Efficient Backups to DVD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 329
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Deleted member 329

Deleted member 329

Hello!

I have a problem and its something that seem to me that there should be a simple solution too, perhaps not though.

I have a external hard drive with 500GB of information on there that REALLY needs backed up.

I want to back it up to DVD.

ok just for example I am going to use my itunes folder

I want to back up everything in there and I don't mind in which order it backs up in as long as its all backed up.
I do however want to keep the folders intact and dont want to split them.

So I don't mind if Aphex Twin is on the same DVD and Smashing Pumpkins as long as the folders are not split and it uses as much of the space on the DVD as possible as to use as few DVD's as possible.

I have nero and CD burner XP but there really doesn't seem to be an option for this kind of efficient backup strategy.

Can anyone suggest anything that might beable to help with this? :)

Thanks guys.
 
get another drive, mirror it and store it off site. backing up 500gb to dvd is going to be a nightmare. yes the initial outlay is more but think of the time/effort saved.
 
It's certainly possible and isn't that much of a big deal tbh. You'll be looking at about 150 DVDs though. And to make it easy you probably will require another 500GB hard drive. But there's something to be said for backing up to removable media.

There may be software out there, but the wa I did it was to just write some scripts that created ISO files, and then used scripts to burn these isos to disc, and create labels which were then printed on to the discs.

By using scripts you can build in your logic, i.e. don't split folders, etc. Also, don't forget to make a log of everything you burn, which can be searched without the need to go through each disc.

I used XP cmd scripts and utils mkisofs.exe, dvdrecord.exe, etc

And if possible you want to use more than one DVD drive. I used 16 at once.

And if you want to go a step further, rar and par the files, and or make 2 copies of each, and MD5SUM the files and store this record separately. With MD5sums of all the files, it becomes possible to check our backups for consistency in 6 months / a year etc.
 
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The cost of external hard drives nowadays make this the best backup option .DVD's are so unreliable and many do deteriate over time .Buy a couple of drives and do multiple backups to safeguard your data.
 
rickyt said:
The cost of external hard drives nowadays make this the best backup option .DVD's are so unreliable and many do deteriate over time .Buy a couple of drives and do multiple backups to safeguard your data.
Click to expand...

I've seen more external hard drives fail than recorded DVDs. I have recorded DVDs here over 8 years old still fine, (maybe older but I can't think of any right now). In terms of a regular back up system yes use a hard disk, it's faster, easier, etc. In terms of archiving data then DVD would be the way to go. If you put a 500GB usb drive in a box and sealed it for 5 years - could you be totally sure it would work on whatever computer you have in 5 years time assuming it still spins up?
 
rickyt said:
The cost of external hard drives nowadays make this the best backup option .DVD's are so unreliable and many do deteriate over time .Buy a couple of drives and do multiple backups to safeguard your data.
Click to expand...

and it's not just the fact dvds deteriorate, it's simply the time and effort trying to actually burn them and catalogue the contents. that in itself is going to take many, many man hours. you really have to be a sandwich short of picnic to even consider this. :D
 
You won't get enough compression to back up that amount of data reliably onto DVD, forget it. Get an external USB drive if you want the cheapest solution.
 
Thanks guys!
Still looking for the magic bit of software!! Seems like it doesn't exist :(

I have loads of hard drives over 4TB but this is stuff I want backed up to disc.. in my experience discs if looked after last for a LONG time where as hard drives your lucky if you get 5 years out of them! plus If i had another hard drive I would be tempted to use it for something else and end up deleting the backups.

Lightscribe = Amazingly pro and efficiently labeled DVDS!!
 
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