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backing up system--external hard drive or burning dvds?
roger259
post Feb 1 2006, 09:34 AM
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Is it better to buy an external hard drive for $120, western digital, or burn dvd's for backing up our computers files, pictures, and contacts?
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dsenette
post Feb 1 2006, 09:38 AM
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From: kn-ARGH!-xville Tenn-ARGH!-see
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i would say both....you can archive dvd's alot easier than y ou can hard drives (i.e. stick them in a box in a closet) but the HD is easier (usually) to back up to...they both have failure rates....HD's fail a little less often than optical media...but...when an HD fails....usually the whole thing fails...where as the normal optical media failure is a scratch...which usually allows you to recover some data....for REALLY important stuff do both...if you're not that paranoid..just do one or the other...whichever you feel is easier to back up to and restore from
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roger259
post Feb 1 2006, 09:43 AM
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any recommendations on a brand name for external hard drive or the proper name of dvd's or cd's--r or rw or rw- or rw+. It's a little confusing.
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dsenette
post Feb 1 2006, 09:50 AM
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From: kn-ARGH!-xville Tenn-ARGH!-see
OS: 3.1, 95, 98SE, xp, 2000, NT4, 2003 Standard Edition, linux (various flavors)
not presonally...i've always liked maxtor for hd's but seagate is usually pretty good..western digitals are good...they're all relatively the same technology...slight differences in quality...

now the cds/dvds....i like memorex (some will disagree)..but brand is usually irrelavent...as long as it's a brand that you know to be good....
the -r +r +-r and rw respectively..is determined by your drive...your drive will have the corresponding +r -r whatever with it...make sure that you get disks that correspond...especially for the dvds...if you get -r disk and you have a +r drive...it won't work..i believe the +-r or rw drives can use either + or - disks... ( I have yet to get a good answer for the diference between +r and -r)
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roger259
post Feb 1 2006, 09:55 AM
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should i buy cd's or dvd's? i have files, pictures, and contacts
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dsenette
post Feb 1 2006, 09:57 AM
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From: kn-ARGH!-xville Tenn-ARGH!-see
OS: 3.1, 95, 98SE, xp, 2000, NT4, 2003 Standard Edition, linux (various flavors)
well...if you have a dvd burner..you can fit more on dvd's obviously...so that would be the way to go if you have alot of data to backup
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roger259
post Feb 1 2006, 10:08 AM
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How long will a burned dvd last? and what are the complications with an external hard drive?
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dsenette
post Feb 1 2006, 10:53 AM
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From: kn-ARGH!-xville Tenn-ARGH!-see
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i'm not really sure on the life of a dvd...but it's counted in years....not much to worry about..because by the time it goes bad because of age (not scratches as that's unpredictable) you will have made another backup for sure.....
the complications with the external drives can include drive failure, incompatability, file corruption, lightning striks...same things as an internal HD
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