Yesterday I was suffering from Photographic Disaster Syndrome. In the middle of the night on Wednesday I noticed my computer was on and I thought, it must just be taking a bit longer to do the multi day backup, but when I woke up on Thursday and my main Lightroom Hard drive showed data but no folders. The unthinkable did occur—a corrupted main drive, carrying a my irreplaceable collection, inadvertently backed up the corrupted data to two other drives. Yes I have a cloud backup as well as offline backups but I was determined to find out what happened and rebuild the corrupted structure hierarchy.
The discovery of a corrupted main drive, strikes like a thunderbolt. NO NO It can’t be. A profound sense of shock and desperation consumed me as I contemplated the potential loss of countless hours of dedication, creativity, and passion. The situation was accentuated when it became apparent that the corrupted data had permeated two backup drives—an unimaginable catastrophe that intensified feelings of helplessness and despair.
The good news was that if all attempts at data recovery prove unsuccessful, I did have cloud backup and offline data but being stubborn I meticulously spent all day and night rebuilding the data.
Rebuilding a corrupted main drive is a complex and time-consuming process. It involves employing various data recovery techniques, and the process can’t be rushed and the hardest part is you don’t know if you are successful until the very end.The process stretched for over 12 hours, during which every minute felt like eternity. The anxiety intensified as uncertainty loomed, and the hope of retrieving precious data hung in balance.
This morning I am back in business but thinking of what can be improved. Learning from this devastating experience, it becomes imperative to establish a comprehensive backup strategy. My system is really good but none are infallible.
Lucky I did have Cloud storage and offline backups which I did not have to use but it reinforces that you simply can’t have enough backup that is redundant and remote just in case. Implementing a multi-tiered approach by utilizing external hard drives, RAID configurations, or additional cloud storage services adds an extra layer of protection against potential data loss. Regularly testing backups and ensuring their integrity further fortifies the system, minimizing the risk of future catastrophe but clearly not eliminating the chance.
The image choice today is a self portrait at the Pumice Stone Filed in the Atacama. The idea of shadows and being alone is reminiscent of how I felt yesterday.
Join us for an unworldly adventure…https://www.sethresnick.com/creative-workshops/
Work on your photography and work on your life……..