Carabimero
Senior HTF Member
I use a combination of external drives and discs to back up my data of stuff I can't just go out and buy again if my sources go bad. Every five years I make new disc backups from the external drives. The last time was 2012, so I figure it's time to make new discs, since the material can only be properly enjoyed on disc (special features, commentaries, etc.).
I'm not sure why I do it. Discs I burned 10 and even 15 years ago still work fine. But I am of the opinion that the more backups I have, the less chance I will lose anything. External drives can go bad in a blink. A disc that plays fine one day may not work the next time I try it. With VHS, the tape was always there, physically. Barring a freak magnetic field, there was a stability I did not question. I don't feel the same way about external drives and discs.
So my question is: am I over killing my disc backups? I use high quality Phillips media, but I'm not sure it matters as the new ones could have been sitting on the shelf longer when I bought them than the old ones. Even in cool dry conditions the new ones could go bad before the ones I burned ten years ago.
So what's your take on backing up on disc--and periodically making new backups--of data that is irreplaceable?
I'm not sure why I do it. Discs I burned 10 and even 15 years ago still work fine. But I am of the opinion that the more backups I have, the less chance I will lose anything. External drives can go bad in a blink. A disc that plays fine one day may not work the next time I try it. With VHS, the tape was always there, physically. Barring a freak magnetic field, there was a stability I did not question. I don't feel the same way about external drives and discs.
So my question is: am I over killing my disc backups? I use high quality Phillips media, but I'm not sure it matters as the new ones could have been sitting on the shelf longer when I bought them than the old ones. Even in cool dry conditions the new ones could go bad before the ones I burned ten years ago.
So what's your take on backing up on disc--and periodically making new backups--of data that is irreplaceable?
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