The problem with tape backup drives is that they’re
basically one-trick ponies. Not everyone wants to sink big amount or more into
a device that will take up a drive bay (or space on the desk) and can’t be used
for anything except backup.
If you don’t have multiple gigabytes of data to back up regularly and you want
a backup device that can also be used for normal storage, consider disk backup
instead. There are many choices for disk backup. Here’s a quick list, from
smallest to largest capacity:
- ZIP: These range from 100 MB to 250 MB capacity and work essentially like big floppy disks. They use proprietary format ZIP cartridges.
- LS-120 (SuperDisk): These hold 120 MB and also double as standard floppy drives. They’re a good choice if your backup needs are very modest and you don’t have a lot of room in your PC case because you can replace your regular floppy with the LS-120 drive.
- CD-R/CD-RW: A recordable (CD-R) or rewritable (CD-RW) drive can function as a backup device, along with its other uses. Standard blank CD-R media holds 640 MB; high-capacity media holds 700 MB.
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DVD-R/DVD-RW: DVD-R is a DVD recordable format. A DVD-R
typically has a storage capacity of 4.71 GB (or 4.38 GiB). Pioneer has also
developed an 9.4 GB dual layer version, DVD-R DL. Data on a DVD-R cannot be
changed, whereas a DVD-RW (DVD-rewritable) can be rewritten multiple (1000+)
times. DVD-R(W) is one of three competing industry standard DVD recordable
formats; the others are DVD+R(W) and DVD-RAM.
- Jaz: These are like an extra-large version of a ZIP disk and are made by the same manufacturer (Iomega). They hold 1 GB or 2 GB, depending on the model.
- Castlewood Orb: This is a proprietary format. The disks look like a cross between a ZIP disk and a Jaz disk and hold 2.2 GB. This drive has a high data transfer rate, making it especially good for use as a regular storage drive.
- Hard-disk mirroring: We can buy another hard disk of the same capacity as your original and set up disk mirroring, either through Windows 2000 or through a third-party program. Every write to the disk is mirrored on the backup disk, so if your original disk goes bad, a perfect copy exists on the mirrored volume. The main advantage here is that there is no backup program to run. The main disadvantage is that there is a performance hit in disk writes. If performance turns out to be a problem, you might consider a RAID-5 array of hard disks instead, which can provide redundancy without decreasing disk performance.The tricky part about this is that for mirroring to work, you must find a disk of almost the same capacity as your original, and if your system is more than a few years old, it might be hard to find a new hard disk that’s small enough.
- SyQuest for bankruptcy in 1998: Some of you will notice that I didn’t list SyQuest devices. SyQuest used to be a major player in high-capacity removable disk drives, also, but the company filed for bankruptcy in 1998.
Backup
loss on Hard disk/ DVD
Modern hard drives are much more reliable than the disks of
yesterday. However, they still are extremely complex electronic devices with
moving parts that are subject to amortization. The high density of data storage
provided by the modern disks allows for greater storage capacities and higher
access speeds. However, with densities and capacities pushed to the extreme you
have much more to lose should the drive fail. The hard drive is the most
important component in your entire PC because it holds all that is of real
value: your documents, digital pictures, email messages, your work and private
data.
Luckily, today's hard drives rarely fail without a warning given
well in advance. All modern disks are equipped with a feature called S.M.A.R.T.
that allows real-time analysis and reporting of any developing problems and
potential issues. The big question is: can you read the warnings?
Microsoft Windows, including the new Windows Vista, does
not bundle any tools that can access this data. It's been long ago since hard
disk manufacturers offered software with their drives that could warn you of a
developing problem; but not anymore.
Hard Disk Failure
Broadly speaking a hard disk can fail in four ways that will lead to a
potential loss of data:
- Firmware Corruption / Damage to the firmware zone
- Electronic Failure
- Mechanical Failure
- Logical Error
Combinations of these four types of failure are also possible. Whether the data on the hard disk is recoverable or
not depends on exactly what has happened to the disk and how bad the damage is.
Please note that over time, all hard disks will develop bad sectors which can lead to data
loss and drive inaccessibility.
1. Firmware Corruption / Damage to the firmware zone
Explanation: Hard disk firmware is the software code that
controls, and is embedded in, the physical hard drive hardware. If the firmware
of a hard disk becomes corrupted or unreadable the computer is often unable to
correctly interact with the hard disk. Frequently the data on the disk is fully
recoverable once the drive has been repaired and reprogrammed.
2. Electronic
Failure
Explanation: Electronic
failure usually relates to problems on the controller board of the actual hard
disk. The computer may suffer a power spike or electrical surge that knocks out
the controller board on the hard disk making it undetectable to the BIOS.
3. Mechanical Failure
Explanation: Mechanical hard disk
failures are those which develop on components internal to the hard disk
itself. Often as soon as an internal component goes faulty the data on the hard
disk will become inaccessible.
Hard
Disk Clicking Sound: clicking sounds emitting from your hard disk drive, either
in a form of clicking or grinding sounds. This can happen when you power up
your computer from start or halfway while working on your projects.
The irregular clicking or chunking sound usually
indicates that your hard drive is suffering from physical damage. If you use a
S.M.A.R.T enabled disk, you may see a warning of a imminent disk failure when
you power up your computer. This problem can be caused by the following:
o Head Crash
o Bad Sectors
o Mechanical Faults
o Virtual Memory Paging
4. Logical
Errors
Often the easiest and the most difficult problems to deal
with, logical errors can range from simple things such as an invalid entry in a
file allocation table to truly horrific problems such as the corruption and
loss of the file system on a severely fragmented drive.
Logical errors are different to the electrical and
mechanical problems above as there is usually nothing 'physically' wrong with
the disk, just the information on it.
DVD/CD Failure
In the DVD’s/CD’s is not damage like hard disk, only DVD/CD
writer are damages and we can replace easily. Only one fault Fungus or mildew
grows in a frost crystal like pattern across lens elements, or form black spots
on DVD and CD disks due to unprotected storage.
Protecting CD/DVDs from fungus and humidity
damage!
Fungus or mildew grows in a frost crystal like pattern across lens elements,
or form black spots on DVD and CD disks when stored unprotected under humid
conditions. To prevent permanent damage the fungi should be cleaned and treated
as soon as any growth is evident.
Fungi thrive in warm humid conditions and in coastal areas there is the
added problem of the corrosive effects of saltwater mist. Protecting equipment
and other materials from damage should be a priority.
If fungus within a DVD/CD is left untreated it will gradually spread and
eventually attack the coating of the DVD/CD elements. Permanent damage is then
likely.
The safest and quickest way
brings storage conditions under control are with the use of a desiccant such as
Silica Gel Crystals. To prevent and control fungus you may want to invest in a
solid storage case - the type that locks fairly tight and is lined with foam.
Silica Gel is available is small sachets or in bulk
packs and will quickly draw the moisture from the air in the storage container.
The Blue crystals turn pink when exhausted and can then be reactivated by
baking them in an oven until they turn blue again. Silica Gel products and
storage information.