A Silly DVD RW question

[Tony]

Hi all

I have just bought a couple DVD RW disks to use as backup disks.

Now do these work in the same way as CD RW disks.

Do i have to install something like In CD from nero.

I messed about with CDRW disks years ago, and all the software i tried Direct CD, IN CD & Packet Writer all made my old system unstable (ok it was a p150 with a whopping 32Mb ram) but if i do need software to use these disks, has this type of software improved over the years.

Now from memory i think that the software allowed me to treat the CD RW disks as big floppys/small Hdd's and copy directly from windows explorer.

Have things changed at all? or will it be a matter of using Nero to burn as normal, but to a DVD RW instaed of an DVD R disk.

Thanks for any info on this

Tony

[AlanHo]

You need the following kit

A DVD burner

Packet writing software such as the latest Nero, Pinnacle Instant CD+DVD or Easy CD and DVD Creator.

The DVD RW disc will then act just like a hard drive - but much slower - and you can use Windows Explorer or any other software to write files to it.

However - DVD burners can be very sensitive to the type of media - cheap media will sometimes not work in a particular burner. So be prepared to have to experiment a little.

[-pops-]

Considering how unreliable CDRW disks are, I would never entrust anything important to either CDRW or DVDRW, + or -.

[andsome]

Considering how unreliable CDRW disks are, I would never entrust anything important to either CDRW or DVDRW, + or -.

Surely CDR disks are cheap enough to throw away and replace when they are full. CDRW are expensive and unreliable.

[-pops-]

Surely CDR disks are cheap enough to throw away and replace when they are full.  CDRW are expensive and unreliable.

Indeed, yes, but the DVD situation is somewhat different. DVD blanks are not low cost (but that is slowly changing).

If the prime use of a DVD burner is to prepare backups, it is a very expensive way of doing this.

My method of choice for storing backups is a secondary and/or tertiary hard drive. On my present setup, a full system backup would span more than 3 DVDs. OK, cheaper than a dedicated hard drive but not if a burner is involved in the costings. Also, it is much less versatile when it comes to recovery and updating. A hard drive can also easily work on a grandfather/father/son basis (keeping three backups and replacing the eldest one when appropriate).

[andsome]

I appreciate what you say pops, but in my case the only things I need to back up is my photo's and they are all on CDR. Programs that I download for installation are always downloaded to a download folder and then sent to a CDR for re-installation if needed.

[-pops-]

Our situations are somewhat different. I use my computer mainly for work (I know this word is unknown to you ;)) and to lose it would be a disaster. I therefore keep at least two full system backups as well as daily file and data backups. Doing this means that I can be completely up and running again (even on a reserve machine) in about 30 minutes should the worst happen.

My work has a lot of legal implications so, in addition, I keep finished files on CDR both here and with my solicitor/attorney for safekeeping.