editing photos and given the run-around

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:53:44 -0700, Charlie Groh
wrote:

On 14 Oct 2008 19:52:10 GMT, ray wrote:

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:27:57 +0100, john d hamilton wrote:

In an attempt to delete all my duplicate photos all over the place on my
pc and external hard drive, I opened Picasa and went through all the
folders listed deleting the endless copies.

I wanted to create a 'backup' but was told it would need 2 dvds or 12
cds. since i only have cds (each 700mb capacity) and not enough of them
i thought i would transfer to 'My Documents' on my pc and then go
through all the photos once again deleting a lot of the not so good
photos.

For some reason only about a third of the photos have transferred to my
documents from Picas, and when i went back to the Picasa library, all
the duplicate folders have *returned* to the library list !

Which is very annoying since there are years worth and literally
hundreds of folders and i'm not happy to have to do it all again.

Could anyone give advice to a novice on what best to do here please? My
ultimate goal is to delete duplicates and then edit the number down and
then transfer to cd or dvd for safekeeping. Keeping if possible the
original number bytes of each photograph so I can do some detailed
editing in the future. Many thanks for any advice.

My photo collection is rather modest compared to some, but I've never
found it necessary to resort to 'photo management software' - I keep mine
in order by using a directory structure to represent months and years.
There would, of course, be several other practical ways to organize your
photos. I keep all my photos - which I usually shoot in RAW - my wife does
jpegs on her older smaller P&S. I read the photos into my desktop and my
laptop compter and then make a backup copy on an external USB hard drive
(they are quite reasonable now) and then from time to time make a backup
to DVD - DVD writers are also pretty inexpensive now. Needless to say, I
have never lost a photo.

...I'm with you, Ray, although my collection is getting rather large.
I've got 4 USB drives, ranging from 250 gigs to a newer terabyte and
am thinking to initiate a RAID structure, but for now I manually
back-up. Been using DVD's for a few years but am pretty ready to
invest in Bluray...50 gigs per disc is hard to ignore, how *clean*!

I tried Picassa a long time ago and dumped it within a few days...like
the first replier said, it tried to take over *everything*! Now, I
just dump my cards into dated folders right out of the reader...the
card shows in My Computer and you're off and running.

cg

....I should have added that I have an Epsom p-3000 that I copy my
cards into right after a shoot...THEN dump the pics into my "photo"
computer from the card...these things are very handy, especially in
the field... when it (the Epsom) gets stretched for room, I dump the
whole thing into one of the USB drives and from there copy to disc
when I get some time...
cg

On 15 Oct 2008 04:12:22 GMT, thanatoid
wrote:

I'm still using scratch-builts (I don't put them together
myself, though) but I'm on Windows XP Media now with a
Seagate external drive for backup. I burn DVDs about every
three months as added backup.

Aha. Somehow that got left out of your original reply.

My original reply was to the OP. It was a suggestion that he purchase
an external hard drive to use as a convenient, easy, fast, and safe
method for back-up for his files. I offered a suggestion for him to
consider. He already knew about using CDs or DVDs for this purpose.

WHY do you bother with DVD's, since you claim HD's practically
NEVER fail?

I did not claim that HDs never fail. I stated that I have never had
one of mine fail.

In my history of computer use, I've never had a drive go
bad on me.

Excuse, strike "practically", "NEVER".

That's right, never.

but you're the one
having the problems.

WHERE did I say I was having the problems? The drives died but I
had backups of anything that mattered.

I would say that having over a third of the drives you bought was
having problems. You may have recovered the data, but you had to
replace the drives.

Not me. Backing up on an external
drive, burning an immediate DVD of a really important set
of images or data, and burning DVDs every three months or
so works fine for me.

Of course, that should work for everyone - unless your external
drive craps out the next day after your back up. WHICH SOMEDAY
IT MAY, regardless of your astonishing luck so far.

Yeah, well, since I live in Central Florida I'm more concerned about a
hurricane blowing away my house than I am about drive failure. Each
of the last hurricanes have done damage to me, but the drives soldier
on.

The only time I can recall losing images is when I've
mistakenly saved instead of saved-as doing something in
Photoshop. Sometimes I've wanted that original back.

I think making a lossless copy of anything of any importance
before you start messing with it is not a bad idea sometimes.
But what do I know, right?

Absolutely correct. And I do. When I think. Sometimes I screw up.

You represent a type often seen in newsgroups and forums
(they were on the BBS's too) on photography and computers.
The guy who thinks he's the only one who knows what he is
doing, that thinks that the brand he's using is the only
brand that anyone should use, that thinks that he's
impressing people with his windbag expertise, and that
thinks that other people are "stupid", "morons", or
"idiots" because they don't do what he does. Yet, a type
that seldom has a useful suggestion or realistic solution
to a problem. All brag, no action.

You've simply described a typical male - perhaps yourself?

Look at the thread. Which is me, and which is you?

As for you saying that the only reason anyone would call someone
else "stupid" (etc.) is because they don't agree with them, I
would look at yourself and think a little about that statement.

Feel free to GG for my posting history here
and in some other groups, since you seem to have a lot of time.

I extend you the same invitation. I don't call people stupid. I may
prove them stupid by rebuttal, but I don't need to go ad hominem to do
so. And, I do have a lot of time. I'm retired.

In another post you refer to the thirty-some percent
failure rate you've experienced with equipment. I've had
one equipment failure, and that was longer ago than you
*started* using computers. And you're the expert with the
good advice?

No, I'm just cursed and you're very very lucky. Luck runs out.
Misery doesn't.

--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

thanatoid wrote:
tony cooper wrote in
:

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:27:57 +0100, "john d hamilton"
wrote:

In an attempt to delete all my duplicate photos all over
the place on my pc and external hard drive, I opened Picasa
and went through all the folders listed deleting the
endless copies.

SNIP

You have to have the right software (Google is in the business
of destroying the Usenet, creating their own [WWG?], and keeping
complete personal records on everyone alive, so their software
offerings are problematic for those and a variety of other
reasons).



Dude--you better add a couple of layers to your tinfoil hat.

I may be just extremely /un/lucky, but totally depending on a HD
is just stupid.


I tend to agree. I lost a heap of photos that were backed up on an
external HD, when it was accidently dropped from a footstool onto a carpeted
floor while reading from it. Yes, stupid place to put it, specially with
kids running around, but if a CD or DVD dropped from thete, I would still
have my pictures. Statistically, because of its nature, 100% of HD s WILL
fail at some point in time. Cheers

In rec.photo.digital Xiaoding wrote:

| External harddrives are dodgy...I got one, but don't depend on it.
| what do you do when it won't turn on, or gives you a "disk not found "
| error? It happens. 12 CD's are not that bad, you can knock that out
| in no time. Then make a second set.

I've had problems so far with one external drive (aside from the Seagate ones
I got that never worked at all with Linux because they did not conform to the
letter of the USB standard). Fortunately I have several and make backups in
triples. I've had issues with CD and DVD media more often, generally a couple
years after recording them. Really critical files I need to keep a long time
are also backed up more times to USB sticks or SD cards.

--
|WARNING: Due to extreme spam, googlegroups.com is blocked. Due to ignorance |
| by the abuse department, bellsouth.net is blocked. If you post to |
| Usenet from these places, find another Usenet provider ASAP. |
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (email for humans: first name in lower case at ipal.net) |

"Just JT" wrote in
ng.com:


"thanatoid" wrote:

You.can.have.redundant.discs.setup.with.RAID.

And if you're REALLY cursed, they will both/all fail at
the same time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're really cursed, then your house/office/storage
will burn down and you lose everything. It won't matter if
you save your photos to discs or hard disk media.

What are the chances of three disks in a RAID-5
configuration fail at the same time? How about ten disks in
a RAID 1+0 configuration all failing at the same time?

Anything is possible.

People who have /really/ important data (although having
read many "corporate data loss" news stories I sometimes
wonder what it takes for data to be considered REALLY
important)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't believe everything you read in the news.

No kidding.

also use high-capacity digital tape drives. Tape has been
around for MUCH longer than disc-burning technology and
has /proven/ to be very dependable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Problem is how do you open a photograph from tape? You
can't.

Are you a moron or just play one on the Usenet?

It is, unfortunately, rather expensive for the home user.
Therefore, discs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Discs: SLOW to burn and write once media. Hard discs: FAST
to copy and READ/WRITE. It's a no brainer, hard disks are
the better option to CD/DVD and other write once media.

Tape is not write-once.

You.can.get.a.2TB.external.drive.for.under.$1000.

Some people don't make that in a month. Glad you do. Still can't
guarantee it won't fail.


--
Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the
votes decide everything.
- Josef Stalin

tony cooper wrote in
:

On 15 Oct 2008 04:12:22 GMT, thanatoid
wrote:

I'm still using scratch-builts (I don't put them together
myself, though) but I'm on Windows XP Media now with a
Seagate external drive for backup. I burn DVDs about
every three months as added backup.

Aha. Somehow that got left out of your original reply.

My original reply was to the OP.

Aha. So you didn't expect anyone else to ever read it or
comment.

It was a suggestion that
he purchase an external hard drive to use as a convenient,
easy, fast, and safe method for back-up for his files. I
offered a suggestion for him to consider. He already knew
about using CDs or DVDs for this purpose.

WHY do you bother with DVD's, since you claim HD's
practically NEVER fail?

I did not claim that HDs never fail. I stated that I have
never had one of mine fail.

I LOVE back-pedaling!

In my history of computer use, I've never had a drive go
bad on me.

Excuse, strike "practically", "NEVER".

That's right, never.

but you're the one
having the problems.

WHERE did I say I was having the problems? The drives died
but I had backups of anything that mattered.

I would say that having over a third of the drives you
bought was having problems. You may have recovered the
data, but you had to replace the drives.

That's not a problem. When you break a tooth, you get a crown.
No problem.

Not me. Backing up on an external
drive, burning an immediate DVD of a really important set
of images or data, and burning DVDs every three months or
so works fine for me.

Of course, that should work for everyone - unless your
external drive craps out the next day after your back up.
WHICH SOMEDAY IT MAY, regardless of your astonishing luck
so far.

Yeah, well, since I live in Central Florida I'm more
concerned about a hurricane blowing away my house than I am
about drive failure. Each of the last hurricanes have done
damage to me, but the drives soldier on.

Until some day some hurricane or tsunami trashes your entire
computer setup including all your indestructible drives. Don't
tell me it can't happen. /Anything/ can happen.

The only time I can recall losing images is when I've
mistakenly saved instead of saved-as doing something in
Photoshop. Sometimes I've wanted that original back.

I think making a lossless copy of anything of any
importance before you start messing with it is not a bad
idea sometimes. But what do I know, right?

Absolutely correct. And I do. When I think. Sometimes I
screw up.

For once you are admitting the possibility that you are human.

You represent a type often seen in newsgroups and forums
(they were on the BBS's too) on photography and
computers. The guy who thinks he's the only one who knows
what he is doing, that thinks that the brand he's using
is the only brand that anyone should use, that thinks
that he's impressing people with his windbag expertise,
and that thinks that other people are "stupid", "morons",
or "idiots" because they don't do what he does. Yet, a
type that seldom has a useful suggestion or realistic
solution to a problem. All brag, no action.

You've simply described a typical male - perhaps yourself?

Look at the thread. Which is me, and which is you?

For all we know, neither one of us even exists. And nothing
matters.

As for you saying that the only reason anyone would call
someone else "stupid" (etc.) is because they don't agree
with them, I would look at yourself and think a little
about that statement.

Feel free to GG for my posting history here
and in some other groups, since you seem to have a lot of
time.

I extend you the same invitation. I don't call people
stupid. I may prove them stupid by rebuttal, but I don't
need to go ad hominem to do so. And, I do have a lot of
time. I'm retired.

Likewise. BTW, what exactly is the "horrid unspeakable crime" of
telling a stupid person they are stupid? They SHOULD be told!

Are we done now?

;-)


--
Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the
votes decide everything.
- Josef Stalin

"Russell D." wrote in
:

thanatoid wrote:
You have to have the right software (Google is in the
business of destroying the Usenet, creating their own
[WWG?], and keeping complete personal records on everyone
alive, so their software offerings are problematic for
those and a variety of other reasons).

Dude--you better add a couple of layers to your tinfoil
hat.

Glad someone responded because it gives me a chance to say I
left out "web" before [WWG?].
Not that many read or noticed it.

As for the tinfoil hat, it's rather a tired little joke, but
yes, I admit it, I am psychotic and typing this with my toe
(straitjacket).

The /sane/ truth is that Bush won both elections legitimately,
there were NO gas chambers in Hitler's concentration camps (nor
did grandpa Bush do profitable business with the aforementioned
gentleman), there was NO moon landing, and Google stores NO
personal data ANYWHERE. Oh, and there is NO Echelon either. Or
US torture camps around the world. After all, God makes damn
sure nothing bad /ever/ happens.


--
Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the
votes decide everything.
- Josef Stalin

"Tony in Oz" wrote in
:


I may be just extremely /un/lucky, but totally depending
on a HD is just stupid.


I tend to agree. I lost a heap of photos that were
backed up on an
external HD, when it was accidently dropped from a
footstool onto a carpeted floor while reading from it. Yes,
stupid place to put it, specially with kids running around,
but if a CD or DVD dropped from thete, I would still have
my pictures. Statistically, because of its nature, 100% of
HD s WILL fail at some point in time. Cheers

THANK YOU for helping me to try and save what little sanity and
common sense is left in this crazy world.



--
Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the
votes decide everything.
- Josef Stalin

john d hamilton wrote:
In an attempt to delete all my duplicate photos all over the place on my pc
and external hard drive, I opened Picasa and went through all the folders
listed deleting the endless copies.

I wanted to create a 'backup' but was told it would need 2 dvds or 12 cds.
since i only have cds (each 700mb capacity) and not enough of them i thought
i would transfer to 'My Documents' on my pc and then go through all the
photos once again deleting a lot of the not so good photos.

For some reason only about a third of the photos have transferred to my
documents from Picas, and when i went back to the Picasa library, all the
duplicate folders have *returned* to the library list !

Which is very annoying since there are years worth and literally hundreds of
folders and i'm not happy to have to do it all again.

Could anyone give advice to a novice on what best to do here please? My
ultimate goal is to delete duplicates and then edit the number down and then
transfer to cd or dvd for safekeeping. Keeping if possible the original
number bytes of each photograph so I can do some detailed editing in the
future. Many thanks for any advice.



Dupe Detector, for finding... duplicates.

http://www.freeware-guide.com/rareware/DupDetector.html