If I use Norton Backup to do a manual backup to a CD or DVD disk, am I limited to doing just one backup on that disk, and then must use a new, blank one for the next backup? I ask this because I tried to use Windows 7's backup utility for this, it did its first backup fine, but then when it came time for the second, I was prompted to insert a new blank disk. The total amount of data I want to backup is less than 50 meg, a CD disk will hold some 700 meg. The whole idea is automation, doing backups without having to think about it. Having to insert a new disk every single time defeats the purpose aside from wasting all that space on each disk.
drifter322 wrote:If I use Norton Backup to do a manual backup to a CD or DVD disk, am I limited to doing just one backup on that disk, and then must use a new, blank one for the next backup? I ask this because I tried to use Windows 7's backup utility for this, it did its first backup fine, but then when it came time for the second, I was prompted to insert a new blank disk. The total amount of data I want to backup is less than 50 meg, a CD disk will hold some 700 meg. The whole idea is automation, doing backups without having to think about it. Having to insert a new disk every single time defeats the purpose aside from wasting all that space on each disk.
Hi,
The usual CD is a write once-read often model. If you want to write more than one session to a disk you will need to use the +/- RW version of the CDs. I'm not sure if windows or 360 will support the RW CD.
Keep us posted
Drifter,
If you want to store files on a CD/DVD permanently it is often quicker and more reliable to store them first on a hard drive and then burn those to the CD/DVD at intervals.
Then if the backed up files are larger than will fit on a CD/DVD the burning software usually has the ability to break a larger file up into portions that will fit and in a way that will rejoin the bits when you need to get at them.
RW CD and DVD disks are not as permanent as the write once kind
The reason I asked about this is because, on my Win XP P/C, I used Nero Backitup for my local backups. The software automatically performed weekly backups to a DVD disk, the same one, over and over, until it was full. One disk would easily last over a year before it was full. I could "set it and forget it". But this software has compatibility issues with Win 7, which I'm now using, so I wanted to use something else. But now I'm running into this write once issue that didn't exist with Nero Backitup. I find it odd that new software makes things harder instead of better.
Hey Drifter,
Writing all your backups to a single CD/DVD sounds a bit like putting all your eggs in one basket to me, if the CD/DVD becomes unusable then you loose all your backups! I use N360 backup to backup my data to re-writable DVD's and cycle through 4 versions which are indexed on a paper form I created which is stored in the same wallet. So, if my latest backup refuses to restore due to media failure I can restore from 1,2 or 3 weeks ago. Doesn't require that much thought and N360 backup re-formats the DVD's for me when they need to be overwritten. Maybe not the sort of reply are looking for but personally I wouldn't want to be reliant on a single piece of media.
Hi Confused99:
I understand your point, and it is perfectly valid. But I wasn't concerned about the issue you cite because I was also backing up the same data online, which I presumed would always be available should my local media fail. Every local backup was a full backup, since I don't have that much data to store, and 4 gigs of space will take a long time to fill doing backups once a week.
Your method provides considerable security, but the limiting factor is that N360 can't be used to do automatic backups to DVD/CD disks, so you must remember to do them. I prefer a solution where I can set and forget, knowing I will always have a backup less than a week old.