Which type DVD is best for making backup discs with Windows 7: DVD-R or DVD-RW?

[Tuggerofhearts]

Every week my computers (PC andlaptop) prompt me to update the backup files, which I do. However, after about 6 or 8 weeks, the same program tells me to create a new backup set. This gets rather expensive after a short period, since once these discs are used, that's it. When you start a new backup , the previous set of backup discs are no longer any good for anything. Is using R/W discs suitable for this purpose, or would I be better off getting a large volume thumbdrive and using that stictly for keeping the backup program files on?

 

[unksol]

RWs are perfectly fine, although a thumb drive would be much easier. Or just backing up the important stuff

 

[getochkn]

Neither, DVD's suck for backup and when you need it the most, the disc has degraded and won't read.

As unksol said, get some cheap USB thumb drives or external drives and backup your important stuff to them, double backups if it's really important.

 

[noidea_77]

Like the other say DVD is a bad idea for backup. If you want to use it anyway, burn them with "write verify", test them in at least one other drive and store them in a dark cold place.

 

[Tuggerofhearts]

RWs are perfectly fine, although a thumb drive would be much easier. Or just backing up the important stuff

Thank for your response. I already use a separate harddrive to keep copies of all my major files, which I can connect to with either my PC or laptop and share information between them. The backup to which I refer is part of the Backup and Restore program that came included with both my computer and laptop. I got the laptop with Windows 7 almost a year prior to being forced to replace my 8yr old computer (which was still running Windows XP) due to corruption of major files on the harddrive which absolutely prevented rebooting the computer. Repairing the problem was way more expensive than buying a new computer, even though I still don't like Windows 7.

Anyhow, I guess I will find some thumbdrives that I can use alternately each time my machine tells me itstime to create a new backup file.