[OzBoz]

Please excuse my abysmal knowledge in this area, but I have a problem backing up Quicken data files to DVD. The problem has only arisen with the latest version of Quicken. Up to now there was no problem.

Now when I try to save to DVD, Quicken just baulks. Quicken have told me that they have changed their system, and now I need to configure my burning software (EMC7) or optical drive to packet writing. I have no idea how to do this, or even if I need to.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Brian

[james_hardin]

Well the next question is do you really want to do that???

Drag to Disc is a packet writer and like all packet writers suffers from one little problem… They are unreliable and discs fail with no warning!

Sometimes you can recover bits and pieces but as often as not, you lost it all!

How often does this happen? With CD-RW media I found that 50 uses was about my average. Some went to 100 others failed at 3.

DVD media seems a little more reliable but I have still had it fail.

If it were my data and I assume it is important, I would use DVD R media in conjunction with Classic and Sessions.

Session means that you can add more data to the disc at a later time. You cannot truly 'erase' but you can overwrite. In both cases the space used by the original file is never retrieved so you the disc keeps getting fuller. I use folders with the date of backup for the folder name.

A downside would be that you cannot burn to the disc from within any application. You would have to complete the application, open Classic, insert the disc, import the previous session, add the new stuff and burn. – making sure Read Only is not checked!

Open Classic and read up on Adding More to a Data Disc in Help. Assuming you have some RW media to play with, try some test sessions to get a feel for it.

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[OzBoz]

Thank you for your response.

You are correct of course, that packet writing is fraught with danger, but to be honest, I have been taking the easy way out and using Quicken's application backup, which is unwise.

Now that I have been "forced" to change, I will now use sesssion writing from Classic. Just one more question if I may. Both you and Lynn seem to be recommending R type media over RW. Is there a definite safety advantage in using that media, and any difference between - and + ?

In 20 odd years of computing, I have never discovered an absolutely failsafe of backing up critical data. At present, I am backing up to 2 hard drives and DVD and hoping that should get me through. To be honest, I have never had a CD/DVD fail on me (touch wood) but I have had several HDD failures.

I will now have to learn how to burn sessions on CD/DVD, something which I have been subconciously avaoiding.

Thanks again
Brian

[lynn98109]

R media is burned by having a laser "cook" a dye to form the pits and lands that are the digital equivalent of magnetic 0's and 1's. It isn't quite a stable as commerically pressed media, but close.

RW media is burned by having the laser (at a lower temperature) melt and re-crystalilze an aluminum alloy, which promptly starts to de-crystalize, taking the data with it. There is no hard and fast rule how long it will last, but in 2002 the price of RW media came down because they found a less-expensive coating which also is shorter-lasting.

(Commercially pressed media has the pits and lands physically pressed into the media.)

As to the difference between + and - ... I have no info beyond that if your burner and reader are happy with it, it's fine. They were designed by competing groups - largely the same groups that have now brought us the competing Blu-ray Disc and HD Disc.

Lynn

This post has been edited by lynn98109: 10 June 2007 - 03:15 PM

[OzBoz]

Thank you Lynn.

So it looks as though DVD R (+ or -) is the safest way to go, bearing in mind that there is also a backup on on both my HDDs.

Brian

[ml]

Thank you Lynn.

So it looks as though DVD R (+ or -) is the safest way to go, bearing in mind that there is also a backup on on both my HDDs.

Brian

That's what most of us have found. Either +R or -R should be more reliable than an RW DVD ( or RW CD).

Some of us go to extreme measures of backing up to an external hard drive and free online storage.