9 replies to this topic

[mailpup]

At work I use Nero 6 to backup certain specific data folders and/or files to rewritable CDs and DVDs.  In the project interface I create a project by dragging and dropping various folders to the project area.  When completed I burn the project and leave the session open so I can add or delete folders/files later.  When I later reopen the project, it has a refresh feature that detects and replaces files that have been changed, modified or updated but retain their original names as well as adding new files that appear in the existing folders.  You can also manually add and delete folders and files from the project.  You can then burn the revised project to your open session CD-RW or DVD+-RW.  It will erase the old versions and burn in the replacements, erase files I've deleted and burn new files.  Unchanged files in the project list are left untouched on the disk.

My question is does Creator Classic in Easy Media Creator 10 have such a refresh feature?  I don't have EMC 10 yet and I'm checking it out before I consider buying it.  At home I have a version of Creator Classic in Easy CD and DVD Creator 6 but it doesn't seem to have this refresh feature.

I read through many of the previous posts in a couple of the forums here but didn't see any that addressed this issue unless I overlooked them.  I also looked through the pdf manual linked to in the pinned post above but it didn't mention it.

Edited by mailpup, 14 January 2008 - 05:09 PM.

[The Highlander]

Hi mailpup
From my recollection i don't think it dose, iv never needed to do what you are asking before, but im happy to be proven wrong by other users here on the board, i think you may have been able to do that with the drag to disk component in EMC9 but version 10 it was dumped as there was a vista computability issue.

any other comment by users welcome.

[REDWAGON]

I tried duplicating what you would like to do, using EMC 10 Creator Classic. (Data File burn) I added several files to the project and then burned it without closing the disc. Then I went back and changed one of the previous files (cropped a photo and saved it. Then I went back and opened up Creator Classic again and after the program noticed and copied all of the previous files from the old previous burn to my new burn list (Burning a multi-session disc) I added all of the previous files to this new burn again, including the one I had changed.

All the program will do is bring up a screen that will ask you if you want to include this new file (same name as the old one) or not. So based on your question I don't think that Creator Classic will do everything you are asking, but it does recognize changed files.

Frank...

[mailpup]

Thanks, Redwagon, for going through all that trouble for me.  If I understand correctly, you reburned the project with the revised file but to a new/different disk.  So if I alternated between two disks (erasing the old one each time), I could accomplish more or less what I originally wanted to do.  Did I understand this correctly?

If so, the advantage to how I do it now with Nero 6 is I can use the same disk to burn the new and/or changed files each day.  Since the existing, unchanged files are left on the disk untouched, the burn process is relatively quick since only the new files have to be burned (and deleted files erased) to the project.  If I have to reburn the full project each time, it will take a lot longer.  I might have a total of a couple of gigs of data.  That said, I actually full erase and reburn the full project once a week or so anyway.  It sort of has the effect of defragging the DVD as the reburning and deleting of files from the disk after awhile uses more space on the disk than a fresh reburn of the whole project.

I don't know yet if Nero 8 works the same as Nero 6 in this manner but I was hoping Roxio did.  At least I know it will recognize a changed file.  Thanks for that info.

The Highlander, on some smaller collections of files I do use drag to disk packet writing on a formatted disk if that's what you meant.  However, on larger projects it's so much simpler to let the software automatically detect any new or changed files without any effort on my part other than clicking "refresh."

Edited by mailpup, 15 January 2008 - 01:57 AM.

[lynn98109]

RW discs fail after a while - the exact length of time or number of uses can vary, but it doens't send an engraved warning letter.

Packet-Writing also fails - again, the exact length of time or number of uses can vary, but it doens't necessarily send a warning two weeks in advance.

Using them together seems to speed up the process of losing all the data.

Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems to me those who are despeartely trying to recover a DVD's worth of data seem more desperate than those who have lost an entire CD of data.

Lynn

[REDWAGON]

"If I understand correctly, you reburned the project with the revised file but to a new/different disk"

No---I burned the first data disc and then used the same disc for the second burn. When you do this in "Creator Classic" you are burning a "Multi-Session" disc. The program will automatically see all of the original files you burned and then you can add additional files to crate a second burn that will contain the first and added files. The only thing you have to remember is to "NOT" check the box that closes the disc.

Frank...

[mailpup]

Redwagon, thanks for clearing that up.  That is essentially what I want to do.  So it appears that EMC 10 will work more or less in the manner in which I would like.  Good.

Lynn, keep in mind that I use the optical disks as backups, not the sole or even primary data storage medium.  In fact, I make two backup disks for my files, one I take home.  I understand that optical disks can fail at any time but so can flash drives and even hard drives, albeit much less often.  At work we have server space to backup files that reside on our individual PCs but it is limited and will not hold all of my files.  I've checked and for some reason our systems group cannot increase this space in the foreseeable future so that's why I use this relatively convenient and economical method for backup.  Anyway, imperfect as it is, I feel it is a reasonable risk that I take using optical disks as backups since my work PC and both optical disks would have to fail at the same time for me to lose the data.

[lynn98109]

CD-Rs are around 15 cents or less by the spindle.

Compare the cost of that to the cost of losing the data.

You can format R media for Packet-Writing.  In fact, the only difference is you don't have the risks of RW media added to the risks  of Packet-Writing.

Lynn

Edited by lynn98109, 16 January 2008 - 09:33 AM.

[Brendon]

What about the impact on the petroleum situation if you keep using and discarding petrochemical plastic write-once discs, where you could be carefully using rewriteables and saving many discs from the landfill?

[lynn98109]

Depends on how much one considers the data worth.  Many people backup to two separate discs and keep them separate.

Lynn