Choosing Media for Data Backup – CDs, DVDs, Pen Drives, Tape Drives or Portable Hard Disks?

In a hi-tech world where even spilling a coffee on your laptop can destroy the data stored in it, you need to have the right information about the various backup systems available, and the pros and cons of each. Experts recommend that backups ought to be made at least once a week, or on a more frequent basis, if your business generates considerable amounts of new data every day.

CD–ROM

The most widely used medium is the CD-ROM.

Pros

It’s a good idea to burn your data on CDs, and today most computers come with CD burning drives. You can afford to buy one since they are no longer expensive like they used to be. You can buy either rewritable CDs (can be rewritten a 1000 times), or CD- ROM discs that cost less and are not rewritable.

CDs have more than enough storage space - 650 to 700 MB - for small backups. Also, the transfer rate is pretty fast. And, of course, CDs are portable, not vulnerable to magnets, and last between 5 to 10 years. Backups can be read by any CD-ROM drive, but even though the cost of an individual disc is low, it can still become a very expensive way to do backups if you need several discs per time.

Cons

CDs are very delicate and must be handled very carefully to prevent scratches which make them unusable. Take care to hold them only by the edges, and protect the writable surface by storing it in the right way. Although CDs are quite cheap, you will probably need several of them for a complete backup, and this proves expensive.

Pen Drives

These are also known as USB Flash Drives, key drives, memory sticks, jump drives or thumb drives.

Pros

These days everyone seems to be taken up by the sheer capacity of the fairly new USB flash drive. Two versions are available – the USB 1.0 and USB 2.0. While the former holds up to 512 MB, the latter can currently hold up to 4 GB of data.

What’s more, these drives possess very fast transfer speeds. And these are reusable too. Installing a USB flash drive into your PC or laptop is quick and easy. And they are durable and so small that they can easily fit into your pocket – just like a pen! Magnets don’t affect them and they can store a decade-worth of information. Contrary to what you may expect, they are quite inexpensive.

Cons

High-end USB 2.0 drives can be expensive and, if you purchase a new USB flash drive for each new archive performed, your backup costs can increase dramatically. Due to their small size, USB flash drives are more easily misplaced.

DVDs

Pros

If you have a large amount of data to backup, DVD burning technology is the way to go. Regular DVDs can hold data up to 4.7 GB, while dual-layer DVDs store 8.5 GB of data. The discs may be used just once or are rewritable (a 1000 times). Transfer speeds are fast.

Cons

You need to buy a DVD burner if you don’t have one, and like CDs, DVDs are fragile and need proper handling.

Portable Hard Disks

Pros

If you frequently need large backups, choose an external hard drive which is separate from your PC. This can store data ranging from 40 GB to over 250 GB, and the transfer speed is incredible - 480 MB for USB 2.0 drives.

Another advantage is that external hard drives are portable and the installation process is simple. The cord from the drive plugs into your system’s USB port. They are also long-lasting – with a data retention of about 15 years.

Cons

External hard drives are expensive and, if mishandled or dropped, can suffer damage. They are also rather susceptible to magnets. Also, when there is additional media, an additional drive is required.

Tapes

Pros

Some say that tape drives are by far your best bet for data backup. Tape is the only medium that is growing as hard drives grow. In the long run, it is inexpensive as it comes with a huge storage capacity that rivals your hard drive, and is reliable and easy to set up.

Cons

The performance of the tape drive can disappoint, especially when random access is required to the files on the tape. And it is more expensive than CD–ROM writers and CDs.