How do you preserve your back up media?

[Skitterbug]

Over time, I have backed up my computer to internal HDs, CDs, zip drives, DVDs and now I back up to Ex. HDs. What I am curious about is what others do about keeping these backups safe? Where do you store your Ex. HDs? CDs or DVDs (or whatever else you may use?) There are tornado warnings out for areas northwest of us this evening. Who knows when one may strike? Or some other major catastrophe? I think my pictures are probably the most important data I have but of course there are other items that I also back up. Anyway, what plan of safety do our Loungers use to keep a back up safe?
Thanks for any suggestions or discussion!

[BobH]

I have used a safe deposit box at my bank. The problem I found was that I wasn't as diligent about putting a copy there as I should have been. Haven't lost anything to fire, flood, storm or other natural catastrophe - yet (knock knock) - only to ID 10 T actions on my part.

Western Digital's Passport series of mini external hard drives have been very effective for me. Their capacity is now at a TB (I think). The drive is only slightly larger than an iPhone. Their price points are such that using 3 different ones to rotate back ups periodically to your off site vault is a lot more reasonable than it was a few years ago.

Of course, there are Internet data storage companies out there now, too. I just never have trusted someone else to give as much care for my stuff as I do. Besides, if it gets destroyed because of my actions I'll be a much better person for not having someone else to get angry at and blame.

MTCW

[ChrisGreaves]

Where do you store your Ex. HDs? CDs or DVDs (or whatever else you may use?) There are tornado warnings out for areas northwest of us this evening.

I keep my twin external HDs in a little fire-proof box I bought 20+ years ago for about $20 at the time. (The box also holds my passports, birth certificates etc.).

Each evening ~6pm I unlock the box, (keys stay in the lock), plug the externals in, run the backup (Thanks RoboCopy!) and when it is done, return the HDs to the box. Leaving the keys in the lock tokenises my memory - I can't leave home and lock my door while my externals are out!

The box is in the closet of another room; this gives me time to pause before restoring a file when I've "done something stupid". If the externals were in the same room, I'd be tempted to plug one in and do something else stupid.

I live under and between two flight paths for Canada's busiest. If a 'plane hits my apartment head-on, I'm toast. Otherwise I have a good chance of recovering my hard drives, but it would take weeks for me to obtain them from the charred wreckage.

I don't see that as an argument for keeping an off-site copy, even once a month, at my accountant's office. A Sun Microsystems survey a few years back showed that 95%(?) of our files aren't accessed after 5(?) days.

What might work is a reciprocal storage agreement with another colleague who I meet on a frequent but irregular basis. Sounds a bit paranoid to me ...

[Leif]

(The box also holds my passports, birth certificates etc.).

We know you're talented Chris, but just how many times were you born?

[ChrisGreaves]

... I wasn't as diligent about putting a copy there as I should have been.

My fears, especially since I don't run a car anymore. Even opening an account across the street would require me to be out of my apartment at a fixed time each day, and weekends???

... there are Internet data storage companies out there ...

I won't go near them because I would feel awkward about entrusting confidential client data to someone I've never met "out there". I suspect too that some of my clients would be even more concerned than I. (Also, when my system is really crashed, how do I get on to the internet to d/l my files?)

[ChrisGreaves]

(The box also holds my passports, birth certificates etc.).

We know you're talented Chris, but just how many times were you born?

Good pick, Leif!
If I felt up to it I'd probably argue that I was using the word "birth" as an adjective, and the box holds many certificates, of which my birth certificate is but one ....

[StuartR]

I have three birth certificates in my files. Each one is headed "Certified copy of an entry of birth".
They are officially certified copies of the entry in a register of births, and you can have as many of them as you want.

[BobH]

Yep! Got multiple certified copies of my birth certificate as well. (Too many folks claimed I wasn't born but got here some other way).

In the old days, I took one of the copies with me on trips to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean islands - before a passport was required. It was satisfactory evidence of citizenship in those days. We also keep extra certified copies for the wife and daughter - all in fireproof boxes and a backup in the safe deposit box in the bank vault.

[Leif]

.... and you can have as many of them as you want.

Thanks, but I'll pass on your kind offer

[StuartR]

...Thanks, but I'll pass on your kind offer

Fine, be like that, see if I care, I can easily find loads of other people who will appreciate my offer.

[Bigaldoc]

... what plan of safety do our Loungers use to keep a back up safe?

Isn't it amazing how a thread can get hijacked, even when it's not in Scuttlebutt!

I do my backup to two alternating external drives but I don't take any measures to move them to an offsite location. I've always figured that in the case of a disaster like tornado, fire or what have you, the least of my worries would be my computer and its data. After all it's "personal" memories not "mission critical" stuff like. ahem, birth certificates!

Yes, like you I do have tons of pictures on there but most have been copied for my son on CDs or DVDs.

[ChrisGreaves]

Isn't it amazing how a thread can get hijacked, even when it's not in Scuttlebutt!

Yeah. It really gets my back up.

BackUp004.JPG

[Skitterbug]

It doesn't bother me that the thread was I enjoy discussions of all sorts!

About birth certificate. I have the original but it was not properly certified for some reason. So about the time I applied for those fast disappearing benefits, I had to find the right government office to get a duplicate. The data wasn't where it was supposed to be.... so after lots of digging, I did finally get a copy. Besides applying for those benefits, I also applied for a passport in the hope that one day I may actually get to cross the ocean and see what the rest of the world looks like.

About back ups. I have considered putting a copy into a safe deposit box off site but I would never back up on a scheduled basis so that would be almost useless. I've also considered putting a copy into our lock box which is supposed to be fire proof but I figured that in a house fire, it would still be too hot for the data hardware and the zeros and ones would melt together. And winds from a tornado would treat the lock box like a toy and I'd never see the box again if that happened.

My last idea and one that I may do, is copy my pics yet again onto DVDs and have them kept at our children's home. They are the ones who would enjoy them if something did happen to us anyway so that would probably be my best solution.

Thanks for all the "discussions". to all who participated!