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Photos in “The Cloud” and “FreePrints” app


jenevers

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I always worry...that somewhen all of your photos are up there....nobody has any backup any more...and wham !....the charges come along !

 

A bit like Windows 10 now......where businesses will have to pay or " support will disappear"...( ie they will send a big update just after you decline the subscription...and suddenly your computer stops )

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32 minutes ago, Bobbybass said:

I always worry...that somewhen all of your photos are up there....nobody has any backup any more...and wham !....the charges come along !

 

A bit like Windows 10 now......where businesses will have to pay or " support will disappear"...( ie they will send a big update just after you decline the subscription...and suddenly your computer stops )

Where are these "nobodys"?  I back up my photos twice on usb sticks.

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When i was working my job was to design, and project manage the installation, testing and commissioning of resilient power supplies and cooling systems for the data centres which form the cloud storage.

 

These are usually designed to meet standards (tiers) of availabity (uptime) designated by the Uptime Institute the highestof which provides a theoretical availability (uptime) of 99.9999%.

 

https://uptimeinstitute.com/?utm_source=google_adwords&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=search_SearchNetwork-Global_BrandedKeywords_UptimeInstitute-TheGlobalDataCenterExpert&utm_matchtype=b&utm_network=g&utm_device=m&utm_keyword=%2Buptime %2Binstitute&utm_placement=&utm_position=1t1&utm_campaignname=SearchNetwork-Global&utm_groupname=BrandedKeywords&utm_creativename=UptimeInstitute-TheGlobalDataCenterExpert&gclid=CjwKCAiAo8jgBRAVEiwAJUXKqIW_p8s37DhQRLLUSNgjwgNhCuRz3vxbQiHZOlbNLo8puKhh6MiswhoC_MQQAvD_BwE

 

On top of that the major data centre providers have "fallback" data centres, where all of the stored data is mirrored at another oftheir sites.

 

So the short answer is the data is very safe, unless of course there is an electro-magnetic pulse...

Edited by cuthound
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21 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 Where are these "nobodys"?  I back up my photos twice on usb sticks.

I wasn't calling you a nobody....     ?

 

However......you have highlighted another problem.

How long will there be computers around that accept USB connections ?

There are very few now.....

I wanted a laptop that accepted DVD program discs,,,but again..very few.

 

I guess ( only a guess...disclaimer : actual guess may not reflect sanity and may vary from description  )

………..that once you have no means of storing photos on discs or USB...and are left with only online storage...the charges will begin.

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34 minutes ago, Bobbybass said:

I wasn't calling you a nobody....     ?

 

However......you have highlighted another problem.

How long will there be computers around that accept USB connections ? 

There are very few now.....

I wanted a laptop that accepted DVD program discs,,,but again..very few.

 

I guess ( only a guess...disclaimer : actual guess may not reflect sanity and may vary from description  )

………..that once you have no means of storing photos on discs or USB...and are left with only online storage...the charges will begin.

For as long as those who build computers are prepared to fit them I guess. If you go for an off shelf computer from the big suppliers, they can dictate what you get, (or don't get!)  but If you go to a proper Computer Supplier who will build a computer to your spec, they will fit anything you want. I have four USB sockets on mine, and a CD/DVD player recorder, because I asked for one, it didn't even add much to the overall price.

 

 

 

Edited by David Schweizer
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43 minutes ago, Bobbybass said:

I wasn't calling you a nobody....     ?

 

However......you have highlighted another problem.

How long will there be computers around that accept USB connections ?

There are very few now.....

I wanted a laptop that accepted DVD program discs,,,but again..very few.

 

I guess ( only a guess...disclaimer : actual guess may not reflect sanity and may vary from description  )

………..that once you have no means of storing photos on discs or USB...and are left with only online storage...the charges will begin.

I have a MacBook with no place to put a disc but I have what Apple call a superdrive; it's a DVD player with a usb connection. I had this one very important to me cassette tape that I wanted to transfer to a different format because tapes don't last for ever even if you have some thing to play them on, turns out you can now get cassette players that can record your tape to your MacBook and I've just bought a record player to transfer some old vinyl on to my Mac.  You can even buy connectors to link HTMI and SCART. Who would've thought it, eh?  :D 

 

But yes, I think there's charges ahead. ?

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39 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

I have a MacBook with no place to put a disc but I have what Apple call a superdrive; it's a DVD player with a usb connection. I had this one very important to me cassette tape that I wanted to transfer to a different format because tapes don't last for ever even if you have some thing to play them on, turns out you can now get cassette players that can record your tape to your MacBook and I've just bought a record player to transfer some old vinyl on to my Mac.  You can even buy connectors to link HTMI and SCART. Who would've thought it, eh?  :D 

 

But yes, I think there's charges ahead. ?

whatever future standards are adopted there will almost always be some form of adapter to allow USB to be connected, there is simply too much equipment out there for a manufacturer to completely block its use

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9 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Users will need to copy their data to new storage formats as they evolve. I have known of data which has been lost due to a lack of equipment to read it. Who now can copy from  a zip drive, or Jazz drive, or a 3.5" or 5.25" floppy disc, or 0.5 inch mag tape, or... ?

As I was saying it's amazing what you can now find for transferring you stuff. 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Floppy-External-Drive-Portable-Windows/dp/B01N590HTZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544729899&sr=8-1&keywords=floppy+to+hard+disc

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2 hours ago, Detling said:

Beware of encryption, get your phone nicked broken or waterlogged and you have to wave bye bye to your photos because you have lost the encryption key stored in that phone. My son has lost 18 months worth due to a toe rag nicking his.

 

I take it he didn't use something like Google photos which automatically uploads photos taken to Google drive?

3 hours ago, Bobbybass said:

I always worry...that somewhen all of your photos are up there....nobody has any backup any more...and wham !....the charges come along !

 

A bit like Windows 10 now......where businesses will have to pay or " support will disappear"...( ie they will send a big update just after you decline the subscription...and suddenly your computer stops )

The charges thing does pose a potential future challenge.

 

Once you have thousands of photos uploaded to something like Google drive which is free at the mo. if in the correct resolution, what happens when/if in a few years they decide they cant be freely stored any longer.

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2 hours ago, David Mack said:

Who now can copy from  a zip drive, or Jazz drive, or a 3.5" or 5.25" floppy disc, 

Me. Just this year I copied the last of my Zip and Jazz drives. I still have a couple of 3.5” floppy drives kicking around but no 5.25” drives. I never had anything on 5.25” that I needed to keep, other than some documents that are safe and sound elsewhere. 

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3 hours ago, David Mack said:

Users will need to copy their data to new storage formats as they evolve. I have known of data which has been lost due to a lack of equipment to read it. Who now can copy from  a zip drive, or Jazz drive, or a 3.5" or 5.25" floppy disc, or 0.5 inch mag tape, or... ?

So long as you move your stuff from the obsolete technology to the current tech (5.25" floppy to 3.5" floppy to CD to DVD to SD card) you have a chance, but it pays to use a file format that everyone else is using, like PDF, JPG or MS office formats as these seem to carry on just fine.  Not sure it's still possible to open up some of the long dead word processor format files.

 

Added - Also pays to refresh/copy files as I have a couple of very old CD discs with photos on that have started to delaminate.

Edited by Chewbacka
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2 minutes ago, jenevers said:

I have 2 dead laptops with lots of photos on the hard drives. Could a computer shop download the photos onto a disc/stick?

Best not done if your name is Gary Glitter ?

Yes a computer shop can probably do it for you, though if any of the photos are very personal you may want to consider the risk/consequence if they look at your pictures or keep a copy.  You can get usb devices that you plug your hard disk into and it becomes an external drive that can be read by a laptop though it would need a compatible operating system.  So windows for an old windows lap top etc..  However there are a couple of hard drive types so you need the right adaptor. 

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36 minutes ago, jenevers said:

I have 2 dead laptops with lots of photos on the hard drives. Could a computer shop download the photos onto a disc/stick?

A good one could yes.

 

Your photos are normally stored separately from the OS and whatever else is causing your laptop to be 'dead'.

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9 hours ago, jenevers said:

I have 2 dead laptops with lots of photos on the hard drives. Could a computer shop download the photos onto a disc/stick?

If the hard drives in the laptops are SATA drives (pictured below / most ones less than 10 years old will be) then you can get an adaptor fairly cheaply that will connect to usb as an external drive.

 

I have a few of these ones ( https://www.ebuyer.com/620400-startech-com-usb-3-0-to-2-5-sata-iii-hard-drive-adapter-cable-w-usb3s2sat3cb ) kicking around, at under £10 they don't break the bank

 

 

 

 

Micro_SATA_pin-out_on_Toshiba_MK1216GSG_

 

if your drives look different at the back (and have about 40 pins sticking out) you have got IDE drives, for these the best bet is a hard drive caddy ( https://www.ebuyer.com/79985-dynamode-caddy-for-2-5-ide-hard-drives-usb-hd2-5 ) 

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8 minutes ago, WotEver said:

I have a couple of adaptor cables like your first one that take SATA or IDE drives. I’ve had them a few years so don’t know if they’re still available (and can’t be arsed to go looking). 

they are still around, usually made by Startech

I did think about linking to them but some recent reviews point to the power supply failing (smoke & flames) when connected to a truly faulty drive

The ones I linked to are for laptop type drives and only use the 5v supply from USB which has plenty of protection in place if something is horribly wrong

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3 hours ago, Jess-- said:

If the hard drives in the laptops are SATA drives (pictured below / most ones less than 10 years old will be) then you can get an adaptor fairly cheaply that will connect to usb as an external drive.

 

I have a few of these ones ( https://www.ebuyer.com/620400-startech-com-usb-3-0-to-2-5-sata-iii-hard-drive-adapter-cable-w-usb3s2sat3cb ) kicking around, at under £10 they don't break the bank

 

 

 

 

Micro_SATA_pin-out_on_Toshiba_MK1216GSG_

 

if your drives look different at the back (and have about 40 pins sticking out) you have got IDE drives, for these the best bet is a hard drive caddy ( https://www.ebuyer.com/79985-dynamode-caddy-for-2-5-ide-hard-drives-usb-hd2-5 ) 

Thanks. I’ll have to seriously look into this and save my old photos.

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8 minutes ago, jenevers said:

Thanks. I’ll have to seriously look into this and save my old photos.

once you've copied the photo's off the drive you can reformat them and use them as a backup drives

 

copy anything important to the drives and keep them safe (ideally somewhere away from the computer / boat), then if anything happens to your computer you only risk losing the most recent additions / changes.

 

although I have fairly heavy duty backup systems in place I still have a couple of hard drives in a small locked box that is kept in a friends safe (1 drive gets replaced roughly every 6 months), those drives contain a self booting linux, digital versions of various documents (contracts etc), old family photo's, encryption keys for various servers and services, copies of source code for various projects and systems

in short those drives are my recovery plan if I ever find that my office is in the middle of a smoking crater 50 miles wide and cloud providers have all shut down

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