Why Picture Keeper is a Better Way to Organize and Preserve Your Photos
[Editor’s Note: if you are already familiar with Picture Keeper and want to take advantage of an AMAZING SALE right now at Amazon, click HERE.]
Most of my readers know I’m a “tech guy” . . . meaning I’ve worked in the field for a living and I have a good understanding of how technology works when it comes to all things computing. In addition, readers know that I often try to “break down” complicated technology down into “digestible” segments for comprehension purposes.
I often receive emails from followers about the best way to backup data, specifically digital images. Usually I recommend having a cloud backup (either Dropbox or a specific photo-related service such as Google Photos) OR backing up to a USB flash drive. The problem with each of these methods? Knowing where the digital images are located and looking for duplicates!
PictureKeeper
Enter the Picture Keeper system which actually scans and FINDS your photos! I had heard of Picture Keeper as well as similar sounding products. Here’s what you’ll find in the Picture Keeper promotional materials:
- EASE OF USE – Once the software is installed – Just click “Start Backup,” and relax as it does the work for you!
- ON-THE-GO – Anywhere, anytime. No internet required, bring it on your next remote island vacation!
- WORKS ON MOST COMPUTERS – MAC and PC Compatible with Free Software included!
- USE ON MULTIPLE COMPUTERS – Software knows where each backup left off. Once one Picture Keeper fills up, just plug in the second one and it continues where the other left off!
- PEACE OF MIND – Set backup reminders to keep all of your memories safe and secure
So I was convinced that the Picture Keeper device could be a good solution for many of my non-tech followers or those who had the same issues that I had experienced in terms locating files and looking for duplicates. So I placed my order on Amazon and here’s what arrived:
The Picture Keeper package was easy to open and contained the Picture Keeper USB drive in easy-to-open packaging:
Also included were basic startup instructions for both Windows 10 and Mac OS.
Setting Up Picture Keeper
I inserted the Picture Keeper drive into one of the USB ports on my desktop computer. I never like programs that “autorun” so I followed the Get Started without Autoplay instructions, located the LaunchPictureKeeper.exe file and double-clicked. Once the program started running, the Welcome screen appeared:
In addition, after a few seconds a screen appeared asking if I wanted to update the Picture Keeper device. I STRONGLY recommend that you perform the update to make sure you have the latest version and that the software is compatible with your computer’s operating system.
If you do opt to run the Picture Keeper update, you should see a dialog similar to the one below appear:
In addition, if you have an external drive, Picture Keeper will ask if you want to include that drive as part of your search and backup process via Picture Keeper.
Search Settings
BEFORE you use the Picture Keeper Backup button, please check the Search Settings to make sure you are backing up the correct photos. Also customize the search parameters! One of the defaults sets a max picture file size of 50k which, for my photos, is very small!
Once the Picture Keeper Backup is complete, the results screen will appear:
Email and Facebook Photos
One of the main selling points of Picture Keeper for me is the ability to extract and back up images from my email accounts and my Facebook account.
For email, you will need to select an email provider then enter your login credentials. Once connected, you’ll select the folders in your email which should be searched for images.
For Facebook, again sign in with your Facebook credentials and then designate which photo albums should be searched for images.
I did find the process of searching both my Gmail and Facebook accounts rather slow, but I will admit to having TONS of photos in each account.
Duplicate Images on Picture Keeper
I love that Picture Keeper can search for and identify duplicate images. And I can change the Settings to indicate whether I want to check for “dupes” and only backup one copy. And to answer a frequent question: Does Picture Keeper DELETE duplicates? The answer is NO! In all of its operations and procedures, Picture Keeper does not delete or remove images from your targeted search drives.
Deleting Images on Picture Keeper
If you attempt to delete files from the Picture Keeper device, a warning will appear:
Other Picture Keeper Features
Here are other features available with Picture Keeper, many of which are very handy:
- Overview: you can check to see how much room you have left on your Picture Keeper and also how many duplicates were skipped during the last backup.
- View and Print: share as well as print images directly from the Picture Keeper drive.
- Backup Reminder: enter your email address and receive a monthly reminder from Picture Keeper to back up your images.
- Restore Backups: if you accidentally deleted an image from your computer and want to restore it from Picture Keeper you can do so. Also, a general restore will copy the image files from Picture Keeper to a special backup folder on your computer . . . it will NOT overwrite your existing images on your computer!
And finally, in the upper right corner, by clicking the “gear” icon, you can access the FAQ files for support and change various settings.
So Why Picture Keeper? Why Not Just Use a USB Flash Drive to Backup Digital Images?
One of the most frequent questions that I get from followers is this: why would I spend money on what is basically a USB flash drive when I have a few at home and I can just backup the digital images myself?
The fact is, the Picture Keeper system provides you with not just an automated way to backup digital images, but it also looks for duplicates. It can get very tedious to remember EVERY FOLDER where you have images stored. In addition, the process can be time consuming. AND Picture Keeper allows me to back up my photos on Facebook as well as those in e-mail messages.
With my customized settings on Picture Keeper, I know that the process is quick and complete and I can go take care of more pressing projects like finding that 3rd great-grandmother!
Will Picture Keeper Back Up Photos on My Mobile Phone?
The short answer is “No” and here’s why: the Picture Keeper device uses a USB port to locate your images for backup. Depending upon the type of mobile device, a different type of port is used. In addition, the program needed to scan mobile devices is different.
Check out Picture Keeper Connect for both iPhone and Android devices HERE.
Picture Keeper – A Great Backup Device for Genealogy Researchers
I’ll be right up front and say that the Picture Keeper is not for everyone. For those who can 1) adequately manage their current digital image library across several computers and laptops, 2) understand how to copy these images to another location as a backup, AND 3) stick to a regular backup schedule . . . the Picture Keeper is not for you.
But if you struggle to stay on top of all your scanned family photos and documents and are afraid to admit that you haven’t done a good job of backing up those images . . . then the Picture Keeper is PERFECT for you!
The Picture Keeper is easy to use right out of the box and it makes sure all of your digital images are backed up. Don’t be tempted by other alternatives . . . Picture Keeper has all the right features to ensure your precious memories will live on in digital format.
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©2019, copyright Thomas MacEntee. All rights reserved.