Preferred burning software.
- Thread starter M.Hinch
- Start date
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
External hard drives are very cheep these days and programs like Memeo backup will automatically back up every time you put a photo on your computer. Don't even have to think about it.
Browncoat
Senior Member
Yup. Really you don't even need external software. All drives come with software where you can schedule backups or perform them manually when you need to.
If you have a decent computer and a USB 3.0 connection, the backup takes minimal time. I back up my entire HD twice a week, and it takes less than 15 minutes.
If you have a decent computer and a USB 3.0 connection, the backup takes minimal time. I back up my entire HD twice a week, and it takes less than 15 minutes.
If you are using DVD's to back up then NERO remains one of the best and allows you to burn multi session disks, which means if your disk isn't full you can fill it up later. The only issues with Nero as so many other packages these days has a hundred and one other bits that you don't need, like a media player etc, but you don't have to install them. However I have to say that a big external hard drive is much the easier and more secure method, burning disks is such a pain in the bottom and when you think that a 1Tb disk will hold 200 DVD's worth of data, makes a lot more sense
Last edited by a moderator:
If you are using DVD's to back up then NERO remains one of the best and allows you to burn multi session disks, which means if your disk isn't full you can fill it up later. The only issues with Nero as so many other packages these days has a hundred and one other bits that you don't need, like a media player etc, but you don't have to install them. However I have to say that a big external hard drive is much the easier and more secure method, burning disks is such a pain in the bottom and when you think that a 1Tb disk will hold 200 DVD's worth of data, makes a lot more sense
Thanks theregsy, just what I was looking for. Before purchasing any software I shall consider the hard drive.
Thanks again
Michael
Another option to consider, especially since it is free, is CDBurnerXP. I've used it with great success. Runs under: Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista/2008/Win7 (x86 / x64).
Still confused as what to use, Cd's or hard drive to keep an archive of my photos. Nothing out there these days lasts for ever.
Michael
amonamarth
Senior Member
It's basically a toss between ease of use and better longevity / disaster protection. An external hard drive is easy to use, especially when combined with an automatic backup suite. However the hard drive can fail, just like any other and your data is gone. Burning DVDs is mostly a manual task, however a DVD disk fails much much less than a hard drive. Makes sense?
First a small disclaimer: I'm certified and work in the Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity field. Data retention is something I discuss with big and small companies every day. That being said, personal data retention has a different imperative - mostly around cost.
If you want to look at a detailed discussion on using CD/DVD for storage, the National Archives has one of the best articles I've seen. Here is the important part: "CD/DVD experiential life expectancy is 2 to 5 years even though published life expectancies are often cited as 10 years, 25 years, or longer. However, a variety of factors discussed in the sources cited in FAQ 15, below, may result in a much shorter life span for CDs/DVDs. Life expectancies are statistically based; any specific medium may experience a critical failure before its life expectancy is reached. Additionally, the quality of your storage environment may increase or decrease the life expectancy of the media. We recommend testing your media at least every two years to assure your records are still readable." All that being said, I never see CD/DVD's used as long term storage.
With hard drives being so inexpensive, here is my approach:
If you want to look at a detailed discussion on using CD/DVD for storage, the National Archives has one of the best articles I've seen. Here is the important part: "CD/DVD experiential life expectancy is 2 to 5 years even though published life expectancies are often cited as 10 years, 25 years, or longer. However, a variety of factors discussed in the sources cited in FAQ 15, below, may result in a much shorter life span for CDs/DVDs. Life expectancies are statistically based; any specific medium may experience a critical failure before its life expectancy is reached. Additionally, the quality of your storage environment may increase or decrease the life expectancy of the media. We recommend testing your media at least every two years to assure your records are still readable." All that being said, I never see CD/DVD's used as long term storage.
With hard drives being so inexpensive, here is my approach:
- I have an old HP desktop that supports RAID on the motherboard. I have two 2TB drives (approximately $60 each) in a RAID 1 (mirrored) configuration. This is where everything gets backed-up.
- I have two portable hard drives that I rotate offsite (actually my wife takes one to her office). I update both every month with changes.
- Important daily use files (e.g. Quicken) are stored on an encrypted (see TrueCrypt) volume on DropBox that my wife and I share.
- When we travel, I take a different portable hard drive and copy new images to it while downloading off the memory cards. This way I always have a backup of the previous day's activities.
Browncoat
Senior Member
I agree with Eduard completely. Very nice post, sir!
DVD burners (the physical drive) are a dime a dozen these days. Even high quality ones are inexpensive, and there are a number of software solutions out there to simplify the burning process. As was already mentioned, Nero is probably the best. Roxio is a popular alternative. If you were to research "Top 10" lists of DVD burning programs, these would usually be #1 and #2 respectively.
External hard drives are also relatively inexpensive these days. You can get a good 1TB drive for about $70, and if you're lucky and spot a good sale, you can get a 2TB drive for about the same price. Seagate and Western Digital are the two best brands. LaCie makes a superior product, but their prices are significantly higher.
DVD vs HD
There really aren't any advantages of DVDs as storage anymore. They are more of a transfer solution than a permanent one, meaning if you want to give copies of your photos to someone else, burn a disc for them. I would argue that low capacity flash drives are a more viable option for transfer, but it's easier (and usually cheaper) to buy 100 DVDs than 100 flash drives.
DVDs are a good backup to the backup, if you have no other means. As Eduard said, redundancy is the key. However, with today's technology, it's better to go virtual and have your stuff stored in a cloud that is online and offsite. In case none of this makes sense and is only adding to the confusion, here's the short and sweet:
#1 Backup to an external hard drive. Fast, easy, automatic, and comes with software.
#2 Backup online. Easy to set up, automatic, off-site, and has annual or monthly fees.
#3 Backup to DVD. Slow, tedious, hands-on, and requires purchasing software and disks.
DVD burners (the physical drive) are a dime a dozen these days. Even high quality ones are inexpensive, and there are a number of software solutions out there to simplify the burning process. As was already mentioned, Nero is probably the best. Roxio is a popular alternative. If you were to research "Top 10" lists of DVD burning programs, these would usually be #1 and #2 respectively.
External hard drives are also relatively inexpensive these days. You can get a good 1TB drive for about $70, and if you're lucky and spot a good sale, you can get a 2TB drive for about the same price. Seagate and Western Digital are the two best brands. LaCie makes a superior product, but their prices are significantly higher.
DVD vs HD
There really aren't any advantages of DVDs as storage anymore. They are more of a transfer solution than a permanent one, meaning if you want to give copies of your photos to someone else, burn a disc for them. I would argue that low capacity flash drives are a more viable option for transfer, but it's easier (and usually cheaper) to buy 100 DVDs than 100 flash drives.
DVDs are a good backup to the backup, if you have no other means. As Eduard said, redundancy is the key. However, with today's technology, it's better to go virtual and have your stuff stored in a cloud that is online and offsite. In case none of this makes sense and is only adding to the confusion, here's the short and sweet:
#1 Backup to an external hard drive. Fast, easy, automatic, and comes with software.
#2 Backup online. Easy to set up, automatic, off-site, and has annual or monthly fees.
#3 Backup to DVD. Slow, tedious, hands-on, and requires purchasing software and disks.
Thanks Anthony! But as a crusty old First Sergeant told me when I called him that back in the day, "Sir! Do I look like I don't work for a living?"
I thought of another thing to add. When I'm in the office and dock my laptop, I use Microsoft's SyncToy to backup my docs and Outlook files everytime I boot. The utility is free and only copies the changed files. HIGHLY recommended.
Thank you, Eduard and Anthony for the much needed insite. Looks like I shall be looking for an external hard drive (Western Digital or Seagate). On my old but faithful computer, I have 2 hard drives with which I use one for photos only. I can't see an external hard drive also hurting, as taking it with me on trips to back up daily photos is also a good idea.
Thanks again to both of you!
Michael
Thanks again to both of you!
Michael
Last edited:
Coincidentally I just received an email from Western Digital advertising a Customer Appreciation Sale through September 26th. Use the code CUSTWEEKSEPT to save 20% on a $100 purchase.
I have a pair of networked drives that both run a pair of raided HDD's in them, although older IDE drive based they offer much better failure protection than CD/DVD's which are much easier to damage and loose. I would never use DVD's as a permanent backup solution. With unlimited space on my website all processed images are stored there, the hard drives backup both originals and processed just in case. Its never entirely foolproof, any drive can fail multiple backups is the only way forward and at present the cheapest option is external hard drives
amonamarth
Senior Member
I was just re-reading your post below:
Is this a statistical fact? I always assumed that CD/DVD would last much longer. I've reworked my backup strategy a bit. I bought a 1 TB HDD and I'm doing secondary backups to it; every 6 months I'll do a full backup to DVDs
Is this a statistical fact? I always assumed that CD/DVD would last much longer. I've reworked my backup strategy a bit. I bought a 1 TB HDD and I'm doing secondary backups to it; every 6 months I'll do a full backup to DVDs