Backup

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lizzie
  • Start date Start date
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Lizzie

I feel dumb asking this, but ........

In order to do incremental backups to CD, do I need to use CD-RWs rather
than CD-Rs?

Thanks!
 
No, you do not NEED to use CD-RWs. You MAY use CD-RWs.
Incremental backups are changes since the last backup or incremental backup.
You will have several incremental backups until you do another full backup.
 
Lizzie said:
I feel dumb asking this, but ........

In order to do incremental backups to CD, do I need to use CD-RWs rather
than CD-Rs?
Click to expand...

You can always add files to a CD-R, until the disk is full, or you choose to
close the disk. When you add more files, a new session is created and files
can be added to those already on the disk. You cannot recover any space used
by previous sessions, but you may (software depending) be able to delete
(hide) files already written.

With a CD-RW, you can do exactly the same as with a CD-R, only when the disk
becomes full, or no longer any use, you can erase it and start again. As
with a CD-R, you cannot recover space from previous sessions, you can only
add to the disk, but you have the option of blanking it and starting again.
 
Thank you both!

I was thinking that having to back up with CD-RWs would get pretty
expensive! I wasn't clear on whether an incremental backup sort of
"stuffed" the new files into the original backup or not.
 
You can always add files to a CD-R, until the disk is full, or you choose to
close the disk. When you add more files, a new session is created and files
can be added to those already on the disk. You cannot recover any space used
by previous sessions, but you may (software depending) be able to delete
(hide) files already written.

With a CD-RW, you can do exactly the same as with a CD-R, only when the disk
becomes full, or no longer any use, you can erase it and start again. As
with a CD-R, you cannot recover space from previous sessions, you can only
add to the disk, but you have the option of blanking it and starting again.
Click to expand...
I have seen too many CDRWs fail to ever consider, even remotely, using
one for archival or backup purposes. CDRs have a much better track
record.
 
Lizzie said:
In order to do incremental backups to CD, do I need to use CD-RWs rather
than CD-Rs?
Click to expand...

You can use CD-R but will have to write the new files as a new 'ISO
Session' and it will fill up fairly soon (each session has a 14MB
overhead). CD-RW you *can* use with one of the 'packet writing programs
to replace old versions with new, but the method is not reliable enough
in the opinion of most experts to rust for rewriting many times. At
the price of CD-R now, I would use that, but make sure you are backing
up a decent sized batch at a time, and then throw out disks where the
data has become obsolete
 
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