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EHDs & organization

jenn mccabe

jenn mccabe

She's OUR sunshine!
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
21,161
I have an EHD issue - I have a ton of them. Problem is they are not organized. I buy, fill 'em up, and then buy more. I have files all over the place and no real organization going on. I don't like to keep too much stuff on my actual iMac HD ands I am constantly moving stuff around. And I like to have everything on one EHD and then have a backup EHD too (since I don't keep too much stuff on the HD itself). Problem is I'm at the point that the EHDs are getting filled and "like" files are scattered across different "back up" EHDs. So I don't even know where to dump files on the "back ups" any longer. Does that make sense?

Has anyone attempted to reorganize stuff on their EHDs? Like maybe make one for digi stuff: supplies, PSDs, and JPGs? One for all your photos. One for everything else?

I've never attempted it and am a bit nervous to undertake this "project". Just curious if anyone else has an EHD system and has any tips? I'm getting a migraine just trying to figure this all out , UGH!
 
I just got a new EHD, Jenn, and am using it for digi files only. I'm like you - stuff all over the place. I'm keeping this new one plugged in all the time and if I move a digi file over to it, I know where it went. Plus, I'm using Back Blaze now. I used to put everything on them like you said you do. I'm trying to be organized. LOL
 
I currently have two EHDs - 1 TB each. Weirdly, one is full, the other isn't. they're supposed to be mirror images of each other, but somehow they're not. So my next purchase is two more EHDs - 4TB each.
 
All of my EHDs have the same setup, which is very similar to how I organize my laptop. Like you, I don't keep everything on my computer, which is why it's so important to have more than one EHD. So you're already ahead of the game since you realize this importance. :)

I'm wondering, though, if you don't even need to organize your existing EHDs; perhaps buying a new one would be easier? Like, if you want a photos-only EHD, then buy an EHD and take ALL the pics from your existing EHDs and transfer them onto the new EHD. [Or am I misreading you and all your EHDs are mirrors, so you don't have to really search for stuff?] With a blank slate, you start off on the right foot because you can put photos into correct folders and organize as you want without wasting time re-doing everything.

Then, once that seek-and-find transfer is over, then you can backup your pics by adding them to the correct (sub)folder in your new EHD and, if you want, also adding them to the correct (sub)folder in an old EHD if you decide to keep backing up on them. Because while you don't have to go through everything in that old EHD, there's nothing stopping you from going forward and starting out a new organization model on the old one.

I hope this makes sense. I just turned on the Captain Underpants Netflix show for DS and it's really distracting me rofl! It's so odd, but DS is laughing so I'm not turning it off lol!
 
I'm glad I'm not alone in this.

My EHDs... I wish they were mirrors. That was the intent when I started. But some are 1TB and some are 4TB. The 1TB ones got full, but then I have more stuff that should go on them (they started as "category type" EHDs - digi stuff vs photos for example). So then I started dumping anywhere there was room. Now I'm not really sure what is a mirror of what. Or how reliable my backup of my EHDs really are. I move stuff over to the EHDs in spurts ... sometimes not for months! It's messy. I think I get what you are saying @Tree City

I just plugged the new one in - I am copying all the photos onto this one. And I think I'm just going to make this one a "Photo" EHD going forward. Make sure all the photos are backed up to at least one other EHD (even if split up between small 1TB old EHDs) and then figure out the other stuff as I can. It's giving me such a headache!
 
a EHD with my digi stuff ... sorted by shop and by designer ... - the other things: actions, fonts, brushes, are in separate folders on the disk
It's a 2TB disks and all my other documents are on that disk

For my photos I use lightroom - I save my photos (only raw) on another EHD - also a copy of the photos of my iphone.

All my layouts (psd and small jpg) are saved on a third EHD ... sorted per year and per month ...

I have a backup of each disk ... and I've already needed it

In your case I should start with new HD and copy the things in the right folders and then make a copy ...

A great job ... but then ... oh so easy to keep track of everything ...
 
My system works for me. No promises it makes sense to anyone else! {Remember, I love math, hate English....}

I currently have: (working)
Desktop (3 GB HD)
3TB EHD (with power cord, I call this one Fie Cabinet)
2 TB EHD (I call this one Scrapping)
1.5 TB EHD

What I do:
3TB has everything. Like, papers, schoolwork, photos, digi supplies, books, scans, backups of lease agreements, etc.
2 TB EHD has all photos. Also, all TLP supplies, actions, brushes, fonts, and lightroom presets. Pretty much the only thing I need to use with the laptop if I want to scrap. Also handy for when I'm using my mom's laptop, and want to be able to scrap.
1.5 TB EHD is where things have gone to die. LOL. It was my Scrapping EHD so it has more supplies on it, and photos. I don't update it, so it doesn't have the most recent stuff, but it does have a bunch of retired designers and products on it. So, when I have that "I know I own!" moment, this is where I check.

Reason to my madness: The File Cabinet has also been that - a digital file cabinet. From the time we started using computers, we've had a drive that we stored stuff on. I've been cleaning it up recently, and it cracks me up some of the stuff on there - recipes posted in Yahoo Groups, school papers from 2006, all the fun stuff. It's been handy over the years. Since it's not always plugged in, it's lasted a really long time. It's probably the next thing to die in my house.

The Scrapping EHD: I was a laptop scrapper for a long time, still am when I travel. I didn't want to carry all the extra files that I didn't need with me. I also wanted to not store all the photos and supplies on my laptop and fill it's drive. So, this seemed the best solution. I haven't run out of space on it, and I have scanned photos, and over 10,000 digital photos on it, plus videos. I also have quite a few supplies on it.

The old scrapping EHD I have hung onto as a third backup I guess?

Everything that is on the Scrapping EHD is also on the File Cabinet and on the desktop computer. Plus, backed up to Backblaze. I don't backup the 1.5 one anymore, although that stuff is also on the File Cabinet drive. And I've started adding the photos to Google Photos. {I feel a little paranoid! LOL}

So, I hope that answered your question?
 
Oh, and yes, I have reorganized Hard Drives before. I used to have 3 or 4 1-2TB ones. What I did was write a list, and masking taped the drive for identification. I wrote down what I wanted on each drive, and moved things around to accomplish that. It didn't take too much hands on time, mostly just making sure the computer stayed on while files moved, so I did it while I was doing other things - cooking, cleaning, laundry. With the list, I could cross off when I finished something, or make a note where to start the next time.
 
My EHD looks like this:

Layouts
>Year
>>the layouts' titles start with the number of the month e.g. 12-Christmas Day so they are in chronological order within the year folder (I print chronologically but do not scrap chronologically)

Product
>00-To Use
>>all the kits & template sets (not individual templates) that I haven't used yet
>Alphas
>Elements (packs not elements pulled from kits)
>Kits
>>designer (actual names not designer/brand names)
>Papers (packs not papers pulled from kits)
>PS Stuff (fonts, actions, styles, etc.)
>Templates (just sets)
>To Make
>>Year (2015-current)
>>>copy of photos that I want to scrap
>>Kits + Pics
>>>copy of photos pulled from To Make matched up with kits from 00-To Use
>>Other
>>>posed photos or selfies with no story

Photos
>Year
>>Month

I keep all of my CT kits that I have yet to use + a Favorites folder of my most beloved/used alphas, paints, etc. + all of the individual templates that I have yet to use on my computer hard drive.

HTH!
 
Jenn, I think you're right to start with photos (and not just cuz I used photos in my example lol). While you can almost always re-download or re-purchase DS goodies, those photos are, not to get too sappy, irreplaceable.

Good luck and hopefully this process goes easily and quickly!
 
mrs2a50 said:
I currently have two EHDs - 1 TB each. Weirdly, one is full, the other isn't. they're supposed to be mirror images of each other, but somehow they're not. So my next purchase is two more EHDs - 4TB each.
Click to expand...
That's the most frustrating. Mirroring is manual, which equals #fail. At least in my world. If I could automate it ... ah!
 
marijke said:
a EHD with my digi stuff ... sorted by shop and by designer ... - the other things: actions, fonts, brushes, are in separate folders on the disk
It's a 2TB disks and all my other documents are on that disk

For my photos I use lightroom - I save my photos (only raw) on another EHD - also a copy of the photos of my iphone.

All my layouts (psd and small jpg) are saved on a third EHD ... sorted per year and per month ...

I have a backup of each disk ... and I've already needed it

In your case I should start with new HD and copy the things in the right folders and then make a copy ...

A great job ... but then ... oh so easy to keep track of everything ...
Click to expand...
I like your organizational style. This is what I want!
 
bestcee said:
My system works for me. No promises it makes sense to anyone else! {Remember, I love math, hate English....}

I currently have: (working)
Desktop (3 GB HD)
3TB EHD (with power cord, I call this one Fie Cabinet)
2 TB EHD (I call this one Scrapping)
1.5 TB EHD

What I do:
3TB has everything. Like, papers, schoolwork, photos, digi supplies, books, scans, backups of lease agreements, etc.
2 TB EHD has all photos. Also, all TLP supplies, actions, brushes, fonts, and lightroom presets. Pretty much the only thing I need to use with the laptop if I want to scrap. Also handy for when I'm using my mom's laptop, and want to be able to scrap.
1.5 TB EHD is where things have gone to die. LOL. It was my Scrapping EHD so it has more supplies on it, and photos. I don't update it, so it doesn't have the most recent stuff, but it does have a bunch of retired designers and products on it. So, when I have that "I know I own!" moment, this is where I check.

Reason to my madness: The File Cabinet has also been that - a digital file cabinet. From the time we started using computers, we've had a drive that we stored stuff on. I've been cleaning it up recently, and it cracks me up some of the stuff on there - recipes posted in Yahoo Groups, school papers from 2006, all the fun stuff. It's been handy over the years. Since it's not always plugged in, it's lasted a really long time. It's probably the next thing to die in my house.

The Scrapping EHD: I was a laptop scrapper for a long time, still am when I travel. I didn't want to carry all the extra files that I didn't need with me. I also wanted to not store all the photos and supplies on my laptop and fill it's drive. So, this seemed the best solution. I haven't run out of space on it, and I have scanned photos, and over 10,000 digital photos on it, plus videos. I also have quite a few supplies on it.

The old scrapping EHD I have hung onto as a third backup I guess?

Everything that is on the Scrapping EHD is also on the File Cabinet and on the desktop computer. Plus, backed up to Backblaze. I don't backup the 1.5 one anymore, although that stuff is also on the File Cabinet drive. And I've started adding the photos to Google Photos. {I feel a little paranoid! LOL}

So, I hope that answered your question?
Click to expand...
I think I would just sit there and go through my File Cabinet EHD (if I had one) often! That sounds like a fun walk down memory lane. Sometimes when I go through old backups I find things that make me crack up. But I don't have stuff from the "beginning of computers". That is impressive!

I like the idea of having the portable EHD w/just digi stuff for scrapping elsewhere! My system is kind of like yours - at least it was at the beginning - until it got out of hand. Now it's just a raging mess. Thanks for sharing your system - gives me ideas for how to get back on track. The biggest struggle is where to mirror(back up my EHDs) with everything eveyrwhere now.
 
LeeAndra said:
My EHD looks like this:

Layouts
>Year
>>the layouts' titles start with the number of the month e.g. 12-Christmas Day so they are in chronological order within the year folder (I print chronologically but do not scrap chronologically)

Product
>00-To Use
>>all the kits & template sets (not individual templates) that I haven't used yet
>Alphas
>Elements (packs not elements pulled from kits)
>Kits
>>designer (actual names not designer/brand names)
>Papers (packs not papers pulled from kits)
>PS Stuff (fonts, actions, styles, etc.)
>Templates (just sets)
>To Make
>>Year (2015-current)
>>>copy of photos that I want to scrap
>>Kits + Pics
>>>copy of photos pulled from To Make matched up with kits from 00-To Use
>>Other
>>>posed photos or selfies with no story

Photos
>Year
>>Month

I keep all of my CT kits that I have yet to use + a Favorites folder of my most beloved/used alphas, paints, etc. + all of the individual templates that I have yet to use on my computer hard drive.

HTH!
Click to expand...
You sound very organized! I have the photos by year and month. Never thought to organize layouts like that. I am not a chronological scrapper either so that sounds like a great tip for keeping that stuff better organized! I like it!
 
Tree City said:
All of my EHDs have the same setup, which is very similar to how I organize my laptop. Like you, I don't keep everything on my computer, which is why it's so important to have more than one EHD. So you're already ahead of the game since you realize this importance. :)

I'm wondering, though, if you don't even need to organize your existing EHDs; perhaps buying a new one would be easier? Like, if you want a photos-only EHD, then buy an EHD and take ALL the pics from your existing EHDs and transfer them onto the new EHD. [Or am I misreading you and all your EHDs are mirrors, so you don't have to really search for stuff?] With a blank slate, you start off on the right foot because you can put photos into correct folders and organize as you want without wasting time re-doing everything.

Then, once that seek-and-find transfer is over, then you can backup your pics by adding them to the correct (sub)folder in your new EHD and, if you want, also adding them to the correct (sub)folder in an old EHD if you decide to keep backing up on them. Because while you don't have to go through everything in that old EHD, there's nothing stopping you from going forward and starting out a new organization model on the old one.

I hope this makes sense. I just turned on the Captain Underpants Netflix show for DS and it's really distracting me rofl! It's so odd, but DS is laughing so I'm not turning it off lol!
Click to expand...
I'm starting with your photo EHD advice. LR makes it so easy to move things to multiple EHDs and put them in correct folders. So going forward I am good with that for sure. I think I still do want to clean some old EHDs and better categorize them for my other stuff. Peace of mind, even if daunting. We'll see ... :dizzy
 
I just have one 5 Tb EHD that still has over 1 Tb of free space. I just keep getting a new, larger one every few years as my data increases. I like having everything in one place. I do back it up with Backblaze, and back up all my photos and scrapbook pages again at Smugmug.
 
michelepixels said:
I just have one 5 Tb EHD that still has over 1 Tb of free space. I just keep getting a new, larger one every few years as my data increases. I like having everything in one place. I do back it up with Backblaze, and back up all my photos and scrapbook pages again at Smugmug.
Click to expand...
this really seems like the simplest way to do it. Hmmm....
 
jenn mccabe said:
this really seems like the simplest way to do it. Hmmm....
Click to expand...
If I didn't sometimes laptop, sometimes desktop scrap, I would only have one. It's only because I travel to visit family that I have the scrap one. And the old one that was updated to the new scrap one.
 
jenn mccabe said:
I have an EHD issue - I have a ton of them. Problem is they are not organized. I buy, fill 'em up, and then buy more. I have files all over the place and no real organization going on. I don't like to keep too much stuff on my actual iMac HD ands I am constantly moving stuff around. And I like to have everything on one EHD and then have a backup EHD too (since I don't keep too much stuff on the HD itself). Problem is I'm at the point that the EHDs are getting filled and "like" files are scattered across different "back up" EHDs. So I don't even know where to dump files on the "back ups" any longer. Does that make sense?

Has anyone attempted to reorganize stuff on their EHDs? Like maybe make one for digi stuff: supplies, PSDs, and JPGs? One for all your photos. One for everything else?

I've never attempted it and am a bit nervous to undertake this "project". Just curious if anyone else has an EHD system and has any tips? I'm getting a migraine just trying to figure this all out , UGH!
Click to expand...
Hi Jenn... welcome to my world. I have a portable basket complete with tower surge protector. I have 41 TB. I have no idea what's where and have just started the reorganization of the mess. It is MUCH harder than I thought it would be. The files in some cases are so huge they can take hours to transfer to the new location. I found I have multiple copies of things all over the place. Ideally that's okay for my photos but I would never find the back ups.

For my current attempt:
I created a 2 TB that I named after a dog I used to have. Courage (a buff cocker spaniel) is now in charge of anything digi scrap/art related.

Scarlet is my red 4tb passport and one of my current dogs and she stores all business files and business photos (with a back up on the 8TB personal cloud (my cloud home).

Dominic is also a 4TB black passport and ironically my black cocker spaniel currently... he stores the past 3-4 years of photos and more if I can fit it for a working drive for recents stuff that I access more often.

I have a 2 tb named after Angel, a cocker of ours we lost back in 2013... she manages my mac backups.

Then I have my two big drives, the two 8 TB named after Wil and Sadie, our two best furkiddos, lost in 2013 and 2015 (Wil was 17!).... they hold the big drives which contain most of the files and duplicates. The goal is that they will be duplicates but I ran out of space so I am working it out a bit.

Oh yeah, one more 1 tb, named Azure after our akita mix and first foster fail. It's an empty drive and might store additional mac back ups or be a working backup of my mac.

I know it's a lot, right? I have the 8tb my cloud home and 8 tb my cloud original too. Those are nice. I named my drives because I kept getting them confused so that's why for that.
 
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