-=PCTechTalk=- Re: Quicken Backup-- CD Burning Software
- From: "T. Hunt" <ilrover@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2005 00:05:27 -0500
OK, look at it this way. A backup is supposed to be a system where the
data will be safe no matter what happens. Like your checking account,
your investment details, your company's accounts, your medical records.
For a truly effective backup, a copy of the data should be stored off
site. This can be at your office if the backup is from your home or in
a safe deposit box; The idea is to have the data in 2 different
locations. The computer is one location and the CD with the data is in
another location.
Now assume that your computer is rendered useless. Hit by lightning,
burned up in a fire, stolen, whatever. Now you need access to your
data. A packet written CD cannot be read in all machines. It requires a
UDF reader and if you don't have one, you'll need to get one. Also,
packet written CD's can often have trouble being read in older CD-ROM
drives. This is not a good situation if you need quick access to that
data on the CD.
CD-R's written using the DAO/TAO method can be read in any CD-ROM that
will read a CD and no UDF reader or any other decoding software is
needed. The data on that CD will be instantly accessible in any
computer with a CD-ROM; the bank's, your brother-in-law's, a computer in
the public library or your church. That could make a big difference,
depending on what the situation is that rendered your original system
useless.
You say you only need it for ONE system, your OWN? That's precisely why
you should make a backup that can be read anywhere: Because if you
really need it, chances are that YOUR system is toast. As an example,
my house got hit by lightning several years ago. I was sitting at the
computer, in front of a 21" monitor when there was a loud CRACK and I
was blinded for about 4-5 seconds. When I could see again, I found the
monitor was black, the lights were out and all the UPS were beeping
throughout the house. The damage totaled over $2500 and didn't cover
nearly half of what we lost, like my nice 21" monitor. My point is that
my daughter is an avid Roller Coaster Tycoon player and had over 25
parks that she had created in the game on her computer. All of those
were gone in an instant in a situation where we were not even suspecting
anything like a thunderstorm, much less a bolt of lightning out of the
blue. If this had been important data, it would have been gone. And if
there had been a fire, any CD's left on her desk or in her room would
have been gone as well.
So if your data is truly important, treat it like it really is
important. And don't confuse duplicating data from a harddrive with a
true backup; they're not the same. Copying files to a CD or tape and
then leaving the CD or tape on the desk next to the computer is not a
backup, it's just a small safety net in case the harddrive fails.
For a backup to be truly effective, the data must be complete and
intact, it has to be separated from the site and it has to be easily
accessible on any machine available. The type of data stored will also
dictate other requirements; medical data may dictate speedy
recoverability. Data accessed too late may be the same as no data at all.
So do your backups however you want. Just try to imagine the most
reasonable circumstances for disaster. A fire, a stolen computer,
lightning strike or a defective power supply that takes out the
motherboard and harddrive. What will you do now? And how soon will you
be able to do it?
Tom
ps--DAO/TAO is Disk at Once or Track at Once. A method of writing files
to a CD that involves no formatting, little overhead and leaves the
files accessible just as if they were on a harddrive. This is the way
most commercial CD's are written, like the ones you get with a printer
or other device. Most burning programs are very simple. You just
select the files to be burned to CD, tell the program whether you want
to be able to add files later and click 'Burn'.
milady wrote:
> Now you have to explain WHAT that system is?? I never heard of it. Back ups
> need to have readability in ANY system??? when I only need it for ONE system
> IF I need it? In my OWN???? I think you are talking apples and oranges
> here. An ordinary computer person verses maybe a guru whoes system is a
> nuther story...
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "T. Hunt" <ilrover@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 6:12 PM
> Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: Quicken Backup-- CD Burning Software
>
>
> Like I said, I can't think of anything I'd recommend using a CD-RW for.
> Certainly not backups, which need to have readability in ANY system.
> And once you learn to use DAO/TAO programs, you'll never go back to
> packet writing.
>
> But thank god someone's buying those CD-RW's, 'cause if they relied on
> me, they'd go broke.
>
> Tom
>
> milady wrote:
>
>>I use RW all the time...for backup. I ruined too many of the other kind.
>>Those can be erased and rewritten. They work for me...
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Don Wilcox" <dsw32952@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 3:31 PM
>>Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: Quicken Backup-- CD Burning Software
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "T. Hunt" <ilrover@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 10:13 AM
>>Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Quicken Backup-- CD Burning Software
>>
>><snip>
>>
>>(I
>>can't think of anything I would recommend using a CD-RW for.)
>>
>><snip>
>>
>>Depending on the frequency and type of back-ups you do CD-RWs or DVD RWs
>>are
>>perfect.
>>
>>Don
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