DVD/CD usage

[johmbolaya]

Re: DVD/CD usage

Another helpful tip when it comes to CD-R's and DVD-R's. If these are important documents that you need to save, such as photos, certificates or anything like that, save them twice, meaning on two different discs or something. I don't know if you plan on going to this information frequently, but have one for frequent use, and one to store elsewhere.

There are also enough thumbdrives and all of that that are cheap enough too.

[i-hungry]

Re: DVD/CD usage

Dumb question: When you're copying data/pix to a DVD+R disk can you stop, then continue to add files later till it's full?

I think it depends on what software you use and if its configured to allow multiple sessions.

It could all be possible with your hardware and software but it might set to close after each session. Then it wouldn't matter if you can because you didn't.

[johmbolaya]

Re: DVD/CD usage

I buy Maxell or Verbatim or TDK for discs; I'll use Office Depot's brand of jewel cases.

There you go.

[Linkmeister]

Re: DVD/CD usage

I buy Maxell or Verbatim or TDK for discs; I'll use Office Depot's brand of jewel cases.

[johmbolaya]

Re: DVD/CD usage

Is this for long-term storage? The question is how long will CDs DVDs last? Some CDs have died in less then a year.

Helpful tip: don't use store brand or generic media. Office Depot CD-R's may be cheaper, but often times they'll fail to work a year so later. Before Circuit City closed down, they had a house brand of optical media, and I've saved a number of files that way. While they were good for audio CD's and making safety copies of DVD, they were terrible for media storage. I now have a small handful of coasters that can read the menu (i.e. let me know what is on the disc) but I can't access any of the files.

[Linkmeister]

Re: DVD/CD usage

Mom noticed Skydrive in a newspaper column the other day. Windows-based and Microsoft-provided, so some degree of skepticism about future pricing (it's currently free) is probably warranted. 25GB of space, though.

The point about several forms of media is a good one.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: DVD/CD usage

Believe it or not, the archiving community (my mother knows the field well) says the optimal medium is still paper. The trouble is, that's bulky and impractical if you're running out the door of the burning house.

Paper's not much use for audio/video preservation.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: DVD/CD usage

This article may be a bit outdated, but it's a good start into researching the options for on-line backup.

[helen]

Re: DVD/CD usage

The problem I see that happens from time to time is that people (and myself included) tend to save or archive things to one and only one thing, be it that thing is the hard drive, or floppy disk, or zip disk, or CD, or DVD, or USB flash drives. Thing is these things over time will either fail or perharps get lost, misplaced, stolen or break and if your stuff is only found on one and only one thing, well you are screwed.

The solution, store your stuff on mutiple things, they can be of the same type if you like but using multiple media types allow you to deal with any aging media problems that might arise.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: DVD/CD usage

There are on-line archive sites out there. That's probably a story for another thread. But since they can be made to run automatically and some are free, I think they are worth looking into. That's not to say that CD/DVD is a bad idea, but why not belt and suspenders?

[Linkmeister]

Re: DVD/CD usage

That's the goal, yes. Believe it or not, the archiving community (my mother knows the field well) says the optimal medium is still paper. The trouble is, that's bulky and impractical if you're running out the door of the burning house.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: DVD/CD usage

Is this for long-term storage? The question is how long will CDs DVDs last? Some CDs have died in less then a year.

[Linkmeister]

Re: DVD/CD usage

Depending on how much disk space you have available you can temporarly copy the files from the 1st DVD/CD to your computer's hard drive. Once that is done you can copy/burn the 2nd DVD/CD using the hard drives files as the source. After you are done then you can wipe out the files on the hard drive. It may seem like extra steps to do but when the time comes to do it, it beats swapping disc all the time and you can do other things while it burns the 2nd DVD/CD. Also you can multiple copies of the DVD/CD should you need to give it to other people.

Better you should plan the number of copies you need before you take the files off your hard drive in the first place than go that route, I'm thinking.

One for the safe-deposit box, one for the mainland family, one in the house. . .

[helen]

Re: DVD/CD usage

Depending on how much disk space you have available you can temporarly copy the files from the 1st DVD/CD to your computer's hard drive. Once that is done you can copy/burn the 2nd DVD/CD using the hard drives files as the source. After you are done then you can wipe out the files on the hard drive. It may seem like extra steps to do but when the time comes to do it, it beats swapping disc all the time and you can do other things while it burns the 2nd DVD/CD. Also you can multiple copies of the DVD/CD should you need to give it to other people.

[Linkmeister]

Re: DVD/CD usage

CD's hold around 640 to 700 Mbytes depending on the brand. Nothing wrong with generating another set on CD-R's and they are cheaper per disc so doesn't matter if you don't use all of the space on it.

Now there's a thought. If you've only got one drive, can you copy from one disk to another (if you wanted to down the road, after you'd removed folders from your hard drive). I think I remember doing that with diskettes.