Backing up to DVD

[matheww]

I'm using a Windows PC (Vista Home Premium) I have all my photos stored on an

external Hard Drive. I would like to back all of them DVD's. What is the most

efficent way to do this. Also if anyone with experience can give me some what

not to do's that would be great!

[blumesan]

The most important "what not to do" is: don't rely on the DVDs as your only backup. Keep the files also on the external Hard Drive. Also when you burn, finalize the disk. Do not attempt to burn to one disc in more than one session.

 

As to efficiency, most DVD burn programs will allow you to select one or more folders of images to burn in one session.

[matheww]

Thanks Mike, I don't plan on removing the files from my EHD, I just want to get the files to a DVD, in cause something was to happen to my PC.

[Ed_Ingold]

My main business is audio/visual production, and I go through several thousand discs per year for production and backup. Optical discs (CDs and DVDs) are currently the most secure and archival form of backup. Hard drives are convenient, but subject to failure - too many eggs in one basket. Tapes are probably the worst medium for storage past 6 months.

 

You need a good CD/DVD burner, and Plextor drives are among the best. An external enclosure is best if you have both a desktop and laptop to service.

 

Secondly, you need good software. The burning software built into Windows is pathetic. I use and recommend Nero. Inside the Nero suite are Burning ROM, the basic drag-and-drop burning utility, and BackItUp, which will organize the backup, maintain the original directory tree, and call for as many discs in succession as needed. When using BackItUp, I use the non-compressed version. That way you can restore the files from Windows, without any special software.

 

You want to "verify" each disc against the original files as each disc is filled. This will catch gross problems, especially if verification fails. Plextor drives come with Plextools software, which lets you test any disc for errors and gives you a chart. A good disc and burn usually has less than 10 error/second. You start to have trouble reading a disc at about 100-300 errors/second.

 

Pick good quality discs. MAM make the best CD-Rs and Taiyo-Yuden make the best DVDs. DVD+R discs gives the lowest error rates and best compatibility for data discs. DVD-R are nearly as good, but avoid RW discs (low signal/noise ratio).

 

Write in the disc-at-once (DAO) mode, where all the files are written in a single track then finalized. NEVER use a floppy-emulation program like InCD - if any burn fails, you lose the entire contents of the disc. A DAO disc can be read on any computer with O/S software, including PCs and Macs, and not just the program used to create the disc.

 

Organize your discs by date and subject (in that order). If you use key words and thumbnails, cross-reference them to the storage scheme. I use archival pages that hold 8 discs each, and wide-bodied ring binders. Alternately, I use file pockets and banker's boxes if there is supporting documentation (emails, programs, etc).

[matheww]

Thank you VERY much, just what I was looking for!

[blumesan]

>>Optical discs (CDs and DVDs) are currently the most secure and archival form of backup.<<

 

Edward,

 

I was very happy to read your informed opinion. I am sure you are aware of the many posts to this forum and others that claim DVD & CD discs are very unreliable in terms of their archival qualities. I have been following the procedure you outline for many years, and have yet to encounter a problem.

[JAPster]

Hi Matthew,

Well, here is some more advice to supplement everything else that was contributed. Some of these ideas were contributed already, but I include them as well...

 

1. Buy only major-brand DVDs like HP, Sony, Maxell, or TDK.

Dont buy cheap, bargain basement no-name brands.

 

2. Check your computer and not carefully what type DVD-drive

you have. Then check your manual, lok under the DVD Drive section and note carefully what type DVD disks your drive will accept.

 

3. Run DEFRAG (5-7 times,sequentially) on your picture files drive.

That will PACK the file system as contiguously as it can be, and

that condition will make the disk file system as quick as can be.

 

4. I "second" the use of the NERO package,and its user-friendly

DVD burning tools. I have NERO 7, and I like it a lot. Nero7

did have a stability issue with burning AUDIOn CD's, but that

has been fixed, and I have not had any problem burning DATA

DVD's with it.

 

5. Perform a FULL BACKUP once a week. By FULL BACKUP, I mean back up EVERYTHING that is in the BACKUP LIST. By Backup List, I mean the list of Drives & Subfolders that contain your user files. In other words, ONCE A WEEK, make a COMPLETE backup of ALL your files. The weekend might be the best time to do this FULL BACKUP, since it will likely take several hours.

 

6. Use a high enough number of backup sets, so that you can go for a consideral period of time, before you have to start over again, at the top. For example, if you choose to use the Letters "A" thru "Z" to identify your backup sets, that gives you 26 different backup sets. If you then applied this # to your FULL Backups, you could have 26 different FULL BACKUP Sets, labeled FULL BACKUPS - SET "A" thru "SET Z". 26 full backup sets would give you a 26 week time window of backup coverage, before you start back over at the top.

 

7. Note 6 presupposes that you *want* to reuse your DVD Backup Disks over and over. In that case, you will need to purchase the correct type of DVD Disk than can be re-written over and over. Some DVD Disks are writeable only once,and that's it. That type would not work well in a 26 Set Scheme (Sets A thru Z), where you will be starting over at the top, and rewriting them.

 

8. On Monday thru Thursday's, perform what is called an "Incremental Backup". An incremental backup is one where you backup ONLY the project folders that have been CREATED and/or MODIFIED since the last backup. You will have to check your backup software carefully to locate the setting(s) that control the Incremental function. The daily incremental backups are used to supplement and complete the weekly full backups. Similar to the full backups, you can likewise create 26 SETS of Daily Incremental Backups, from Set A thru Set Z. Since the Incrementals are run 4/week, that means you will cycle through a 26 Set group every 6 weeks or so. Again, you will need the type of DVD Disks that can be re-written over and over again. You go through the whole set, from Incremental Set A thru Set Z. Then you start back over at the top,and rewrite over the old data.

 

9. I also "second" the idea of turning on DATA VERIFICATION after the write-phase completes. Although this adds extra time to the overall backup process, it does provide positive confirmation that the data set on the backup disk is indeed 100% duplicate of the data set on your hard drive.

 

10. You may want to consider buying an EXTERNAL DVD BURNER Drive to handle this task. Make sure its a FAST unit, and make sure its got a good WARRANTY, since you plan to use it for regular backups, which will put lots of wear & tear on it. Using an external dedicate DVD Drive like this will save your imbedded drive from being used so much.

 

11. Choose a simple and logical Disk Labeling Scheme and stick to it.

For Example,,, Full Backups -> FB_SETA_022508_1

FB_SETA_022508_2

FB_SETA_022508_3

Incrementals -> IB_SETD_022608_1

Choose a label scheme that makes sense to you.

 

12. Create a simple paper based list form, print it out, and keep it in a Clipboard,kept handy nearby. Include columns for DAY, DATE, BACKUP TYPE, SET NAME, # DISKS, and STATUS. Each time you run a backup, fill in these fields on the clipboard. It will become your working record of when backups were done, what types, and what disk sets were used. It will also serve to tell you what disks cover what time periods.

 

13. Keep a very close eye on any Error Messages that occur during your backups. The goal is to have all your backups run to completion without errors, but sometimes errors do occur. When they do, study the Error Message carefully to try and determine what caused it. Then, if necessary, tale corrective action to resolve the system issue that prompted the error message.

 

14. If you do perform a Weekly Full Backup, as suggested above, consider using the FIRST weekly full backup (of each month) as your OFFSITE DISASTER RECOVERY BACKUP. Locate a safe and secure storage area some distance from your home or office (perhaps a Safe Deposit Box in a reputable Bank in another town). Make a 2nd COPY of that first weekly full backup set, and store that 2nd copy at the Offsite Storage location. That way, if something happens to your primary work site, you will have the offsite backup set to fall back to.

 

15. When not actually being used, keep all your DVD BACKUP DISKS stored safely in their hard protective cases, and store those in a COOL, DRY, CLEAN, SAFE, SECURE, and LOCKABLE place. In a former job, we used to lock our backup media in a large cabinet,and then close the door to that room and lock that too. (Make sure you know who has copies of the keys.)

 

16. You can make simple basic BACKUP LISTINGS of your DVD BACKUP DISKS using the old DOS command DIR :

{From the Windows Command window}

DIR {DVD Drive} /A /S > C:\temp\LISTING.TXT

Then copy listing file to safe folder & rename it.

 

17. Occaisionally, say every other month, when you get a few moments spare time, go and pull out one of the DVD BACKUP DISKS, load it onto your system, and MAKE SURE that you can Read & Access the Data. This is a dry-run test, just in case you ever have a real need to restore data from those disks.

 

Good Luck!

 

AP

[matheww]

WOW, thats a lot of info, Thanks Alan.