Can I use CDRW for Daily Backup?

Get a usb2.0 or firewire external hard drive for backups..

"jpt" wrote in message ...
Sorry for the basic question, but I'm looking for a daily backup option for
my next computer. I've had trouble with zip drives in the past, so I'm
looking for something different. Do CDRW's operate just like another drive
or directory in Explorer? I mean, can you just drag files over to the disc
at any time? My only experience is with CDRs, which are not suited for
daily backups.

Thanks.

--
Regards,
jpt

"jpt" wrote in message
...
Sorry for the basic question, but I'm looking for a daily backup option
for
my next computer. I've had trouble with zip drives in the past, so I'm
looking for something different. Do CDRW's operate just like another
drive
or directory in Explorer? I mean, can you just drag files over to the
disc
at any time? My only experience is with CDRs, which are not suited for
daily backups.

Thanks.

--
Regards,
jpt

When you format a CD-RW disc in the UDF or MRW (Mt. Rainier) format, yes, it
becomes like a "large floppy" as the analogy always is. You need to use
DirectCD or InCD (made by Roxio or Ahead, respectively) to format it like
this.

You will want to have a faster rewrite speed. This might mean paying more
for the 52x32x52 instead of the 48x24x48 drive, where you get a 32x rewrite
instead of the 24x. Mind you, it isn't quite linear, as it uses CAV
(constant angular velocity, which means the drive spins the disc at a
constant speed, and as you move towards the outer edge, there are more
sectors there due to circumference, so you are writing more sectors per
second, thus the speed increases, and the speed given is how fast you are
writing at approximatly 74 minutes on the disc, or the end of the disc), so
a 32x might not be 33% faster than a 24x, like the speed would lead you to
believe. In truth, it is somewhere in between, perhaps 16-20%?

Regardless, the media out now for CD-RW is largely High Speed (10x/12x), and
there is Ultra Speed (16x) out, too. The other Ultra Speed discs (24x) are
hard to find, but are out, mainly in internet shops. The necessary discs
for the newest drives with 32x rewrite isn't out yet, expect it to be out
sometime this month. However, a 32x rewrite speed drive can use any disc,
normal CD-RW (1/2/4x), High Speed (4-10x, sometimes 12x), Ultra Speed
(16/24/32x).

Be aware that when you format these discs, a 650MB becomes 550MB, and a
700MB becomes 590MBs or so.

The other option you have is since a CD-RW is rewritable, and erasable, you
can actually use these discs like a normal CD-R, so you can make a project
in nero or ezcd and do it like that, and you can use all 650 or 700MBs.

Another thing you can do is use a backup program, most of them do support
CD-RW drives.... or atleast you can choose what to backup and then split it
across discs (if larger than 700mb), either with the program if supported,
or by zipping it and having it make 650 or 700mb parts, then you can combine
the parts, unzip it, and restore. It becomes tricky to restore things if
you can't use DOS. Any program that can only restore from within Windows
tends to require you to setup a version of Windows, then restore, which is a
hassle. Although, if you know of another way, I'd like to hear it

I would NOT count on that if you value your data... Use the discs
*designed* for your drive!

Tim K

"Anonymous Joe" wrote in message
.net...
.. However, a 32x rewrite speed drive can use any disc,
normal CD-RW (1/2/4x), High Speed (4-10x, sometimes 12x), Ultra Speed
(16/24/32x).

3 months ago, I switched to the following strategy:

1. I purchased a USB 2 card, because the mobo only supported USB 1.1.
2. Purchased 2 Maxtor 5000LE 80G USB drives. I have about 65GB of internal
hard drives.
3. As the Maxtor drives come with Dantz Retrospect Express, that qualifies
for purchasing the upgrade version of Dantz Retrospect Pro (you would have
to call Dantz to get the license code after the purchase).
4. As Retrospect allows for the creation of a disaster recovery CD, I
purchased a CD-RW drive.
5. I alternate between the two USB drives and do not keep them both
connected at the same time.

When you take into account the cost of tapes and a tape drive, not to
mention the nuisance of swapping tapes, the above is the most cost effective
to do backups.

If you wish to take a full backup off-site, you could purchase more USB
drives for that purpose.

Or you could just back up critical stuff to CD-R, CD-RW or, better yet, DVD.
I could not get a DVD as my system is too slow and both Sony and Plextor
would not provide support for DVD writing on such a system.


--
http://www.standards.com/; See Howard Kaikow's web site.
"jpt" wrote in message
...
Sorry for the basic question, but I'm looking for a daily backup option
for
my next computer. I've had trouble with zip drives in the past, so I'm
looking for something different. Do CDRW's operate just like another
drive
or directory in Explorer? I mean, can you just drag files over to the
disc
at any time? My only experience is with CDRs, which are not suited for
daily backups.

Thanks.

--
Regards,
jpt

In article , says...
Anonymous Joe wrote:

You will want to have a faster rewrite speed. This might mean paying
more for the 52x32x52 instead of the 48x24x48 drive, where you get a
32x rewrite instead of the 24x.

Meant to ask: what do the three numbers stand for? I take it the middle
number is the one I should be concerned about. But I'd like to know what
they all mean.


From: http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa3.htm:


Manufacturers typically use a sequence of two, three or four numbers
to express the maximum writing and reading speeds of a recorder. The
generally accepted industry convention for a CD-R recorder has been for
the first figure to indicate CD-R writing speed followed by CD reading
speed for CD-R and prerecorded (pressed) data CDs. For a CD-R/RW
recorder the first number usually indicates CD-R writing speed followed
by CD-RW writing speed and then by the CD reading speed. In the case of
a combination recorder a fourth number is included to indicate DVD
reading speed. As examples, 8x12 usually means 8x CD-R write and 12x CD
read while 48x12x48 typically indicates 48x CD-R write, 12x CD-RW write
and 48x CD read. And for a combination recorder 24x10x40x12 denotes 24x
CD-R write, 10x CD-RW write, 40x CD read, and 12x DVD read.

Hope that helps,

Bob

Or even a case mounted removeable IDE carrier which would be a lot faster
and cheaper. If you like this idea, buy a few spare carriers because they
keep changing the damned designs.

--

Graham Mayor


bobbyjak wrote:
Get a usb2.0 or firewire external hard drive for backups..

"jpt" wrote in message
...
Sorry for the basic question, but I'm looking for a daily backup
option for
my next computer. I've had trouble with zip drives in the past, so
I'm
looking for something different. Do CDRW's operate just like
another drive
or directory in Explorer? I mean, can you just drag files over to
the disc
at any time? My only experience is with CDRs, which are not suited
for
daily backups.

Thanks.

--
Regards,
jpt

It is not so much the overhead that's the problem, but the reliability of
packet formats per se. If this data you are backing up is important enough
to back up, then you should really be using ISO multisessions with Nero/EZCD
etc.

--

Graham Mayor





jpt wrote:
Anonymous Joe wrote:

When you format a CD-RW disc in the UDF or MRW (Mt. Rainier) format,
yes, it becomes like a "large floppy" as the analogy always is. You
need to use DirectCD or InCD (made by Roxio or Ahead, respectively)
to format it like this.

That sounds like what I'm looking for. I back up only a few files
daily, so I don't need anything heavy duty. I figure I'd need a CD
drive anyway, so might as well get one that's CDRW. The only
question was I wasn't sure if the disks worked like floppies or not.
Now I know they do. Given the small number/size of the files I back
up, it would take me a year to fill up a disk, even if 100 MB were
lost in the formatting. So, that sounds like a good solution for my
particular needs.

Graham Mayor wrote:

It is not so much the overhead that's the problem, but the reliability of
packet formats per se.

Time to respond to this, Mayor?

==============================
From: Edward W. Thompson
Subject: Nero InCD 3.2 vs WinXP CD Writer software (roxio)
Date: 2/22/02

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

You are thinking of replacing a relatively secure filing system,
with a less stable one, simply to allow you to delete individual
files from a rewritable disc?

If one accepts the statement that UDF is insecure, (I assume that is
what is meant by "less stable") it would be absurd to use it.
Although I have seen many statements to the effect that data has been
lost on UDF disks I have not had that experience over the past 4 to 5
years. Most statement criticizing UDF are linked to long term data
storage. I don't use CD-RW media for long term storage only short
term therefore if it is true that data can be lost over time, that
does not bother me.

I have yet to see any proof that data written to UDF is any less secure
than to any other magnetic or optical media either in short or long
term. Further, I am surprised that reputable manufacturers would market
the CD-RW system if it could be shown it was inherently unreliable.
==============================

Ain't it the truth? And how about those crummy little sleeve-bearing
fans that crap out in 6 months if you're lucky? I wish someone would
make a really GOOD IDE carrier.


On Thu, 4 Sep 2003 12:55:05 +0100, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

Or even a case mounted removeable IDE carrier which would be a lot faster
and cheaper. If you like this idea, buy a few spare carriers because they
keep changing the damned designs.

I've had some without fans, they seem to not crap out

Then again, they only were good for ATA/33....

"Pete" wrote in message
...
Ain't it the truth? And how about those crummy little sleeve-bearing
fans that crap out in 6 months if you're lucky? I wish someone would
make a really GOOD IDE carrier.


On Thu, 4 Sep 2003 12:55:05 +0100, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

Or even a case mounted removeable IDE carrier which would be a lot faster
and cheaper. If you like this idea, buy a few spare carriers because they
keep changing the damned designs.