html for backup

[lewisfam98]

Well, I need a little more help/suggestions....

I've used BB for a couple of years now...used DownLoader/DLPro for the same amount of time.....basically all my photo files are in the standard year/month/day filing system (well most of the gigs anyway)....

I have copied most of my files to DVD...at about 4.5 or so gigs/disk......now I have a problem......it takes tons of time to open the DVD and view the files/folders with BB....in other words, my DVD player doesn't read near as fast as my HardDrive........SO..

Whats the easiest way to create a HTML page of all the folders/files that will be on any given DVD..(I don't think 'scan recursively' will work on folders not under the parent)....that way I could insert DVD, view the HTML pages/pictures, and only open the other folders if I needed the full backed up file......

Heck, I doubt I'll ever need any of my previous pictures, but if I did, and they weren't on one of my hard drives, it would take me forever to scan the backup DVD's I've made........there has to be a simple way to put HTML pages and the original files of multiple folders on DVD

I know I could 'copy' 4.65 gig of files to a single folder, make an html page of that folder, then include the html file on the backup DVD (with the original named folders), but I'm hoping to find another way.....

HOpe this makes sense,

Mick

[mcalthrop]

Hi,

Briefly, there are a couple of options I would consider:

1. Archive Creator from Picture Flow :
http://www.rawworkflow.com/ArchiveCreator/Pages/AC-Main.html

2. Buy another disk (internal or external) - a 120GB disk comes really cheap (not sure of you budget, of course, and hence your interpretation of the word "cheap"!)

And I'm sure other people have suggestions too!

HTH,

Matt

[DeanSilver]

What I do is generate the HTML pages before burning, and then include them on the DVD in a folder named "HTML". I also keep copies of the HTML pages of all the discs in a folder on my hard drive, for fast and easy access. That folder is also called HTML, and the pages for each disc are in a subfolder named for each disc.

For previously burned discs, generate pages from them to that folder on the hard drive. You can do it in the background while doing other work on your computer.

To make locating an image with a known file name, I also generate directories of each disc to text files stored on the hard drive in a folder named "dirs", and subfolders again named for each disc. Then if I want to know which disc contains xyz.cr2, I do a search in the "dirs" folder for xyz.

HTH,
Dean

[Gary_Berg]

Mick,

Another alternative is to use a tool such as Thumbsplus which specifically supports "offline" media, so it can retain thumbnails (which, as custom, can be fair-sized) of images on removable media.

[DeanSilver]

Hey Gary,

I used to use ThumbsPlus for everything, even some rough editing. I loved it. But it could never display rotated images properly, and its raw support was spotty, at best. The last time I messed with it was v5.01-R. I got tired of paying for upgrades that didn't work well. I still use it for searching my first 180 archive CDs that I made before I started my new method with BB web pages. Has it improved in those respects since then?

Thanks,
Dean

[Gary_Berg]

Thumbsplus, the "Pro" version (which is the direct successor to the v5 you had) has a downloadable RAW module that understands many RAW camera files.

I've never had trouble with rotated images, but I think I started with TP v6.

Why don't you duplicate your existing database and install the latest demo and give it a whirl? If it doesn't have trouble like you had in the past, you've got an easy solution and can get all of your images cataloged in one place.

[lewisfam98]

Hey guys, really appreciate the suggestions....

I had used ThumbsPlus several years ago (back before it had to be purchased).

Dean, I appreciate your detailed suggestions....I may have to work some system off of that.......certainly would be faster to view the html on the HD to know whats on the relatively slow external disks.....

Any other suggestions on combining folders in a burning/archiving mode....

thanks,

Mick