What do you use for backup?

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webstop

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What media do you all use for backup?

Just read an article that Dutch computer magazine PC Active had done tests on several brands of CD-Rs. They recorded 30 disks of various manufacturers back in 2001 and sealed them in a box. In 2003 they opened the box and tested the disks - 10% could not be read. This is because the synthetic material used in the active layer of the disks darkens with time, after which a laser can not see the difference between lands and pits anymore. The conclusion was that in about 2 years information recorded onto a CD-R can be lost. Similar technology is used in DVD-Rs, therefore they are not any better for long-term storage.
They also said that the active layer of CD-RWs is made of metal alloy, which makes them more durable.

Still, the question is what to use for long term storage?
CD-RW? DVD-+RW? Tape?
Or maybe it is better to put everything on a hard disk and store it unplugged?

What do you think?
 
webstop said:
What media do you all use for backup?


Or maybe it is better to put everything on a hard disk and store it unplugged?
Click to expand...

Thats what I do. I have an external drive specifically for audio set aside as a primary backup.
 
I use 2 partitioned internal 120GB drives to back each other up with OS & music in seperate partitions
 
I've also heard that the lacquer can come away from the edge of the disk and some kinda fungus likes to make its home in there, which doesn't do your data any good
 
Bulls Hit said:
I've also heard that the lacquer can come away from the edge of the disk and some kinda fungus likes to make its home in there, which doesn't do your data any good
Click to expand...
I've seen that happen to a lot of my disks
 
CDRs aren't made with pits, but with layers of dye. The laser zaps the dye layer and it then emulates the reflectivity of the pits in a manufactured CD. So the problem is unstable dyes. Some are better than others...I read that Mitsuis are the best.
 
A second HD and some stuff gets redundantly backed up onto DVD+R.
 
I use an old 800Mhz Athlon running Win2K Server as a backup, with the WinXP Pro backup utility backing everything I specify into one nice neat file.

I've already tested the restore function, and it's pretty slick. Works for me.

Also works great for transfering info from an old computer (running XP Pro) to a newer computer running XP Pro.
 
You may have seen the new Verbatum CDRs that look like old 45 singles. They are supposed to have at least a 10 year shelf life, in addition to looking cool.
 
Polaris20 said:
I use an old 800Mhz Athlon running Win2K Server as a backup, with the WinXP Pro backup utility backing everything I specify into one nice neat file.

I've already tested the restore function, and it's pretty slick. Works for me.

Also works great for transfering info from an old computer (running XP Pro) to a newer computer running XP Pro.
Click to expand...

Actually you can install the backup utility on XP home also.

http://windows.about.com/library/weekly/aa020203a.htm

I use an external drive with the backup utility. Works great.
 
Military, hospital, science, all share one common goal toward backup : absolute reliability!

First choice is always MO drives and king of the hill is Maxoptix : http://www.maxoptix.com/drives/index.html.

Lifetime guarantee not just for drives but for each media !!!

Do I need to tell you some people have sounds on the same even since 1981 and they work flawlessly.

Second best archive-backup media is DVD-RAM !!!!

Even producers of MO are recognizing this fact as we speak.

Many industry sectors are using the DVD-RAM instead MO, since recently due to substantial reduce of cost.

Unlike DVD-R (+-) DVD-RW (-+), DVD-RAM cannot be produced or licensed by me-too products from the shelf. Only 3 names are making DVD-RAM media.

That is why is more expensive but also why it is back-up with minimum 120 years guarantee + DVD-RAM media is capable unlike any other to be erased 100.000 times.

Also if you ever hold DVD-RAM in your hand and observe surface and build you then already know that it is 80% more robust then best DVD media.

LG has two models on the market that he calls multi read DVD drives (also DVD-RAM), Panasonic and a few others.

Best of all, nature of accessing the same is like any other HD drive !

You can even format DVD-RAM as FAT32

I use it all the time and it is a magic !
 
Anthony said:
Military, hospital, science, all share one common goal toward backup : absolute reliability!

First choice is always MO drives and king of the hill is Maxoptix : http://www.maxoptix.com/drives/index.html

Lifetime guarantee not just for drives but for each media !!!

Do I need to tell you some people have sounds on the same even since 1981 and they work flawlessly.
Click to expand...

Maxoptix don't even show prices on their website... This probably indicate that they are not extremely cheap...
 
Not really by backup standards,

They live by selling drives to both consumer and pro sectors.

Look for more details on their site or simply ask for prices.

About 30$ for media and 900-1600$ for drives.

But you can find used also, because these things are built like
Mercedes.

But DVD-RAM is almost for nothing considering its power,
even Maxoptix is pushing the same in sales.

Drives are as cheap or expensive as any other DVD +- recorders,
so choice is clear = DVD-RAM :)
 
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