How to Keep your Digital Photo Memories Safe

About seven years ago I was introduced to my first digital camera. My days were spent snapping away every memory of my son I could capture. I literally had thousands of photos, his first steps, his first visit to the zoo, our first family vacation, all of it captured digitally. Like any proud mommy, I put those photos on my computer for safe keeping. Over the course of three years every memory we made was stored on that computer…then it happened. One day I went to turn on my computer and all I found was a blank screen. Not realizing how serious it was I casually took my computer over to the local Geek Squad and got some very heartbreaking news. My computer had died and every digital photograph died with it.

Walking out of the store in tears I couldn’t believe how stupid I was to think my computer would last forever. I never backed those photos up with printed copies, didn’t even put them on a little flash drive. They were gone.

Since then, I’ve learned my lesson. Just this past year my husband bought me an external hard drive. Moms, I know we hate unsolicited advice, but I’m going to give it to you anyways.

Protect your photos, protect those memories and back up everything!

To help moms aka Chief Memory Officers keep those photos safe, Toshiba has created a great set of tips. Why should you care?

According to research by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), adults online create an average of 1,800 digital files a year, for a total of 310 billion files created annually in the United States alone. Yet, nearly half of all digital content creators do not have a second copy of these valued digital files.

One of the best ways to help protect and preserve all your valuable digital memories is by backing up your digital memories onto a portable hard drive.  Portable hard drives can be easy to use, doesn’t clutter your desktop and can make a big different in keeping your stuff safe and secure. Here are a few tips to get you started…

1. Buy a portable hard disk drive (HDD) unit – They can range from $100 to $250 depending on the storage size and other bells and whistles. You’ll want to think about how much capacity you’ll need over time.  A portable hard drive with 500GB capacity can store up to 142,000 digital photos, 131,000 digital music files, or 410 downloaded digital movies.  While that may sound like a lot – think about all of the different files you are creating on an annual basis.  Over time, you may actually have to add more capacity.
2. Connect the HDD to your computer – Most portable drives use a USB connector that easily plugs into your computer, so you don’t need an extra power outlet or more wires.
3. Install software – Look for portable hard drives that come with the backup software pre-loaded onto the drive – it will be easier than having to load it with a separate DVD.  Also, look for software that is easy to use for regular people that may not be familiar with data backup.  Products like Toshiba’s Portable External Hard Drive feature simple process that guides you through all of the steps to safely and securely protect your digital content.
4. Keep it Simple – All backup software is different, so ideally you can find one that offers an easy back up solution that enables you to set it and forget it, knowing that it is running in the background and all of your material will be securely backed up.
5. Look for complete system backup – When selecting a HDD, be sure to find one that offers complete system coverage, as this will help restore your entire computer if your system goes down.
6. Are you techno-savvy? – For those of you who like to fiddle, many drives let you change the settings to personalize your storage preferences, such as timing for back up, security, etc.
7. Install security features if you feel your material is at risk – Password-protection security is important, as you never want unauthorized access to your personal documents, especially if you are carrying the drive with you for any reason or if you are storing personal financial data such as tax returns, banking documents, etc.
8. Sleep easy – Once you have your backup drive in place, you can rest easy knowing that if your computer dies, you precious memories are protected.

An example of a portable HDD that has it all is the Toshiba 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive, which offers a simple process to easily protect and preserve your precious digital memories and important files. Toshiba’s personal storage products are designed to meet the needs of any Chief Memory Officer – even novice digital users – offering an easy-to-use solution for backup of important photos, video, music and data files.  Each portable hard drive includes software that works with both PCs and Macs to make computer backup easier and more efficient.  Using this solution for protecting your digital memories provides added insurance that your family’s memories will be safe in this easy-to-use digital memory capsule.

The product(s) featured in this review were NOT provided me by the representing PR Agency or manufacturer. Opinions expressed are those of my own, are NOT influenced by any form of compensation and are not intended to be a substitute for your own research before using this product.