How safe is cdr data?

[Ixthusdan]

Because we are typically folks who burn images and because we typically offer advice concerning burning data, I found thi article at Cnet particularly interesting. For example, burning at slower speeds is a verifiable improvement to data......but we already knew that! Below is the link.

 

CNET ARTICLE

[zachwor]

To be honest with you I wouldn't worry about losing your data on CD-R's. I'm sure there are some cheap brands that over time can lose your data, but what other medium doesn't do the same? If you are really concerned about your backup CD-R's, invest in another external hard drive or just do more backups, CD-R's are extremely cheap. Plus don't put your backups in a place where they are more susceptible to damage. For me, I'll continue using CD-Rs.

[AussieJohn]

The cnet story is like everything else it does, tells only a very tiny bit of the story.

 

See the wikipidi article at the below url.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD-R#Writing_methods

 

I recommend it because it clearly tells what I have ascertained from dozens of technical articles on the subject, almost all of which say the same as the wikipedia.

 

Cheers. John.

[cage47]

I only worry with cdrw's. They tend to wear out too quickly. And with the price of cd-r's so low I just stick with them. Only thing I worry about it my music collection. I've transferred my old lp's to cd and hope they have staying power as turntables become harder and harder to find.

[SoulSe]

To be honest with you I wouldn't worry about losing your data on CD-R's.  I'm sure there are some cheap brands that over time can lose your data, but what other medium doesn't do the same?  If you are really concerned about your backup CD-R's, invest in another external hard drive or just do more backups, CD-R's are extremely cheap.  Plus don't put your backups in a place where they are more susceptible to damage.  For me, I'll continue using CD-Rs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hard drives should never be used as backup sources. In fact, it's one of the least reliable data storage solutions. Anything with moving parts / heads or magnetic for that matter is not ideal for backup. They fail, develop bad sectors, etc.

 

I reckon the best available backup medium right now is Iomega's REV technology. It truly is an amazing medium.

 

As for cdrs, I agree that there is much ado about nothing. I recently listened to an episode of This Week in Tech where John Dvorak was talking about using CDs that were burnt twelve years ago that still work. Data loss rate on a succesfully burnt CD is pretty low, unless you have oxidisation or something weird happening.

[aRTee]

I burn cds at moderate speeds (52x media at 24x or at most 32x).

 

As for backups, the rule that people tend to forget is that a true backup is separated from the orginal in location as well. It's nice to have an external drive, but as long as it's in the same home (that can burn down or get burgled, etc) it's not more than a copy...

 

Redundency is key. I have my photos copied onto my server, my wife's pc, my laptop (copied only once a month or so, not always up to date) and every so often I write them to dvd in twofold - one copy I keep at work.

 

It's true that a harddrive (or any other mechanical device) is not safe for backups, but it may not be worse then cdr or dvdr; if you read the wikipedia link from John, you'll see that some cdr die types are not so ideal - and how do you know you have one of those?

 

In any case, a rewritable medium is less suited as backup since it may be accidentally be overwritten - and when will this happen (on Linux, on MSWin a virus may do it whenever)? Likely just when you want to put the backup in place, and you are stressed since you just lost data, and you don't want to make mistakes...

 

I was actually thinking of making the perfect automatic backup system with a colleague of mine, who also has broadband: just copy the files over with ssh/scp. Then I'd have copies on 3 harddrives at least: my desktop, my server and his server. And on top of that, they would be separated in space. In case of a calamity that wipes out his place _and_ mine, I think my backups are the last of my worries...