How do you backup this important folder on your data collector? I have Google drive and backup some important files and folders from my PC, but i don't know if there is a way to backup " Trimble Data".
That rather depends on your controller - Windows is different to Android
For me the easiest way, that works on all controllers, is to just copy the whole folder to a USB drive
Yes, but you need to do it each time you are on the field.
No - not every time. Project data changes daily, but the system and config much less so.
You have to take your project data off to process it - so that's it back up.
You only do the system when needed
I move unused project folders to a 256 GB SD card internal mainly because I use a SX10 and need to keep the puny SSD on the TSC7 free. I had to reimage Windows because windows and its files hogged everything and had on,y 2 GB free
Yes, but you need to do it each time you are on the field.
There's no need to back up the entire Trimble Data directory every single day.
Transfer the job files to Connect at the end of the day, or just export/copy that day's job to a thumbdrive if for some reason you're not using Connect/Sync.
As projects close out, cut (Ctrl+X) the actual project-specific folder under the Trimble Data/Projects folder and paste it to a thumbdrive for transfer to server/archives. By that time all the raw data should already be on the server, so this step is mainly to clean up the DC.
The Geodetic Data folder rarely changes, and the System Files folder doesn't change much either. Maybe survey styles now and then, and templates get modified sometimes, but those are often generated in the office and pushed to crews through the cloud anyways, so it's not like they'll get lost.
I think I've seen one collector actually lose data in 12+ years of using Trimble DCs...and it was limping along well past its retirement date.
I've been using electronic data collection since 1993 and in all that time I've seen data evaporate due to equipment failure twice. Once was with a GIF10 and data biscuit in 1994, the other with a Husky c.1999.
What I have seen, plenty of times, is coordinate files downloaded as supposed "raw data" and then the job intentionally deleted from the dc. Ugggh.
Sounds like you're using Trimble and i assume Access? We use Trimble Sync manager, all data collector files get duplicated and saved to the cloud daily. That data is then downloaded and imported as usual. Once the job is long finished we delete them from Sync Manager and the collector. Been doing that for years without issues.
The old way was to create backup quarterly of each data collector on an external drive. That worked but was far more cumbersome and is certainly outdated now.
I remember losing an entire job and needing to return to the field once. I believe is was circ. 1988 maybe. It was for a reclamation project, it was a real pain to fix. It never happened with a Trimble DC, not even the yellow brick. Not that they are foolproof, we do download each day.
Yet in order to use Trimble’s cloud file service, your software warranty must e valid. So essentially it’s a service you pay for. Very easy to copy /move folders to my SD card. We only updated software warranty every 2 years and might go 3 now because of lack of core geospatial updates. They’ve spent too much time on monitoring, IFC, tunneling, mining and hardly any geospatial enhancements! They are more about adding new abilities than to update core geospatial functionality.
The SDR 24. If you got close to around a 1000 shots we learned to just stop as it would crash hard. The SDR 33 was much better but we did lose a couple but we would often download at around lunchtime and then continue on. The old green husky’s were bullet proof. Just always kept a box of batteries around lol.
@RobertUSA While i can't argue with saving $ if you don't need cloud services. But it pays for itself on a monthly basis in our workflow. The ability to upload new files to the crew immediately or download completed job files when the crew is hours away is an incredibly valuable function to have. Albeit, not for everyone's workflow.
Sorry but none of what you listed are needs of our surveying. Don’t do construction layout nor any urgent mapping. Our company uses one drive and can move files that way for free.
