An item on Petapixel about landscape photography, a series of three YouTube five minute episodes by two British landscape photographers. Yeeeaaah, right up my alley.
It sparked my memories of my 2008 trip around Dornie, Applecross and the Isle of Skye. What a fantastic trip that was! I took hundreds of photos and I’ve brought a few out to show. The opening shot was on a day so windy that I could hardly hold the camera upright on the tripod.
I sure wish I could redo that whole two month trip.
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By the way, I shot around 1,000 High Def video clips on the trip, and they’re still on my hard drive labelled Video. Problem is, the drive has failed. It’s not making clicking noises luckily (a sure sign the heads are contacting the disk surface, disaster). It’s actually totally silent, meaning I think the motor has failed. This can be fixed and the data retrieved, I think. But at a cost – maybe $500 or more. The failure happened nearly a year ago and I still haven’t made the move to get it fixed. I do have a backup, so it’s not urgent, but as the faulty disk is 3TB and has hundreds of more recent video and images, I don’t want to lose it.
As disk sizes are becoming so large, backup is difficult. I’m actually thinking I may need to buy a RAID array which has redundancy built in, to guard against these failures. I’ve actually got 4x 4TB drives brand new awaiting a drive aray, but cost is a factor.
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By the way, I bought a 1TB micro-SD card last week, from the Wish.com web site for $8.80!
I’m always suspicious of these ultra cheap things as they can be made to look like 1TB, but only format to 100MB or similar. This one seems OK so far, but I’ll make sure it’s trustworthy before I, er, trust it.
Bull's Roar 
Regarding your failed hard drive – it could be the controller board rather than the motor, and swapping the board from a working one from another identical drive could sort it, and allow you to backup the desired files. Do take anti-static precautions if attempting this, and the fasteners/screws that many manufacturers use to fit their circuit boards to the hard drives are often Torx, or other awkward types. Should be no need to risk delving inside, which I wouldn’t recommend.
P.S. – arrived on your site via a link you had in a comment on “TOP”.
P.P.S. – regarding, “I sure wish I could redo that whole two month trip.” – as we say here in Scotland, “Haste ye back!”
Thanks Dave, I admit I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t have an identical drive, but I’ve certainly got a couple of the same make and near equal size. I shall certainly give it a try.
Yes, I’m a long time reader and commenter on TOP. Excellent site, isn’t it?
And re coming back, I wish I could but my health has deteriorated lately and I suspect my travel days are near an end. And yet, and yet … my surname is Croft, and Croft Castle in Herefordshire is in my heritage. I feel the need to make one last trip to see it. Claim my brick! Cheers.
You may find a used one on the big auction site. May be worthwhile having a little search if there are any videos about such repairs, and also for others that have similar problems with your particular drive model.
Long time reader of TOP too, and also an electronics tech (in the further and higher education sector). 1960 vintage, but not yet escaped from work!
Best wishes to you for better health in the coming new year, and good light.
Thanks again. It’s dawn here on a day forecast at 36C, nice and warm. When I’ve been in Scotland (twice, 1974 and 2008), I’ve marvelled at the scenery and wild places and thought, “I”d love to live here.” But the cold, rain and wind! I’ve just watched a YouTube clip about the majority living in the Glasgow-Edinburgh belt, the north being a bit too wild and woolley.
I’m 76 and retired but I was a tech at a commercial TV station all my working life, so electronics is my game too.
Thanks for commenting.