Jim Kuzdrall wrote:
However, I hear CD-ROM is unreliable even over 12 months, so that's
out.
I have heard this too. Does anyone know the physical mechanism
responsible for the deterioration? I seem to associate the tale with a
study at a library, and the CDROMs being scratched by handling. If
that is the mechanism, it is irrelevant for SOHO.
Exposure to light and excessive heat can deteriorate the dye layer on
CD-R and CD-RW media.
I've been using CD-RW and CD-R media for backups of my data for the past
five years and have had no real issues. I have had some cheap CD-R discs
that either don't burn (cdrecord reports media errors) or that have had
read errors after sitting about for 2 to 3 years.
I have not had any problems with CD-RW media of any sort, but I also
don't buy cheap CD-RWs. I've actually rewritten the same disc
consistently for 4 years. This disc actually outlived my first burner!
I find that there is a huge difference in longevity between different
manufacturers and at different price points. The cheap stacks of no-name
CD-Rs that you get for 10 cents a piece don't last nearly as long, nor
are generally as reliable as the discs that cost close to $1.00 each. I
also tend to only buy Fuji Film or Taiyo Yuden discs for my serious
tasks. Though I have to admit I've had some pretty good luck with a
cheap stack of Ritek-made discs with the AT&T brand on them.
I have used these backups, so they have had real world testing. I've
used them to copy my important data onto a new hard drive when I last
upgraded my system, and when switching from GNU/Linux to FreeBSD.
I generally backup everything overwriting what's on my disc each time. I
often make two copies, just in case, though I keep them both generally
near the computer, so if there's a fire, I've lost everything.--I mainly
do them in the more likely event of hardware failure.
If you're just backing up a few hundred megs of data then CD-RW/CD-R
media is fine. A couple gigs and I'd look into backing up on DVD+-R/W.
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