Using DVDs to back up my PC?

[furry_beans]

At the moment, I have one 60 GB and one 20 GB hard drive in my computer.

Every night (at about 5 AM), a small script runs, which copies my most important files and folders from the first drive to the second.

While this works fine, there are a few flaws. Firstly, if I lose data on the main drive, the backup contains more files than I need (including duplicate copies if I've renamed a file for example.)

Also, if there is a surge or something, both hard drives could be destroyed (even though I have a UPS, there could be a PSU fault, for example.)

So I'm thinking of using DVD discs to backup my PC - maybe write my own backup software to do the job?

Incremental backups should do the trick - I've been considering the possibility of making some utility that can hash files, and then when new files are found, compare the hash of the new files to existing ones. If a match is made, then the file has obviously been moved since the last backup, so it's just a case of making a note where the file is *now*.

It'd work similar to restore points in Windows, I guess, but a bit more advanced. You'd be able to insert any of the backup discs and choose a time/date to go back to. As duplicate files won't be backed up (just linked to somehow), you'd only need the disc containing the latest copy of whatever files have been modified. If that makes sense?

Now, the question is, what's the easiest way of doing this? And is it actually useful, since it'll use a lot of discs, won't it? And what media should I use? DVD-/+RW? or DVD-/+R?

I assume using DirectCD or InCD (or something similar) would be best, as opening new sessions would take up a lot of space, wouldn't it?

What other methods are there?

[808smokey]

Norton GHost will do exactly what you are talking about. You can probably find it online somewhere and download for FR33 but I didn't say that. Or do the right and buy it. IT's only $20-30 maybe :P

[indolikaa]

Here's what I do...

I have three bootable partitions on my first drive. They are backed up as El-Torito DVDs using B's Recorder Gold5. The program excludes unused clusters and only writes clusters with data. Each partition is backed up with my preferred load onto DVD-RWs; this is the only time I ever use DVD-RW discs for my own purposes.

About every 15-30 days, I throw the DVD-RW in and reboot the machine. The disc boots up and restores the particular partition. I then:

* boot into that partition,
* run all the necessary updates,
* load any new software I've decided should be made part of the permanent record,
* back-up the newly-updated partition,
* and go about my business for another couple of weeks.

This keeps me with fresh, updated backups of each partition.

Data files? Well, those get archived to CD-RW and DVD+RW discs every single night to ensure integrity. I do those manually, and they are stored on an external hard drive.

[furry_beans]

I guess I shoulda been more precise in what I want to back up

I usually use PowerQuest Drive Image every couple of months or so, to make an image of my C: drive (Win 2000 is installed on it.) But recently it's started telling me that it can't back up the drive for some reason

Anyway, I presently have most (ie, the most important) data files copied to a backup hard drive nightly.

I was hoping to somehow back these up onto DVD discs - preferably automatically (ie, leave a disc in, and have the most recently updated files put on it.)

[indolikaa]

Oh. Well...

In that case, backup software with automatic scheduling and incremental archiving is what you're looking for?

[Roderz]

backup software with automatic scheduling and incremental archiving is what you're looking for

W2k pro can do this 4 u (has it built in) I use it to back projects up to server every night and full sys backup every friday.

Now if you use DirectCD or InCD would using a dvd+rw work? (as these don't need 2 be blanked (do they ?? aint got one)

[indolikaa]

I would think DVD+RW discs would work. If W2K can map the backup controller to a DVD±RW drive, why not?