articles/Software/freeworld-page11
by Mike McNamee Published
FILE MANAGEMENT
Beyond Compare
When you get back from a wedding or other critical shoot, the first thing you should do is download your files to a back-up system and make them secure. Typically this might involve writing the files to a DVD (or two, or three!). Normally you might delay reformatting the CompactFlash cards until you have worked some or all of the files. But what if you have weddings on consecutive days? Then you have to format the cards before you have had a chance to see that they are downloaded perfectly and stand to risk losing some files if there have been problems. Beyond Compare is a utility which allows you to back up files and then check that the files in the two locations are ABSOLUTELY identical - byte-for-byte. Beyond Compare is $30, a small price to pay for data security. It is freely downloadable from www.scootersoftware.com .
After comparing the folders they are displayed in two panes and flagged by various colour-coded icons (C, for example is present only in the right-hand set). One click of the mouse will synchronise the folders.
Beyond Compare is also useful for testing that your backup discs are 'synchronised' - that is the files on the back up storage are all present and up to date. It is easier to explain by means of the way we use it at Professional Imagemaker. We cannot backup every second, that would be ridiculous. However, we need to ensure that machine failure does not compromise the timely output of the magazine. To this end we back up the files from the working machine to another computer several times a day, routinely and before any major event such as building the pdf files. Late in the production cycle we back up more frequently as the time to recover is shorter. Backing up is trivially easy - we have Beyond Compare set up to synchronise the two machines with one click of the mouse. Should we need to we can review the changes since the last synchronisation. Beyond Compare checks out only those files that have changed and so you are not confronted with transferring many gigabytes of data during a backup.
www.scootersoftware.com
Karen's Replicator
This software takes the synchronisation one step further and does everything automatically, on a routine cycle, defined by the user. So, for example, you could arrange to back up your day's studio shots to a remote server away from your studio. Then, if your studio was burned to the ground (yes it can happen), you would at least have the means to bring some money in! More likely perhaps is the potential for loss of a computer or hard drive due to theft. Either way the principal is the same, you back up to a remote computer on the grounds that you would be unlucky to get two premises tuned over/burned down in the same evening!
The website at www.karenware.com has many other freeware programs. For example Directory Printer will print the names of all folders and files on a system - very useful if you are trying to organise a system that has gradually evolved into a mess (sounds familiar!).
www.karenware.com
CONCLUSION
We have barely scratched the surface of the freeware that is available, concentrating as we have on stuff that might be useful to a working photographic professional. Hopefully though you will be tempted to explore just what is out there for free - happy hunting!
There are 21 days to get ready for The Society of Photographers Convention and Trade Show at The Novotel London West, Hammersmith ...
which starts on Wednesday 15th January 2025
SWPP - Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers
The Society of Photographers
Clwyd Chambers, Clwyd Street, Rhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 3LA, UK
Tel 00 44 (0) 1745 356935
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