jane ...I know you wrote this for Karen but I just wanted to jump in here cause I take so MANY pics & save so many ... I buy the USB jump drives ...they have them in 2 GB & the last one I bought is 8 GB ... I SAVE all on pics from my hard drive on the computer to the jump drive...& then I delete the files on the hard drive. You can buy the USB drives about anywhere...big box stores. This last USB drive I bought is Sandisk Cruzer 8GB...others I've bought are PNY 2GB, Sony 2GB...I can save a couple yrs worth of pics on a 2GB ...The PNY 4GB I have says it has a capacity of 2902 pictures. So you can see you can put tons on them & can keep adding to it until it's full.

Some tv's has USB ports so you can "plug" it in & see your pics. I don't know alot about the "back-up" of Photobucket or any others out there...but I think they have a way of saving them also (in case they crash). Hope that helps. Jeanne S.

Jane,

I like Jeanne's idea but always have a back-up! There is nothing to say a jump (or as I say, a "thumb") drive is always going to be there. They're small so they can be lost or dropped and stepped on, or the data can disappear or become invalid just like it might if your hard drive crashes.

On the other hand, they're great because you can make TWO copes and store one "off premises." This is called "disaster recovery" and we were required to do it at my company.

These little drives are pretty cheap (~$8-10) so if you go this route, PLEASE make a backup before you delete them off the hard drive.

By the way, unless your hard disk is full and you've fragmented it by copying and moving all the time, I don't know why the picture files would slow down your computer.

- Magpie

P.S. Jeanne and Jane: You might want to back up on smaller than 8GB...if you fill it up and that's your only copy, and then the little one crashes or you lose it, a LOT of files are gone.

P.P.S. Sorry if I sound a little "heavy," just in my work I've seen it happen more than once--everything gone.

Thanks Jeanne and Magpie for ans my (confusing ques)! lol
I'm really clueless when it comes to all of this.
I know my DD and DGS have told me the same thing...but I never really paid attention.
As I said, I keep all my photos on my PC as well as PB...and if something happens to either one, I'll lose it all. I was also under the impression that all these photos takes up HD space and could slow down my PC and
that a disk was the way to go. ??? (confused)
I've mentioned before, I'm more of a 'Show Me Person' in order to 'get it'....
but will try to go over what you both suggested and work from there...I think. lol
Thanks again.
jane

jane...I actually leave my pics on my hard drive for the current yr & also save them to the USB jump drive. Then after the yr is over, I delete off my computer's hard drive. Most of the pics I've taken (that I really like), I have printed...so I figure if my USB jump drive doesn't work some day...I always have another copy in album & could scan that & get reprints...hopefully, won't have to do that.

It's like when you save your tons & tons of negatives (which I have) ...but if I want to get a re-print from those "before digital" days, then I no longer dig thru my negatives... I just go to the album, scan the print, save to my USB jump drive & get them printed.

You mentioned saving to CD's...I've many of those also...but the USB jump (or thumb) drives came out, they hold so much more! Always changes!!! LOL!

magpie is so smart in doubling her efforts by saving to a couple places & then having one off premises...I used to keep my negatives at my Mom's.

Good luck! Jeanne S.

Thanks Jeanne.. sounds good and
from all you're saying, it's probably the best and safest way to go.
I'll have to grab my DGS to give me some 'lessons' on this.

jane

Jane, I didn't mean to ignore you. The others all had much better advice than me, thank goodness. I have albums on Photobucket and Kodak, figure both won't go down at same time. LOL. Even so, they'd give you warning so you could retrieve pictures I'm sure. I do delete a lot off my computer that is put in both albums, but I also can't seem to help myself at keeping a lot still on it. I'm just so totally photo-obsessed its not funny.
Pictures, Pictures, Everywhere! LOL.

Many years ago I did put some on disks, but found I never went back and looked at them that way. Guess I prefer mine right here at my fingertips.

hugs, Karen