Scanning service or DIY?

[Don]

Regular backups require more than a quick setting-them-up-and-go-away.
Testing over a period *longer* than you have scheduled for is essential,
too.

Oh, I never use the scheduler! I intensely dislike any "auto" things
on principle. I may use "auto" for some casual stuff but not for
anything important. It's the assembler programmer in me, I guess...
;o)

When it comes to backups I'm not only obsessive about doing them
religiously but I do everything manually.

Don.

 

[Don]

I think a lot of
people miss a perfectly simple way of creating multiple and restorable
digital copies -- give them away! For example, if Uncle John makes digital
copies of all his family photos, enough to store on 10 DVDs and then gives
all 14 members of his family a set for their own use, he greatly increases
the possibility that a full set can be recreated form all the others --
especially if those family members make duplicate sets and give them away to
other family members.

Yup, us computer folks use a fancy term "off-site storage" for that
but you're absolutely right.

In this case it's actually beneficial to have many relatives! ;o)

Don.

 

[Marjolein Katsma]

Don ([email protected]) wrote in

When it comes to backups I'm not only obsessive about doing them
religiously but I do everything manually.

Well, I like to sleep sometimes (though not too long) ;-)

 

[Don]

Well, I like to sleep sometimes (though not too long) ;-)

Ah, yes... Sleep! I heard so many good things about it. I have to try
it one day! ;o)

Seriously though, doing things manually is exactly so I can sleep
peacefully. Otherwise I would be tossing and turning wondering whether
the "auto" option did what it promised. I'm referring to things like
your nasty surprise when you found out that no backups were done.

Don.

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

Don ([email protected]) wrote in


Well, I like to sleep sometimes (though not too long) ;-)

Which is possible if one uses reliable data verification/comparison.

For existing files, a (free version available) program like "Syncback"
(http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbse.html) will make back-ups
and can do a CRC32 check after copying.

For optical media (CD/DVD) I also use software that checks C1/C2
errors reported by the recorder, which is a good indicator of matching
recorder/medium to begin with and of deterioration of the medium over
time, even before it becomes unreadable.

Bart

 

[Roger]

Which is possible if one uses reliable data verification/comparison.

For existing files, a (free version available) program like "Syncback"
(http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbse.html) will make back-ups
and can do a CRC32 check after copying.

For optical media (CD/DVD) I also use software that checks C1/C2
errors reported by the recorder, which is a good indicator of matching
recorder/medium to begin with and of deterioration of the medium over
time, even before it becomes unreadable.

What do you use for checking older DVDs or CDs? The latest version of
Nero will do a byte by byte verification after copying, but what about
later?

Thanks

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

SNIP

What do you use for checking older DVDs or CDs?

I use PlexTools professional which came with my Plextor Premium CD
recorder. It will allow to test the quality (Jitter and C1/C2, amongst
others) of data written on CD(R/RW)s and DVDs.

When tested right after burning, it will establish the suitability of
the media (even if same brand) for the particular drive/speed/medium
compatibility, both writing and reading).
Periodic retesting e.g. of the still correctable C1/C2 errors, allows
to quantify the deterioration of the medium's data on the specific
drive (different drives have different success-rates of extracting the
data).

For a crude tool, one could try the free "CD-DVD Speed"
(http://www.cdspeed2000.com/). A significant drop in local reading
speed usually signals reduced readability caused by either drive or
disk trouble, and it should prompt action.

Once the disk is already in the trouble zone, the following tools
should be able to salvage what's reasonably possible:
<http://www.smart-projects.net/isobuster/>
<http://www.infinadyne.com/cddvd_diagnostic.html>

Bart

 

[Don]

What do you use for checking older DVDs or CDs?

Windiff (comes with various MS programming languages) can do binary
file compares and it can descend into directories recursively.

Don.

 

[Roger]

SNIP

I use PlexTools professional which came with my Plextor Premium CD
recorder. It will allow to test the quality (Jitter and C1/C2, amongst
others) of data written on CD(R/RW)s and DVDs.

When tested right after burning, it will establish the suitability of
the media (even if same brand) for the particular drive/speed/medium
compatibility, both writing and reading).
Periodic retesting e.g. of the still correctable C1/C2 errors, allows
to quantify the deterioration of the medium's data on the specific
drive (different drives have different success-rates of extracting the
data).

For a crude tool, one could try the free "CD-DVD Speed"
(http://www.cdspeed2000.com/). A significant drop in local reading
speed usually signals reduced readability caused by either drive or
disk trouble, and it should prompt action.

Thanks,

Nero will do a good speed check for me and it does a verification
after writing. Unfortunately I can only do a speed check later on.
The following look like they may be a considerable help, or at least
provide comfort<) I have many hundreds of DVDs

I just picked up one of the Epson printers that'll let me print the
labels right on the DVDs which means I should be able to read them
instead of trying to read my hand writing. <)

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Once the disk is already in the trouble zone, the following tools
should be able to salvage what's reasonably possible:
<http://www.smart-projects.net/isobuster/>
<http://www.infinadyne.com/cddvd_diagnostic.html>

Bart

Roger

 

[Bart van der Wolf]

NIP

Nero will do a good speed check for me and it does a
verification after writing.

Yes, although that'll only tell that the date can still be re-read
(after error correction!) at the time of writing. It would be more
usefull if one could get a feeling for the increasing amount of
(already fom the start) error correction needed, which the Plextor
software seems to offer.

Unfortunately I can only do a speed check later on.

Indeed, but over time even that could give a sense of the speed of
quality deterioration.

Bart

 

[Roger]

NIP

Yes, although that'll only tell that the date can still be re-read
(after error correction!) at the time of writing. It would be more
usefull if one could get a feeling for the increasing amount of
(already fom the start) error correction needed, which the Plextor
software seems to offer.

I see Nero Ultra has added the ability to do an analysis on a written
disk. Although it's still called CD-DVD speed it does a series of
tests including the standard read and seek times, but disk quality,
with C1/PIE and C2/PIE, errors, jitter, PO failures read speed. It
also does a complete surface scan showing good, damaged, and back
blocks as well as the position of each block.

I've managed to get all of the tests to work except the quality check
which means it's time to get out the manual, or rather down load one
as I downloaded the app.
Like many things there is a rather large tradeoff between the time
spent analyzing the disk and the amount of useful information
retrieved. It takes about as lot to do a complete analysis as it did
to write the original disk and this is not an automated operation.

So, I'm taking some of the originals which are now about 2 years old
"I think" and am doing some spot checks and so far have found no disks
that are reading less than rated, or that have any bad or damaged
spots. OTOH some of those old DVDs were only 2X and most of them are
about as close to full as it's possible to get without splitting
images. <)

I don't know how well this app will compare to some of the other test
apps, but all in all it's a nice addition to the program.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com