Most reliable backup medium?

[Shibathedog]

well if you are using an external HDD for backup i think the assumption is you back everything up and put it away somewhere and don't touch it unless you need too, this way that doesn't happen.

 

optical discs degrade too though, they wont last forever, sunlight, slight bending, scratches, crappy chemicals in the disc, there are TONS of factors that screw up optical discs

 

the only option left....TRAVAN TAPE DRIVES!!!....if they weren't so freaking slow i might actually use one for something

 

Oh and gamecop, I still see them in stores, but you really should start shopping online, I refuse to buy anything computer related in a store, especially at a place like best buy because its always a ripoff.

 

With newegg all my parts are guaranteed for a year (plus whatever the manufacturer gives you, like Crucial's lifetime warranty) Its cheap (sometimes a few bucks cheaper somewhere else but the guarantee makes it worth it for me) and no store will ever match the selection, im very picky about what i buy. stores are dead, the future is in the internets!

[Haldrie]

optical discs degrade too though, they wont last forever, sunlight, slight bending, scratches, crappy chemicals in the disc, there are TONS of factors that screw up optical discs

 

That's why I added "as long as you keep them in a safe place". Usually for archiving it's best to use them and keep them stored away from anything that can damage them and a good archiver will do this, especially someone who knows how sensitive most optical media can be. Burning at slow speeds can also greatly increase the chance of the disc still being readable even under severe conditions like bad scratches as long as they aren't too deep.

Edited July 12, 2007 by Haldrie

[Shibathedog]

yeah but even in an airtight safe never to be touched they still degrade, although it is mostly UV light that destroys them.

 

ESPECIALLY recordable discs, they are pretty horrible about it. Pressed discs are much better.

[olaf]

I prefer my external USB hard drive (80GB SeaGate) for backing up all my data. It's great for reformats, crashes, bringing data to other locations, and so on. If there's something I really kept safe? I put it in encrypted/passworded files on a private FTP server or something.

[ken_cinder]

The optical disc degredation thing is such an urban legend, this was an issue in the early years of the technology when cheap plant based dyes were used. The dye would "rot" and cause pass-through errors.

 

This is not, and has not for years now, been a prevalent issue. Only with very cheap media is it an issue, and what are you doing buying those 100 for $10 discs anyway, you know you're getting screwed!

[Ghosty]

Good external hd, hell they are so cheap now why bother burning dvd's. I also backup my main drive to another external with ghost.

Very true .. I have been also very surprised by the sudden price drop of the external hard drives. The problem it has caused though is that now if you go to Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.. you will notice that they mostly, if not, only sell external hard drives.

 

Internal hard drives have almost become extinct for the big electronic stores. The only good places still selling them are online (ex: NewEgg). Although I don't need the extra space now, but I know it's going to be a big hassle for me in the future since I'm not much of an online shopper.

 

For an admin of a emulation site, I dont know why the hell you would step foot inside a Circuit City or Best Buy. Fry's Electronics FTW!

I know you live in So-Cal dude.

[LoRd_SnOw]

I have 1 external drive and 2 Tape Drives never used them before. I've had the same hdd running since 2002 on my main house computer. Running just about day and night and sofar its still running with out any issues.

 

All my important things, I back up on a usb 700mb stick. When i feel its too important and i start to get lazy i back some of that important data on my xbox hdd.

[Haldrie]

Well the reason your hdd has been running for so long is becasue you've never turned it off. The more times a hdd has to spin up, the shorter it's lifespan.

[Alpha]

Good external hd, hell they are so cheap now why bother burning dvd's. I also backup my main drive to another external with ghost.

Very true .. I have been also very surprised by the sudden price drop of the external hard drives. The problem it has caused though is that now if you go to Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.. you will notice that they mostly, if not, only sell external hard drives.

 

Internal hard drives have almost become extinct for the big electronic stores. The only good places still selling them are online (ex: NewEgg). Although I don't need the extra space now, but I know it's going to be a big hassle for me in the future since I'm not much of an online shopper.

 

For an admin of a emulation site, I dont know why the hell you would step foot inside a Circuit City or Best Buy. Fry's Electronics FTW!

I know you live in So-Cal dude.

I live in Greenland, don't get it wrong.

 

Oh and here's a picture of me:

 

 

Now stop changing the topic.

[ken_cinder]

Fry's Electronics FTW!? Anyone who has any shame, doesn't even deal with big name retailers for their electronics components.

I deal with distributors/resellers online and smaller shops that can get me SPECIFIC components that the big name stores don't carry (You won't find the best for the best price...or even just the best, at a big name store, EVER)

 

And I buy my optical media at a little store here in town, for half the price it would cost me elsewhere (The big guy doesn't always have the best price, or the best quality. There are only approx 8 CD/DVD manufacturing facilities in the WORLD, every brand name you see, 75% are rebranded.)

[Robert]

Well, I just bought my backup solution, not plugged in yet.

 

It's a 300GB portable drive which does USB and Ethernet (not both at once). The shop installed the HD and formatted it for me. All I gotta do is plug it in.

 

Don't forget this is Australia, we don't get cheap stuff like you guys, it cost $290.