How can I test used blank RW media for pre-burn quality?

**Chewy** · 12 Oct 2005, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by jm1647

An unforseen problem like a bad DVD +/- R from the spindle or an experimental too fast a burn to the media or switching to new media will not be solved by writing to a RW. Compression comparisons etc. can be done from the HDD also. A test run for the initial installation of the burner to check the installation is ok. When I bought my first burner I bought 10 RW's (on sale a good deal) and think I took the wrapping off 2 of them, using it to backup important data that was always changing but now I do that to a removable harddrive since the price of HDD's has tumbled. The DVD RW's and CD Rw's were good for transporting data that needed more than a couple floppies but with thumb drives and yousendit I don't even use them for that anymore.

I guess if I can accept the fact that dvd-ram is dead in the water,
right after I got my LG burner, it shouldn't be too hard to realize that
RW's are redundant, obsolete, ineffective, and a general waste of time
and money.

**noels** · 12 Oct 2005, 04:42 AM

jm1647 " but now I do that to a removable harddrive..."

jm1647, I'm shopping around right now for an external HDD to backup my machine instead of using Rs or RWs... There are some good buys now! Big question for me is what backup program serves to do the job so a disaster can be recovered quickly without losing anything? I'm using an old backup program called Take2 that came with Easy CD Creator 4 some years ago - best back up program I've ever seen, but it's almost obsolete (can't use with XP, for example). Enough about backup programs - probably off-thread, so will change my tact here --- what is "yousendit?" And back to original point, I now use RWs mostly like VHS tapes, to record stuff from TV, like on Discovery channel, until I can edit it and burn or discard. noels

**Taelon** · 12 Oct 2005, 08:18 AM

Hey noels, it's your thread you can derail it in any direction you want to

For Backups, Norton Ghost is good, I can't tell you which version offhand though.

Why YouSendIt?

**jm1647** · 12 Oct 2005, 09:19 AM

@noels you don't need to have an external HDD if you have an available IDE connection in your PC, even if you don't have an available connection you can unplug your burner and hook the HDD up temporarily to do the backup. Get an internal HDD and hook it up, save the $$$$ for DVD media. I have 4 HDD and 2 DVD devices in my PC now. I have one of the HDD in a drawer/caddy that is removable to change the HDD without opening up the case. The drawer slides out, I swap the HDD and slide it back in.

How many IDE devices do you have hooked up now?

I use Ghost 2002 to do my drive/partition backups. It is the DOS based version and I like it. A GREAT guide and info about for Ghost is here

**noels** · 12 Oct 2005, 09:51 AM

Taelon and jm1647, thanks... I've been looking at Ghost but wasn't sure about it - now that you've both endorsed it, I'll go that way!! jm1647, I have 2 HDDs, 1 CD burner and 1 DVD burner hooked up - I'll have to look at my motherboard and check out if I can do another for an internal HDD. I do use my second HDD for my Take2 backup files (also keep a copy of backup on R+), but I'm filling up now between music, photos and ripping, so believe I'll just add another HDD as you suggest and I can go crazy

Taelon, thanks for filling me in on yousendit - good info to know!

You folks really are a big help to newbies like me - thanks so much to both of you!! noels

**jm1647** · 12 Oct 2005, 10:31 AM

@noels get a big one, I have 1 200GB, 2 160GB and a 60GB in mine now, and a 40GB, 30GB, and a couple 15GB laying around. They fill up fast and when you install it you can partition it for different things, like data, mp3's, video, downloads etc. And when partitioning it saves you from doing the whole drive when ghosting. If one of the other HDD is small you can xfer the data to the new one and then backup up the operating system partition, data or whatever to the small one and take it out for safe keeping. It's sorta like using a tape drive for backups but a HDD instead. I keep my really important backup HDD's and DVD's over my brother in laws. The chances of both houses burning down at the same time are slim to none.

**noels** · 13 Oct 2005, 02:22 AM

jm1647, "noels get a big one..."

jm1647, I'm off today to look for another HDD, a DVD-ROM drive (to replace my CD-ROM) and Ghost... Talk about great minds, I have been partitioning my drives for several years now, so I've been channeling you from somewhere else

I use my C drive for operating system, D for programs, E for photos, F for music, H and G (2nd drive) for backing up drive partitions, downloaded zip and .exe files, program update files, firmware updates, etc... My current drives are 40 gigs each, so I'll get an 80 gig for backup, then repartition everything again. Maybe next time I'll go larger, but I think that should handle me for a couple of years. And as long as Ghost will handle it, I'll backup the partitions separately, as I have with my Take2 backups. I'll keep you up on progress... thanks for the advice, noels

**noels** · 13 Oct 2005, 05:56 AM

Feedback for jm1647 and others interested...

Just to give you some feedback, I just came off a buying spree.

Instead of buying a third HDD as discussed, I got 2 new ones, both Maxtor 100 gigs for $50 each at Staples !!! to replace my 2 40s'; also a new CD Burner/DVD-ROM combo to replace my CD only burner, plus Ghost as part of Norton's System Works. All were good buys or with rebates. Beats going to a new machine. So now I'll be off-line probably tomorrow to re-do my h/w and put my s/w in order. Comments pro or con before I do it?

So my new life is burning only with R+s (RWs in limited cases) and leaving a lot more on the machine instead of off-board. I plan to arrange s/w so that I can lose either HDD and still have everything intact. Now I'll have 2 40's hanging around (plus an old 10, and 500 megs). I can remember paying over $100 for a 25 meg HDD several years ago... kinda like 25 cent hamburgers. big grin... noels

**Chewy** · 13 Oct 2005, 06:50 AM

I would want one extra item, a pci ata controller card to put the hard drives on as standalone masters and save the motherboard controllers just for
standalone master combo and standalone dvd burner.

**jm1647** · 13 Oct 2005, 07:32 AM

With my 6 devices I have mine setup using a SATA/150 PCI controller card. I have all the HDD formatted FAT32. I have the Primary IDE with a 60GB(2 partitions) and 160GB(6partitions) HDD, the Secondary IDE has my DVD Burner and DVD- ROM (which I occasionaly swap out for another DVD Burner)on it. The SATA/PCI Controller card has 1 ATA channel on it and I have the 200GB(2 partitions) and 160GB(2partitions) HDD's on it and use it for storage and backups, but no devices on the SATA channel yet. .
I do the ripping and editing to\on the 160GB on the Primary channel from the ROM on the Secondary IDE Channel and save the finished product from shrink on the SATA/150 PCI controller card HDD's.

Having all masters as rbrtpl suggested is nice, everything on it's own channel getting the quickest speed from any device to any device.

**noels** · 13 Oct 2005, 07:40 AM

Good idea, rbrtpl.I wasn't sure at first why, but jm1647's post explained it for me and saved me the embarassment of asking... I'll hold off on the install until I get a controller card. noels

**Chewy** · 14 Oct 2005, 12:52 AM

Remember to press f6 and load the floppy for the controller card
when booting to the xp cd, or load from the mobo first, add driver then
switch boot drive to the controller, set boot in bios

I recently picked up 2 soyo refurb mobos for ~40$ each, they have
4 sata and 4 ide connectors each, that's 8 standalone masters.
I'd never be able to keep track of the drive letters if I could afford the
powersupply to run them all.

ntfs for all drives >32 gigs MS
had too many fat32 partitions crap out

**noels** · 14 Oct 2005, 05:03 AM

"ntfs for all drives >32 gigs MS..."

rbrtpl, I plan to have my opsys partition at 20 gigs - can I mix Fat32 and NTFS partitions? So far I've had pretty good luck with Fat32.

rbrtpl and jm1647 - think I got a little off track with my discussion, sorry about that... I'm in process of reconfiguring my machine now and am having problems just trying to load Norton System Works so I can use Ghost. After I am successful there will install backup HDD, then transfer files and install primary HDD. I appreciate all your comments and help and will try to stick with your advice.

Got my Taiyo Yuden Silver Thermal DVDs via UPS and they even look good!! Glad you steered me that way. Thanks again for all your help. noels

**jm1647** · 29 Oct 2005, 06:20 AM

@noels, yes you can mix FAT32 and NTFS partitions.

**Chewy** · 29 Oct 2005, 06:34 AM

on the same hard drive?
fat 32 is faster
hmmmmmmmmmmm
I am going to forget this before I crash another computer.