference.

2. RE: The external drive. I have a maxtor one touch 3 gig hard drive. It comes up from windows and says it is backing everything up. Should I go into Elements and do the backup to the maxtor from there??????

External drive and backup-I would check what "everything" means. Does it capture every file and every folder or did you have to set up the folders you wanted copied? If it records your photos and My Catalog.PSA, then you don't need to do anything in Elements. You should be able to find out what is being copied by looking at your user manual. I am sure your external hard drive is more than 3 Gigs; more likely 300 Gigs.

3. Do I need to do something special to back up the tags or would they be included in the backup????????

Tags-The key is the My Catalog.PSA, where tags are stored. Elements Backup/Restore command includes this automatically. Other software programs may not, unles you tell it to back up this file.

4 RE: Catalogs....I have only one catalog.....lots of pictures in it.....should I have more than one catalog...how do most people have it??????????????

I use only one catalog and filter with Tags and Collections. Other users may find multiple catalogs helpful.

5. Do you think it is a good idea to evenutally move photo's off line onto DVD's (is this the same question as question 1?????)

Offline DVDs-See Question 1.

6. If I go into REcord Now or Nero and COPY my jpgs and psds to a disk.....isn't that similar to a backup??? what would be the difference with any given jpg or psd????????

Copying vs Backup-In many cases, a backup program will create special files that need the same software to restore. If you take a backup disk to a computer that does not have this software, it may not be able to read the information. A copy is a copy-any computer can read the file.

Also, many backup programs will automatically calculate the number of disks needed and "span" the data, automatically creating multiple disk sets. If you select 50 files to copy to a disk and they all won't fit on one disk, you'll have to manually decide which files to put on each disk.

Ok, now aren't you glad you responded to Marie's and my's post?????

Always glad to try and help with these type of questions

Seriously, thank you all so much for you input.....I hope I am not being just plain dumb......but surgery is way over my head!!!!
__________________
Colleen

[mom to 4]

Oh, Ward, thanks so much!!!! I think the problem was with me. I believe a wall goes up when I start reading computer stuff. Do wish I knew lots more about it though!

Thanks for the way you answered my questions. I have printed it off. I think what I really should do now is open my PSE4f, attach my Maxtor and use the backup through the PSE....that way I will know I am safe. I have also backed up to DVD's and it only used 3, which I didnt' think was bad, but I can only imagine people with 10,000 or 15,000 pics !!!!

Oh, by the way, Ward, you are right it is 300 gig, not 3.......:D