Service for backing up your files?
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Ok, this is only somewhat art related, but I'm sure you guys don't want to lose your image files the same as me!
I back up my files to an external hard drive every couple weeks, but its not a great system (obviously) and I want to get a service that backs up my computer automatically to the cloud. What companies do you use that do this? Which are the easiest/give the most space/have the best service? Dropbox is the one that I've heard of most, I'm just wondering if there another one out there that might be better?
Thanks
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Dropbox really works good for me, and I also use ICloud. As for other systems I don't have any experience. Good luck making a good choiche. Your work is so fabulous, keep it safe!
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I see that Google Drive has an option for 100GB for $20 year. That is pretty cheap and I might think about moving into that. Right now i have the free 15GB on google drive and the free 4GB on dropbox. I also do an external hard drive about once a month.
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I have TimeMachine setup on my working drive - though this is an option only if you have a Mac...TimeMachine backs up every hour to an external disk or to the cloud, so you are never at risk of losing anything. Additionally, I backup whatever I am working on every evening to Dropbox, just before calling it a day. This has the added benefit that I can access it from anywhere and share it with critique groups or customers whenever appropriate. Dropbox also links to all mobile devices, so I can transfer psd files to and from ProCreate or any reference pictures I take with my iPhone to any other device. Google Drive or iCloud would be just the same, and I think pricing is all more or less in the same range - so it is really what you like most in terms of interface.
I also backup my website every time I publish something new...
And, I do not keep any work on the computer hard disk, it is all on external drives - so if the computer goes into suicide mode, I can still plug the drive into another computer and retrieve my work.
Yes, I am paranoid....but being paranoid has saved my neck many many times already, so I keep it up
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Dropbox is what I use for everything, and it's saved me more than once! I put all of my files into my dropbox folder and if my computer dies (which has happened before) I simply install dropbox on a new machine and all of my files get downloaded. Other features I use frequently:
-Selective sync - allows you to choose which files live on your harddrive and which are only accessible online. Anytime you want to bring a folder onto your harddrive or take it off it's as easy as checking or unchecking a box.
-Version control - Dropbox automatically saves past versions of your files online every time you save. I've had instances where I accidentally save over a file and I am easily able to select "view previous versions" and download or convert to a date stamped past version of the file. It's greawt!
-Access ANYWHERE - with dropbox you can access your files from a web browser, a phone, a tablet, anything! You can download files or easily send a link to a file via email, Skype, etc.. I use this for larger PSD files or when sharing multiple files I can just send a link to a folder for someone to download.
Hope this helps!
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All the services mentioned do a good job of storing files remotely but Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud are not "backup" services. They are file sharing or file access sites - that is totally different from "backup services"
Carbonite, & backblaze are two of the more popular services and both have been around for a while.
If you are on a mac Time Machine does a great job backing things up but too often people use a hard drive that is plugged into their computer or router as their only backup hardware. if your house burns down and your computer is lost - so is your back up!
The best backup strategy is a dual strategy. If you wish to use time machine use two external hard drives and switch them every week and keep the one not attacked to your computer either stored in a good fireproof safe or keep it at another location.
Another good strategy is to use something local like Time Machine and a remote service like carbonite.
I'd not suggest a remote service solely simply because companies go out of business, the internet goes down at the worse moment (like when you need to access the online backup in the middle of the night).
If you are looking to simply backup your artwork regularly you can also purchase a USB thumb drive. 128gb and 256 gb are relatively cheap and will hold a lot of artwork.
For myself, I use drop box, time machine and dual USB thumb drives.
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I use DropBox too (as well as Time Machine), and am really happy with how it works. I work on both a desktop Mac, and a Macbook, and I particularly like the fact that it syncs the files automatically...so I can work on a piece on my desktop for a bit, then later (leaving a bit of time for it to sync) I can work on the same updated file on my laptop.
