Rewriting 1 disc in a spanned set?

[ReidC]

I have an 8 disc backup (spanned) that failed while wrting the last 10% of the last disc. I saved the project list so I can recreate the set easily, but is it possible to just write that last disc instead of writing - and wasting - the previous 7 discs?

 

Reid C

[lynn98109]

I'd suggest you do a search for 'retrieve', read some of the desperate posts by people who have used discs spanning, and then re-do your backup using Classic Creator to set up 8 (or however many) separate discs.

 

Here's a search run thru EMC 7 - but EMC 7 / 7.5 - Backup / Data / Copy, EMC 8, EMC 8 Data, and EMC 9 are some other possible choices of how to run the search.

http://forums.support.roxio.com/index.php?...ghlite=retrieve

 

I'll let the OPs in other threads explain how extremely risky it is to use disc spanning.

 

Lynn

[james_hardin]

No you cannot pick and choose which disc to write. Would be a good idea in cases like yours!

 

I ran across this myself, many years ago and used this trick. I used an RW and re-burned the project onto that one RW disc erasing and reinserting until I got to the last disc.

 

As Lynn mentioned most of us that have dabbled in spanned discs have abandon the practice. There are just too many cases of a disc going bad.

 

Today we either confine ourselves to a copy that fits on one disc at a time or use large external HDs that are stored away after copy.

 

On the other hand many use the Backup MyPC (BUMP) program included in the Suite, with good results…

[ReidC]

Thank you so much for the input. Is there a way to simply turn spanning off while maintaining the ability to create large backup sets across multiple discs? I don't have time to program a disc at a time. I read in 1 of the forums the suggestion to simply use large hard drives, but for the amount of data I need to backup - then retain for a year - this is simply cost ineffective on a cost-per-GB basis.

 

Reid C

[grandpabruce]

Thank you so much for the input. Is there a way to simply turn spanning off while maintaining the ability to create large backup sets across multiple discs? I don't have time to program a disc at a time. I read in 1 of the forums the suggestion to simply use large hard drives, but for the amount of data I need to backup - then retain for a year - this is simply cost ineffective on a cost-per-GB basis.

 

Reid C

 

Hmmm. If you don't want to use a hard drive for those backups, what is the benefit to cost ratio with respect to your programming a disc at a time, or the possiblity of lost data due to spanning discs?

[Guest ml]

Thank you so much for the input. Is there a way to simply turn spanning off while maintaining the ability to create large backup sets across multiple discs? I don't have time to program a disc at a time. I read in 1 of the forums the suggestion to simply use large hard drives, but for the amount of data I need to backup - then retain for a year - this is simply cost ineffective on a cost-per-GB basis.

 

Reid C

 

You can get a 500 GB hard drive for aroun $100 on sale. That's around 20 cents per gigabyte.

 

That might be a bit more than you can purchase a 4 GB DVD, but not by much when you consider that you have to write all those DVDs again.

 

Of course, the DVDs or CDs are easier to store off site.

 

My advice would be NOT to use disk spanning. I've seen too many people have trouble reading them and you don't want that problem if you're planning on reading them next year.

[lynn98109]

Thank you so much for the input. Is there a way to simply turn spanning off while maintaining the ability to create large backup sets across multiple discs? I don't have time to program a disc at a time. I read in 1 of the forums the suggestion to simply use large hard drives, but for the amount of data I need to backup - then retain for a year - this is simply cost ineffective on a cost-per-GB basis.

 

Reid C

"The ability to create large backup sets across multiple discs" is the defintion of "disc spanning".

 

Lynn

[james_hardin]

Thank you so much for the input. Is there a way to simply turn spanning off while maintaining the ability to create large backup sets across multiple discs? I don't have time to program a disc at a time. I read in 1 of the forums the suggestion to simply use large hard drives, but for the amount of data I need to backup - then retain for a year - this is simply cost ineffective on a cost-per-GB basis.

 

Reid C

ReidC: Turn off spanning? Not with V7.

 

Not sure in V8???

 

You can in V9, but then the project won't burn past the 1st disc!!!

 

Cost Effective??? How do you rate the cost effectiveness when a disc set fails? Example: .25¢/gb but only have the files survived, vs. $1.00/gb all files available?

 

External HD's are not foolproof but disconnected and stored, they should work even a few years down the road.

 

R media, of good quality, should outlast any magnetic media. You will have to decide how important your data is, if you take the time tested method of managing your burns instead of letting software do it.