Please note:
Many of the links found on this page go to Newegg.com, a website that specializes in various computer products. When comparing prices to a product in store or on another website, Newegg may often seem to have the lowest price. You will want to keep in mind, however, that Newegg often has a shipping charge. None the less, it is a good place to start when evaluating your options. All of the products on this page can be purchased at a local store.
Additionally, there are references made to copying files to a CD or DVD. ( Click here for instructions on how to do this within Windows XP.Or here for MAC OS X.) Doing so will require a drive that allows this. DVDs come in many formats. Before purchasing blank media, you will want to know what types your drive can burn to, or if it can burn at all. You can download a program for the PC to help you determine this (save the file, then run it):
This program will provide much information. However, what you will need to focus on is the area labeled "Supported Write Features" to see what types of discs your drive can burn. You will also want to pay attention to "Supported Read Features" for what types of discs can be accessed by that drive. For an explanation of these types, click here.
For Macs, you can find this information by clicking the Apple, selecting "About this Mac," click "More Info" on the new window, and then select "Disc Burning" under the "Hardware" heading.
As you read this page you may notice that no specific software program is mentioned. There are many programs out there that will automate your backup process. They can set when and how often a backup is made, as well as provide a slew of other features (compressing and encrypting files, amongst others). At this point, we in the IT Division do not endorse any specific program. What is listed here currently are backup methods that can be done without the need of purchasing an additional program. We are looking at programs and will have a recommendation(s) forthcoming.
Lastly, backing up your files is important. However, when those files contain sensitive data, it is of utmost importance that you take every step possible to keep them secure. Microsoft's Office suite (Word, Excel, etc.) has a function built in to password protect individual files (click here for instructions). Similarly, Windows XP can compress multiple files into one "zip" file and password protect that file (click here for instructions). MAC OS X has the ability to password protect a disk image (which could then be applied to a CD/DVD or USB/Firewire Drive), using Disk Copy or Disk Utility. Though the use of these programs and functions increase the security of your backups, the greatest step you can take is to keep your drive or disc in a secure place.
Select which scenario fits you best:
Need access to many documents (taking up anywhere from 8 gigabytes to over 100) in multiple places
Interested in archiving files only, without a need to edit them
Need access to a few documents (taking up less than 8 gigabytes) in multiple places that are continuously edited
If you have a few documents that you edit often and want to access them in different places, such as at the office, at home, or on a laptop while on a trip, then a USB Drive will be a great way to keep up with those documents. Current drives can be as inexpensive as 15 dollars for 512 megabytes of data and can go up to 8 gigabytes for a little under 100 dollars. USB drives are easily accessible from any modern computer and can be encrypted for increased security. However, USB drives can corrupt or become damaged easier than many of the solutions below. It is wise to keep another backup of the files on a USB drive elsewhere.
Hardware needed: USB Drive
Need access to many documents (taking up anywhere from 8 gigabytes to over 100) in multiple places
If you need more space but still want to keep the accessibility close to that of USB Drives, an External Drive will be a good solution. External drives are generally about the size of a large paperback book. They often connect through a USB or Firewire (IEEE 1394) port and can require a power source. Much like a USB Drive, an External Drive connects easily to a modern machine. External Drives can range from 50 dollars for 80 gigabytes to 400 dollars for a 1 terabyte drive (1 terabyte = 1000 gigabytes, roughly)
Hardware needed: External Drive
Interested in archiving files only, without a need to edit them
If you simply want to keep an archive of files that you generally do not modify, burning to a cd may be a better solution. Most computers today include a burner and the software needed to write the files to a disc. CDs will generally hold up 700 megabytes worth of data.
Hardware needed: CD Burner
Media needed: Blank CDs
Interested in archiving large files (i.e.: home movies or a large amount of pictures) or a large amount of files that do not need to be edited
If you have files that cannot be stored on a few cds, you may want to consider archiving them to a dvd. Many computers today include a DVD burner and the software needed to write the files to a disc. DVDs will hold either 4 gigabytes or 8 gigabytes, depending upon what type of drive and disc you have.
Hardware needed: DVD Burner
Media needed: Blank DVDs
Interested in archiving files, but with the ability to go back and make additions or changes occasionally
Re-Writable CDs and DVDs are also usable with the appropriate type of drive, though the sizes can differ for those discs and often burn at a slower speed. Using a re-writable disc would be beneficial if you have files on a disc that are updated only on occasion. In this instance you would burn the files of your choosing onto a disc. At a later point, if you modify one of those documents and want your archived version to reflect the change, you would insert the rewritable disc, use the software that came with the drive, and then remove the out-of-date version and burn the new version onto the disc.
Also, if you group your documents or pictures onto discs and have space left over, a rewritable disc would be beneficial, as you could add more files to the disc later.
Hardware needed: CD or DVD Re-Writable Burner
Media needed: Re-Writable CDs or DVDs
Blank DVDs come in many types. Blank Cds only have a couple of variables. Cds are either CD-R or CD-RW. The "R" stands for "Recordable." "RW" stands for "Re-Writable." In short, CD-R discs cannot be edited again. In some instances, more files can be added to the disc after the initial burn, but anything already on the disc cannot be removed or edited. CD-RWs, however, are designed to be more editable. You can burn an assortment of files to a CD-RW and at a later point remove any or all of those files and burn something else. Eventually, these discs will wear out, but many of them are rated for at least 500 burns, dependent on what types of data are burnt.
DVDs also have the "R" and "RW" types, as well as another variable. They can come with a "+" or a "-" in their format type. Some older disc drives will only burn or read "+" DVDs, while other models will only burn or read "-" DVDs. Most modern drives will read and burn both. The tool linked at the beginning of this page will help you determine what your current drive is capable of.
If you put videos or pictures onto a DVD and want them to be playable on a "set-top" DVD player (i.e. a standard DVD player connected to a television), you will have to be sure of a few things:
1. Some modern DVD players are still specific to what types of discs they can read ("+" or "-", "R" or "RW"). An image, generally found on the top or front of the player, will show all of the supported types.
2. Likewise, you will need to be certain that the player will be able to read the files stored on the disc. Again, the player should have an image listing all of the supported types.
3.Lastly, the DVD player will only display the images or videos. It will not be able to modify the disc in any way.