Backing up photos

[tearinghair]

Planning to back up a large number of photos. I've found an old unopened USB stick, 2GB, which says 'works with Windows Vista'. I'm now running Windows 7. Would this still be OK, and approx how many photos would it store?

[tamborine]

Depends of size of each photo. Why not load your photos onto internet site like Yahoo or Facebook.

[HowardKennitby]

The device will work with any operating system. Number of images depends on the image size(s).

[tearinghair]

Would there not be copyright issues then, tambourine? (I don't use facebook, but have wondered about Flickr). I sometimes use them for card-making, calendars etc.

[tamborine]

You can load any of your images to Yahoo if you have an account. I dont think Yahoo search them, neither do FB. All my history photos are on internet for security.

[Old_Geezer]

Not actually your photos then. If you aren't making a commercial profit I'd be surprised if you attracted copyright complaints. Not worth the owner's while. Just my opinion.

[SlackAlice]

It should work, best way to find out is to plug it in and see what happens.

I would add that you should only consider putting anything on a usb stick as a temporary measure. USB sticks have an annoying propensity of suddenly not working and getting lost due to their small size.

Much better to put your photo's on CD and/or invest in an external HDD.

[woofgang]

Be careful if it's anything Disney, they will sue.

[tamborine]

If I use my paintings for public view, as here, I deface them to protect my work.

[tearinghair]

Yes, they are my photos. My concern is that someone else might download them as use them as his/her own; it's my copyright that would be infringed.

[tamborine]

If others can hack your website then your in touble. It hasn't happened to me in 10y & I can download where ever in the world I am.

[Old_Geezer]

Ah such protection is for the rich I'm afraid. You opt to take the risk or not.

[hc4361]

I use photobucket to store my photos online. Free, private, simple.

[tearinghair]

So is it not possible for anyone else to download photos from Photobucket and/or Flickr?
This is why I was planning to back up on USB. I'll try it and see how many pics it will hold. CDs would be OK, but I'll need to keep them for several years and who knows whether CDs will be outdated by then?

[hc4361]

You can set Photobucket to private and only you can access them.

[tearinghair]

Thanks, hc4361, that would work then. I'll give it a try, but I think I'll have a go with the USB too. Thanks for all the advice, folks.

[VHG]

I think if you back them up to CD/DVD they will last longer than backing them up to a USB stick that may well got lost or stolen (or stop working) in that time.

Anyway, backing up important files to ONE place is VERY VERY risky and it is worth backing them up to multiple places just to be sure.

I would put them on CD/DVD (two copies), AND on an external hard drive, AND maybe on another family computer.

Note you can also upload them to "secure" web sites like Dropbox or SkyDrive from Microsoft. These are secure as you have to logon to be able to access the files and if you have the userid/password no one else can acess them or see them.

Dropbox and SkyDrive are not image viewing sites like Photobucket or Flickr, they are data storage areas, which is a totally different thing.

Not a good idea to upload them to facebook as it can reduce the quality and it is alsoways best to keep pictures at the best quality.

[Postdog]

Personally I don't TOTALLY agree with backing up onto CD or DVD UNLESS you make more than one copy as sometimes you cannot access old discs, and if you can't access they're lost. Might as well do two and be safe.

[ChuckFickens]

"but I'll need to keep them for several years and who knows whether CDs will be outdated by then?"

CDs (and DVDs to a lesser extent) are outdated now, but they are not likely to disappear totally for years yet!

If you back up to CD or DVD make sure you use decent quality disks and store them in a cool dark place.

[tearinghair]

I don't have another external hard drive, and the other 'family' computer is in USA and therefore not easily accessible, unfortunately. Chuck, I had visions of having another computer in a few years' time that might not have a slot for CDs (e.g., I used to back up all my files on zip disks but there's no facility to lad those or floppies now). Thanks for all the suggestions.