Copy/Archive Image files safely?

RP
Posted By
Russell_Proulx
Feb 6, 2007
Views
270
Replies
11
Status
Closed
Is there an easy way to confirm that image files are correctly copied to another hard disk without actually opening/confirming every one of them?

I was recently burned by using a Bytecc IDE->USB2 adaptor and most of the transferred files were found to be corrupted. One dumb move followed another and the damage was compounded before the error was discovered… Not the ‘end of the world’ but it’s left me feeling *very* insecure about transferred data that appears to be ok but is not!

So.. what utilities/techniques can insure that data transferred is successful? CD/DVD burning software such as Nero(pc) and Toast(mac) offer a ‘verify’ option. But dragging 100Gb of data from an internal HD to an external USB2 or Firewire drive does not offer the same confirmation tool.

Any Windows XP recommendations are appreciated.

Russell

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DM
dave_milbut
Feb 7, 2007
you can use the command prompt and xp’s version of the copy command which allows the /v option (like old dos) which verifies the files at the destination match the files at the source.

MS XP COPY info < http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/ all/proddocs/en-us/copy.mspx>

or xcopy which does folders w/subfolders too is still available and it also supports the verify (/v) option.

MS XP XCOPY info < http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/ all/proddocs/en-us/xcopy.mspx>
RP
Russell_Proulx
Feb 7, 2007
you can use the command prompt and xp’s version of the copy command

Hi Dave.

You’d think there’d be a simple Windows ulitily that could do this..

Russell
C
chrisjbirchall
Feb 7, 2007
I use Mirrorfolder from <http://www.techsoftpl.com/backup/>
DM
dave_milbut
Feb 7, 2007
You’d think there’d be a simple Windows ulitily that could do this..

hi russell, yea, google showed a bunch (search for "xp copy verify" w/o the quotes). i just wanted to present you with an officially sanctioned way. actually copy and xcopy are pretty straight forward and i didn’t seem to ornerous… just an old geek i guess. 😉

dave
JG
John_Gregson
Feb 7, 2007
An alternate approach would be to copy without the /v switch, which would be faster, then open the target folder with Explorer (using thumbnail view) or Bridge and look for the files where the thumbnails don’t appear.

John Gregson
(another old geek)
RP
Russell_Proulx
Feb 8, 2007
I’m testing QVerify which is a freeware utility and so far so good. Three DVDs of images were verified in a bit less than 10 minutes. I’ll try to dig out a corrupted and non-corrupted version of the same image file to see if QVerify reacts to the difference.

The ‘Check to see if Bridge makes the thumbnails’ is a good tip.

Russell

(an old Geek looking for a better way..)
DM
dave_milbut
Feb 8, 2007
an old Geek looking for a better way

I was gonna mention batch files… 🙂
RP
Russell_Proulx
Feb 8, 2007
I was gonna mention batch files… 🙂

If I was always copying the same files/folder to the same xternal disk that could work. But I’m now using 12x 320Gb external drives that are connected on a ‘when needed’ basis. Jobs are saved to client folders and duplicated on a second ‘mirror’ drive. Camera originals are also being saved to DVD and stored off-site . There are too many variables to be addressed via a bat file.

Russell 🙂
DM
dave_milbut
Feb 8, 2007
There are too many variables to be addressed via a bat file.

%WHAT% ?!! 🙂

(that’s unpossible!)
BD
Brent_DeGraaf
Feb 8, 2007
Memeo will automatically create backups, including multiple file versions, while you are working. You can set the parameters on how many versions of a file to save and the specific folders to watch/where to put them. The latest version fixed some of the quirks of prior versions, and it’s CPU load is relatively low and well-allocated to idle time.

Combined with network drives, it’s a great tool for digital photos and is trouble-free to setup. (This was not always true for earlier versions.)
RP
Russell_Proulx
Feb 8, 2007
Brent,

Thanks for the tip. Memeo looks interesting.

Russell

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