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[xen-uno]

If you back up your files to DVD (or CD) like I do, then you need CDSpeed (v2.10). DL it and stick it in it's own directory. You'll also need Nero's ASPI Manager (WNASPI32.DLL - available on same page - save it to your CDSpeed dir). CDSpeed has a disk check utility (Extra>ScanDisk) that will check both file and sector integrity (File Test & Surface Scan). Make sure to DL the help file (NeroCDSpeed_100.chm) as well. Very useful utility...should inspire some confidence in your backups and it is free.

Note: There is a DVDSpeed as well, but CDS covers all of it's functionality.

10^-27

[LisaRCT]

Thanx  

[jleerigby]

Xen,  I've never been able to get my head round the 'back up to CD' thing.  It sounds like so much hassle and effort.  Why bother when you can just slot a HDD in, copy the files about 10 times as fast, take it out and put it safe.  I know there's pros and cons for everything, I just can't see any pros for backing up to CD over backing up to a second HDD.  Is it 'cos you don't have raid and not enough IDE channels left?

[xen-uno]

I have RAID Level 1 (60 GB worth) and (3) available IDE channels free. In the same way that a DVD's life expectancy (that is...no read errors) seems to vary quite a bit between manufacturers (or even between different batches from same mfr), removing a drive and letting it sit around for a long time can be problematic as well. The odds that the drive will operate correctly again are very good, but I wouldn't stake my life on it after a year or so of inactivity. Big IDE's are amazingly cheap, but it appears that as price has dropped...so has durability.

Copying over 4.3 GB of flac's to the DVD took from 15 to 20 mins. That's not bad. I have unlimited storage via DVD (6x better yet when the Blu-Ray format becomes viable), whereas you do not. Also, I can create many copies of the same data set and place them in secure locations across the country. It is more labor intensive than a slew of hard drives to be sure...but it works out well here.

10^-27

[Sauzee]

By backing up to CD or DVD you can also play them in DVD players or take them with you on trips away.

[Wile E. One]

If 1 DVD turns out bad, you lose... 174 songs?

If 1 HDD goes bad... I don't wanna think about how many songs you'd lose...

[Tiberius]

I'm going to have to give that a try. I never realized that CDSpeed had that ability. I have been using this

http://www.elpros.si/CDCheck/

with pretty good results. It has found one byte changes in mp3 tags when the program I was using to burn with was rewriting the  tags out of spec.

[Jaguu]

JLee,

I also thought disk to disk copy was the way to go until the following happened:

1) Deleted an important folder without noticing it.
2) Replicated file structure to external hard disk!
3) Deleted folder was also gone on the second disk!

Lesson learned: It is always and advantage to have some hard copies on cd/dvd (not necessarily music files as you can always re-rip), but images and office docs.