[brian183]

Need some advice on the best way to go about this. I have a hard drive that stores all of my FLAC files and I feel it's time I back them up to DVD. I need about 60 or so DVDs to back up to which is not a problem to get. I need a good free file backup utility to make this much more effecient. Maybe some compression would be nice. Any advice would be much appreciated.
thanks

 

[The Rover]

Have you considered buying an external harddrive? You could easily store all your files to it and detach it from your PC and keep it somewhere safe. 300GB should be enough for your current collection, but a bigger one wouldn't be an bad idea. Naturally this would cost more than the dvd's.

 

[rsabo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brian183 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Need some advice on the best way to go about this. I have a hard drive that stores all of my FLAC files and I feel it's time I back them up to DVD. I need about 60 or so DVDs to back up to which is not a problem to get. I need a good free file backup utility to make this much more effecient. Maybe some compression would be nice. Any advice would be much appreciated. thanks

not going to get much return on further compression, I'm afraid. from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_compression:
Quote:

Lossless compression schemes are reversible so that the original data can be reconstructed, while lossy schemes accept some loss of data in order to achieve higher compression. However, lossless data compression algorithms will always fail to compress some files; indeed, any compression algorithm will necessarily fail to compress any data containing no discernible patterns. Attempts to compress data that has been compressed already will therefore usually result in an expansion, as will attempts to compress encrypted data.

as for what application, it depends on what OS you're using.

edit: personally, I agree with the rover: go with an external HD. easily rewriteable, lasts longer, no need to worry about splitting your collection up amongst 50-odd DVDs.

 

[xand1x]

I currently have 835GB of FLAC to backup, so i'm in the same situation you are. I am waiting for one of two things. #1 The release of an internal 1TB hard drive, or pricedrops on 1TB external solutions

 

[brian183]

LOL perhaps I should give all of you further detail of my current situation. I do have my music backed up but I want to do DVDs because I'm paranoid.

I currently use five hard drives of various sizes but heres a description of what I got so far;

Disk 0: 47gig free/300Gig available
Disk 1: 75gig free/200Gig available
Disk 2: 25/300
Disk 3: 12/250
Disk 4: 270/400

Disk 4 is my external 400gig drive but I use it all the time....I suppose I need to rethink where I store my files because I technically have my solution already.

thanks

 

[brn80]

Blue Ray disc burner

.. but that may set you back a good chunk of change..

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brian183 /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL perhaps I should give all of you further detail of my current situation. I do have my music backed up but I want to do DVDs because I'm paranoid.

Recordable DVDs and CDs are actually a very poor choice of media for backup purposes. Many of them fade or become unreadable in less than 2 years.

 

[meat01]

I would backup your files to an external hard drive that you do not use all of the time and keep it somewhere safe.

 

[Edwood]

If they're not already on one, RAID array.

-Ed