Backing Up: Best Practices

Thank you for trusting Second Début with your precious footage and memories.

Now, it is your responsibility to Preserve and Protect these files for future generations!

Confucius says: “If your digital files don’t live in 3 separate places, then you don’t have any digital files”.

Fact: Most digital media devices, hard drives or USB drives will fail at some point in time.

Fact: It’s easier to misplace a video file than a stack of videotapes. Out of sight, out of mind.

Suggestion #1:

Make THREE copies of the digital files you’ve received, to different “types” of storage devices, i.e. solid state drives, optical drives, USB, cloud. Clearly label the physical drives.

Suggestion #2:

Keep track of WHERE you put the stuff. Keep notes on paper, in a diary, in a folder with important papers, describing what content resides on which device.

Recommended:

Revisit your digital archives every 2-3 years. Plug in and spin your drives. Play the videos. Mechanical drives might stop spinning, flash drives might get zapped, cloud accounts might be forgotten or closed.

Caring for digital assets requires time and commitment. You’ve come this far, keep it up.