looking for indestructible backpus

**MrsGoof** · 14 September 2006, 14:37

pictures on cave walls seem to last a long time

HTH

seriously, you need to re archive reguarly.

**expat** · 14 September 2006, 14:42

Originally posted by tim123

I've just got out some CD's that I burned in 2001 and some of the data on them has become uneadable. (Nothing important missing, thankfully.)

But now that I've gone over to digital photography I need an affordable way of backing up my personal pictures that is completely indestructible.

CDR's (and presumably DVDR) don't seem to meet this requirement and having lost the contents of a hard disk in the past, that doesn't either.

Anyone got any ideas?

TIA

tim

I have looked quite a bit at this, and there is no easy answer. My best practice is:

Get a CDR's worth of data together in a directory.
Generate a CRC file on it.
Burn it to a CDR, with verification.
Burn it to a 2nd CDR, with verification.
Verify the CRC on both CDRs.
Use 2 different high_quality CDRs: I use Verbatim Azo for one, and a gold substrate for the other. Be careful to get gold, not just gold-coloured: not so easy to find.

These are archive copies, put them in physically separate places and never touch them; except to check CRC every year or so. Any probs, go into panic mode.

CDRs are the best option so far. I have read that DVD+R is as good or better, but have seen no evidence. The good news is that CDRs are not now as susceptible to substrate separation and mould (yes!) as they were a few years ago. This CDR plan should keep your data until the next medium comes along, at which point you transfer it.

Mrs Goof is right on both counts: re_archive regularly (and have several copies with CRc so if you find one wrong it's not already too late.

And a completely different medium is a great safeguard. Cave paintings have lasted well. So have properly-stored silver-based images. Consider an archive analogue copy for important images.

**PRC1964** · 14 September 2006, 15:02

Given that the internet is the cave wall of today, why not upload them to a website such as Flick? Then they'll get backup up for you by Google and others.

If they are private photos then take measures to protect them, otherwise do as the cavemen did and let anyone have a look.

**expat** · 14 September 2006, 15:12

Originally posted by PRC1964

Given that the internet is the cave wall of today, why not upload them to a website such as Flick? Then they'll get backup up for you by Google and others.

If they are private photos then take measures to protect them, otherwise do as the cavemen did and let anyone have a look.

Always good as an extra measure (as are any working copies that you happen to have made on the way). And keep the stuff (I'm assuming non-confidential) on your hard disk when you replace it, and put the old one in the attic. Just in case.

But I wouldn't trust any online service with my ultimate backups, unless it cost enough to give good attention, including refreshing reliably. And if you mean they'll get backed up by Google's index of images, they won't: the full-size image is the original, when it's gone, Google's link to it fails.

**Ardesco** · 14 September 2006, 15:52

Completely OT but I intially read the title of of this thread as:

Looking for Indestructible Bagpuss

I think I need to go home and have a few bevvies tonight, work must be getting to me

**TheMonkey** · 14 September 2006, 20:47

Even the best CDRs die quite quickly. I've had some extremely good Ritek ones die after 3 years. Also there is that nasty bacteria around that eats the metal substrate apparently.

You need good old DLTs. I've seen data come off them after 15 years quite happily even after being stored in a box at around 37oC in the sun for that time!

Keep photos on good old fashioned photographic paper. It's the most proven medium.

**DaveB** · 14 September 2006, 21:28

If you really want long term data retention then Magneto Optical is the way to go for very long term backup. 20 years+ data life. Well known and reliable technology that has been around for 20 years itself. I've used it in the past and been able to retrieve data from up to 10 years previous without problems.

**dmini** · 15 September 2006, 08:06

So come on, what is the difference between the CDRs that we can buy, and those used by the recording industry? Those can last for years - and years!
I have ones well over 10 years old - no issue.
I'm intrigued, as someone was talking to me this weekend, about having lost lots of valuable photos off a CD, so it looks like this is becoming more common as an issue.

**CaribbeanPirate** · 15 September 2006, 08:23

The modern version of MrsGoof suggestion is to spray paint it on a wall on a chav estate. The time it takes for the council to clean it up is longer than the life of a CD.

looking for indestructible backpus