Jpeg to tif back-up

[bleeb]

Ok, just for clarification...
Originally after taking images, I would download from the camera to my storage device and maybe once or twice a month I would copy these images (drag & drop) from my storage device to another hard drive as a back-up copy. Based on my what is said here, this is ok. My images will be ok no matter how many time I copy them?
If this is so, then the act of copying straight from the camera to the 'back-up' drive is not necessary then.

You understand correctly. As long as you're doing things with the OS (drag and drop, for example), the OS is treating the entire contents of the file like a black box, and making an exact duplicate. Avoid doing your backup operations from within an image editing program. Some may do it correctly, but others may not. Better not to risk it, especially if you're not sure about what the program may be doing to your pictures deep down inside.