Back-up SW - disk-at-once cd writing

[mubs]

I felt bad about hijacking Buck's thread, hence this new one.

Anybody know of point-click backup software that can write to CD-RW in Disk-at-Once mode? ie., I don't want to use packet writing. All of them out there want to use packet writing.

I emailed NTI, Stomp, et all; some didn't bother to reply; some responded with a link to the product page though I said I had already checked out their web sites; some parroted the same info already on their web site.

 

[Mercutio]

Er, doesn't Nero make its hard disk backups in Disc at Once mode? Are you needing more selectivity than Nero?
And then there's ghost, which requires some quality time in DOS..

 

[mubs]

Well, Merc, it ain't for me.

It's for my technophobe brother that, after 12 years of repeatedly showing how, buying "Dummy" books for him on my nickel, and unlimited phone support still does not know how to copy files from one folder to another, and keeps telling me "You didn't show me how, please teach me".

He uses Word and Excel in limited ways, but has ~100 MB of data that he would like to back up frequently. I've walked him through it in EZ CE Cremator, but it'll be a life-long support issue unless I can find software that I can set up and put an icon on the desktop.

 

[Mercutio]

Why the hang-up on DaO? Why CD-RW?

ntbackup can write to a CD-Rw, only files with a changed archive bit. That'd work. right? You can write the backup job as a batch file that runs when you double-click it. If there's no worry about filling up the disc, only replacing changed files and adding new, I think that should work.

 

[blakerwry]

yeah, i dont understand why DaO? why not TaO or SaO? wont each of them work about the same for a CD-R backup? won't the all be readable by any CD-ROM drive made in the last 8 or so years?

 

[time]

He meant instead of packet writing.

My latest solution (with CDs) is to use an automated comparison and update utility along with Ahead's InCD. I found that people like to be able to read the backup CDs on another PC, which of course is impractical with conventional backup software. BTW, the update utility I recommend is CopyTo from Kish Designs and costs $10.

CopyTo creates a shortcut on the desktop for you. All the user has to do is insert a CD-RW and double-click the shortcut. The software synchronizes the CD with your preprogrammed selection. Sounds like just the ticket for your brother - all you need to do is overcome your suspicion of packet writing. :wink:

 

[CityK]

Re: TAO. Here's what BarryKNathan had to say about it.

True?

CK

 

[blakerwry]

yeah, that's true.. at the end of each track there's a blank spot... this is used to seperate 1 track from the next... it's no big deal, and I've never heard about any programs choking on it... it's normal.

In DaO mode the whole disk is made at once, and thus no further tracks might be added in the future... so your burning program will finalize the disk without leaving this buffer of a couple sectors.

I'm not too keen on the differences between session at once and disk at once... but I'm sure it's pretty easy to find out.

 

[mubs]

Packet writing: Merc ranted about it in another thread, and I tend to agree with him. Packet writing is always slower as well. Sorry, Time, no Packet Writing :evil:

DOA, TOA, SOA: DOA is the most compatible of them all. I've had some problems with the others, but have *never* ever had a problem with any DOA disc I've burned, on any device.

CD-RW because you're not creating vast quantities of now useless CD-Rs. You can always erase and reuse CD-RWs. That's how I use them for my own backups. Like a CD-R, reusing them when necessary.

And for reasons of simplicity, I'd prefer a full backup to incremental.

I confess I have never used or examined the built-in backup program in W2kPro. I didn't even know there was one! I will try this out myself; maybe it will do the job.

Thanks everybody.

 

[Buck]

I felt bad about hijacking Buck's thread, hence this new one.

No worries, I do it all the time!

 

[blakerwry]

Packet writing: Merc ranted about it in another thread, and I tend to agree with him. Packet writing is always slower as well. Sorry, Time, no Packet Writing :evil:

DOA, TOA, SOA: DOA is the most compatible of them all. I've had some problems with the others, but have *never* ever had a problem with any DOA disc I've burned, on any device.

CD-RW because you're not creating vast quantities of now useless CD-Rs. You can always erase and reuse CD-RWs. That's how I use them for my own backups. Like a CD-R, reusing them when necessary.

And for reasons of simplicity, I'd prefer a full backup to incremental.

I confess I have never used or examined the built-in backup program in W2kPro. I didn't even know there was one! I will try this out myself; maybe it will do the job.

Thanks everybody.

I like the built in winNT backup... easy... reliable... has 2 modes (wizard and manual)... I have used it several times in winXP to create backups of all users settings/files... typically works great.. esp before a reformat.

you have to remember to create each user and log them in before restoring the backup... if you restore 1st, when the users logs on for the 1st time winNT will see that there is already a folder with the name it wants to create and it will create an alternate directory for tht user.

This only applies to backups of just the user files... if you did a full system backup I don't think this would happen.

 

[Howell]

I emailed NTI, Stomp, et all; some didn't bother to reply; some responded with a link to the product page though I said I had already checked out their web sites; some parroted the same info already on their web site.

I set a client up with the NTI BackupNow. After I configured the Software I only had to give him minimal instructions to keep the thing humming. I set up a schedule so the only thing they have to do is change CDs.

1. If the CD tray is out, the backup completed. Replace the CD in the tray with the one listed on the chart. Now, go back to work.

I created a spreadsheet that tells them, by date, what CD is supposed to be in the drive. 8 daily CDRWs, 3 weekly CDRWs and 13 CDRs. They are happy with it.