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Back Up Photos to Preserve Your Memories
 It is imperative to back up photos in order to prevent losing your digital photo collection due to a computer problem. Those never happen, right? I bet most of you probably wrote down the intention that you want to preserve your memories for the future. That's why you can't afford to skip this step in organizing photographs. Back in my more unorganized days, I was victim of my computer starting on fire (due to a build up of cat hair inside the fan and a spark when I plugged it in). I lost all of my important files, and worst of all, my photographs. I made due without my regular files, but to this day I still regret losing my digital photos. Needless to say, I now have a good backup system for my digital photos. Many people ask me how I do it, so I'll share my method, and you can come up with one that works best for you.
I keep all of my digital photo files on my computer in the "My Pictures" folder. You can then create a folder organization scheme to categorize your photos better. The sub-folders I use include:
Within each of the sub-folders, I create another folder for each year. Within each year, I put my photos in another sub-folder with a title that relates to the subject of the photos.
Then I usually edit the photos using photo editing software
I back up to both an external hard drive and a USB flash drive, just to be on the safe side. You can either just copy and paste the files in between the devices, or you can use a syncing software so only new or changed files will be updated each time you do a sync and backup. I like Allway Sync because it's free for personal use and easy to use.
It's a good idea to keep one or all of your back-ups stored in a secure off-site location. This could be a friend or relative's house, or even a security box at a bank. If for some reason you can't put it off-site, I recommend purchasing a fire safe
Another option is burning the images to archival-quality CDs or DVDs
Another way to keep your photos safe is to upload them to an online photo storage and sharing website such as Shutterfly or Picasa. With a backup online, your images are stored on a remote server. If you were to lose all of the images on your computer, you could possibly get them back by downloading my images or ordering CDs with the original images from the online website. When you choose an online company, make sure to find out if you can get your images back once you upload them. There are many online backup websites, and I do recommend using one to back-up not only photos, but all of your important computer files. After researching the top 25 options available, I recommend IDrive for it's cost effectiveness and ease of use.
In today's information age, it is necessary to weigh the risks and benefits of putting any information on the internet, including photographs. Be smart, investigate the privacy and security policies of all online photo sharing, printing, and storing websites, and then make an educated choice of where you put your photographs.
If you haven't already, visit these pages for more information on how to organize your photos:
Return to Organize Photographs from Back Up Photos
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. There are many software programs available, so choose the one you like best. Once my photos are edited, the next step is to back them up.
and storing your backup devices there.
. Make sure to store the them in a photo-safe box or album and in a safe location.
