# hard drive storage



## Guy McCue (Nov 5, 2010)

I currently have all my images stored on an external WD5''. For a backup to this I am considering purchasing a: *[color=#''4b91]LaCie Rugged All-Terrain 1 TB FireWire 8''/FireWire 4''/USB 2.' Portable External Hard Drive 3'1924[/color]*. Terry White recomended this as good unit. Also in taking advise from this forum this will quallify as true backup by being a traveling with me unit. Plans are to carry it with LR installed to run on a laptop on locaction. I am looking for pro and con advice to this idea. Is there software that I can run to keep these storage units in sync?   Thank you


----------



## sizzlingbadger (Nov 5, 2010)

I'm sure other Windows users will help out but I think SyncToy is a usually a recommendation on this site from a few of the Guru's.


----------



## ukbrown (Nov 5, 2010)

simple interface, not too command line savvy, synctoy.

Bit more tech savvy, want very high speed (multi threaded copying), robustness, guaranteed delivery etc etc. Robocopy - Included in all versions of windows 7 and downloadable for all versions of Windows. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee851678.aspx 

Oh, did you guess, I use Robocopy


----------



## clee01l (Nov 5, 2010)

Keeping files in sync is a minimum back up requirement. To achieve that goal, I have probably tried all the free Windows sync options including Synctoy and Robocopy. The application that I now use is Allway Sync (free if you syncronize less than synchronize 4',''' files in 3'-day period). http://allwaysync.com It is highly customizable down to the file level and by default does not sync system files like "thumbs.db" & desktop.ini.

Another program that I can recommend is Personal Backup. http://personal-backup.rathlev-home.de/index-e.html It will do file copy, incremental or differential backup and has the added benefit of a user selected versioning cycle. 

It is versioning that separates mere file syncronization from real backup redundancy. Syncronization does you no good if you have corrupted a local file and then have copied that corruped file over your only good backup copy. 

Maintaining a local syncronization of a second HD only protects you from HD failure. It does not protect critical data from catastrophic events like fire, flood or famine. For insurance against data loss of this type, you must keep a backup off site. That means keep ing a second EXD in rotation at another location like your office or your mom's. Or to the 'cloud' In addition to the simple file copy operations, I use one of the 'net storage solutions for unlimited backup. http://www.carbonite.com/ Carbonite works automatically and continually, in the background. my data is protected and I can reach back in time to restore a file from an earlier period. Unlimited data storage for less than $6' USD per year.


----------



## Replytoken (Nov 5, 2010)

[quote author=Guy McCue link=topic=115'6.msg77282#msg77282 date=128892'986]
Plans are to carry it with LR installed to run on a laptop on locaction. I am looking for pro and con advice to this idea. Is there software that I can run to keep these storage units in sync?   Thank you
[/quote]

Are you installing LR on the external HD, or on a laptop that will be accompanying you? I cannot see how the former would work, but it was not clear to me when I read your post.

--Ken

P.S. I do not know Terry White, but I often hear mixed thoughts on the reliability of LaCie hard drives. Yes, most brands have their good and bad production periods, but I do not recall many positive comments on LaCie drives over the years off the top of my head. You might want to dig a bit deeper just to make sure that the advice you received is shared among others.


----------



## Guy McCue (Nov 5, 2010)

Thanks to all of you for the sugestions on back up plan. I will be looking at the sync softwares listed and make a decision. Ken, Terry White does a daily Tech blog, and so far I have not found many reviews on this Lacie drive. His site list some and Amazon only list one. Also my intent was to run LR off the Lacie drive.  

Cletus my plans for this drive is to carry it with me to locations and use with a laptop. It would not stay at home next to or connected to my desktop except for the time to do backups off the desktop to it.

Thanks everyone


----------



## Replytoken (Nov 8, 2010)

[quote author=Guy McCue link=topic=115'6.msg7734'#msg7734' date=128899878']
Thanks to all of you for the sugestions on back up plan. I will be looking at the sync softwares listed and make a decision. Ken, Terry White does a daily Tech blog, and so far I have not found many reviews on this Lacie drive. His site list some and Amazon only list one. Also my intent was to run LR off the Lacie drive.  

Cletus my plans for this drive is to carry it with me to locations and use with a laptop. It would not stay at home next to or connected to my desktop except for the time to do backups off the desktop to it.

Thanks everyone
[/quote]

Guy,

Thank you for the additional information about Terry White. I will try to find hsi blog when my schedule permits. I am curious as to how you plan to install and run LR off of the external HD. Can you elaborate a bit further on how you plan to do this?

Thanks,

--Ken


----------



## happycranker (Nov 11, 2010)

I had used Lacie 64'GB drive for about a year and two power converters failed in that time, obviously rendering the drive useless until a new unit was supplied by Lacie, the first time they even refused to replace until the old one was sent back, which took a week!

Suffice to say I am now using Western Digital drives!


----------



## Jim Wilde (Nov 11, 2010)

You're not the only one, I've had at least four power converters fail over the years and no longer buy Lacie products (it's been a 'known' problem for many years which the company seems to be unconcerned about). Normally mine didn't fail until AFTER the warranty period expired!

As each converter failed I replaced the Lacie with either WD or Seagate drives. I'm down to my last 'active' Lacie drive, but have a collection of now-useless external drives gathering dust up in the loft.


----------



## Replytoken (Nov 12, 2010)

I am still not clear how LR is going to run off of an external HD. Is this possible?

--Ken


----------



## clee01l (Nov 12, 2010)

[quote author=Replytoken link=topic=115'6.msg77835#msg77835 date=1289528'47]
I am still not clear how LR is going to run off of an external HD. Is this possible?

--Ken
[/quote]LR does not care where the master images reside. As long as the relationship between the location of the master images and the location of the catalog is known by the catalog, LR is happy. Master images can even be on a Network drive (but the catalog can not). Lightroom (the application) is usually installed by the OS in the usual place. The catalog can be on any drive that is local to the computer even a USB that might not be always attached. When you start Lightroom ( the application), it usually defaults to the last opened catalog unless you have instructed it otherwise. Any time after Lightroom (the application) is running, you can navigate to the menu {File}{Open Catalog..} and open any existing catalog on any locally attached hard drive attached to the system.


----------



## Replytoken (Nov 12, 2010)

Hi Cletus,

"I believe that we have a failure to communicate." Actually, while my LR catalogs reside on my internal drive, all of my images are on external discs. But, that was not what the OP stated was his intention, if I am understanding him correctly. He wanted to install LR (the program) on the external HD to take with him. I know that you can install programs in directories other than on the C: drive, but that still presumes that the receiving drive will still be associated with the installing machine. Again, unless I am misunderstanding the OP, it sounds like he want a "portable" copy of LR on the external HD. Thus, my question - is this even possible?

--Ken


----------



## clee01l (Nov 12, 2010)

[quote author=Replytoken link=topic=115'6.msg77839#msg77839 date=1289535939]
...But, that was not what the OP stated was his intention, if I am understanding him correctly. He wanted to install LR (the program) on the external HD to take with him. [/quote] In this you are absolutely correct. And until you brought up the possibility, I had not considered anything outside of what I included in my first post. In a windows environment, this is not possible unless the application is designed to be "Portable" like some special versions of Firefox and other self contained applications designed to run on a 'thumb drive'. The Lightroom license permits more than one installation. Usually this would be on a Desktop and a second on a portable computer like the OPs laptop. As long as LR is properly installed by the OS including all of the necessary entries in the registry, the OP should have no problem taking the catalog AND the master images on a portable HD.


----------

