Hard drive Backup

[Jeanton]

Hi. I bought a Vantec Nextar hard drive dock and a Hitachi 1 TB hard drive but have not formatted it to a Fat 32 format yet. Just want some advice on some thing's before I do that. I have been reading about the hard drive backup program but it says that you can only backup the hard drive as one (or restore) not pick and choose which project you want to back up is this right? If so is there another program (like archiving) that I can use to save my personal footage to a external hard drive? I would like the opportunity to save a project of my choice and restore just that project if I want to, other than filling up the internal hard drive after restoring with footage that I don't require.

Is there such a program before I spend money on the HD back up software which I probably won't use.
I just want to save some footage to a single hard drive like you can do with a PC.

[HansJoachimKoenig]

Hi Jeanton,
you are correct HD-Backup only saves all projects.
You can't choose a single project in HD-Backup for saving or restore.
But there is a trick to do a single project saving and restore.
First you do a HD-Backup of all projects in S4Pro you don't want to loose. OK
Then you delete all other projects and only leave the desired single project in S4Pro.
Now you save this single project in HD-Backup and you are done.
Now you have access via restore to either all or only your single project.
To have an ascending list for better finding of HD-Backups for restoring
I always first write the date and then the title.(090724_Title)
In HD-Backup program you always may delete any savings.
The only other choice left for single project savings is to save the storyboard in project settings
or having a finished project to save on tape DV/HDV.

[Jeanton]

Thanks Hans for your quick reply. I want to know another thing can I put multiple projects on one back up hard drive? Like I do some in april than a few in july and if I am right they be than in 2 different files with a different file names. I ask this so I could fill up the hard drive at different times a year as it is a 1TB harddriveand will hold alot of footage.

[HansJoachimKoenig]

Yes Jeanton,
you may add multiple projects with different dates & names to identify them.
Please post your email address in next reply if you would like to see some
screenshots I did of HD-Backup program.

[TimKennelly]

At first I was backing up the entire drive as I added Projects, but that quickly can have you only being able to put one backup on even a full terrabyte drive.

So, I have been practicing what Hans described.

I deleted all but one job (still multiple Projects) and then Saved that one.

I have done that since as I can archive more versions with much quicker Saves and Restores.

I would love to see this as an actual feature to replace the two lame Project Backups currently available that I consider useless compared ot this HD backup process.

It would seem like it would be a natural and relatively easy modification to provide this excelle nt Archival method for individual Projects.

[Jeanton]

Hi Hans
Yes I would like to see some screen shots you have taken - that would be greatly appreciated.
As Tim and I said it would be much easier if you could back up and restore single projects - maybe Tim you can approach Jorg for that since you are his best friend .
Hans here is my Email address; jcornelissen@aapt.net.au Thanks for doing that.

[TimKennelly]

Yeah ok, I'll request this over lunch tomorrow. LOL

[LouBruno]

Remotes?

Yeah ok, I'll request this over lunch tomorrow. LOL

[HansJoachimKoenig]

Yeah Tim,
same question from me.

[Jeanton]

Hi

Did a successful back up (I think) was pretty easy actually with the machine saying the hard drive wasn't formatted and if I wanted to do that and said yes and that was all. I was a bit worried how to do that.Now my questions when I do a restore will it restore like the project was ( Storyboard+crossfades+effects+music and all the scenes in the scene bit as it normally was)? My next one is does the machine find the empty projects and put the restored projects in those ones? I am asking this because when I do a restore it doesn't over write a project where I am working in because it had the same project number. Just a precaution before I make a mistake.

Thanks to Hans and Tim you guys are very helpful.