backup to DVD-RAM: SLO-O-O-W

[Dr Mordrid]

I use the drivers that came with my Panasonic drive. Two minor issues in XP;

1. after formatting a DVD-RAM the disc may present as a CD-ROM. Jusr refresh Explorer.

2. Turn OFF XP's CD Recording feature (in the drives properties) else it won't work.

http://digitalvideo.8m.net/dvdram_xp_5025.exe

[VJ]

Thanks!
I'll give those drivers a go.
(I noticed that it doesn't work with the XP CD Recording feature...)


Jörg

[VJ]

Strange, I couldn't extract your drivers...
But I have found a DVDRAM driver (supposidely from Toshiba, but it is never mentioned in the software, nor does it appear to check manufacturers) and it works flawless. It adds 2 programs to the start menu (one to format, one to write protect) and integrates with the shell. The file is called sl25dvdramx.exe. It supports FAT32, UDF1.5 and UDF2.0.
I've now chosen UDF1.5, formatted completely and copied files to it.

While the performance still is worse compared to writing the same disk as any other DVD (takes 15-20 minutes), I now estimate it takes twice the time (probabely due to the verify that is turned on). Either way, now it is usable, with FAT32 formatting it literally took hours.
Another upside is that it seems to waste less space when a number of small files are stored.

Thanks!


Jörg

[Jerry Jones]

16x DVD-RAM is almost here:

http://www.tsstorage.com/info_e/ram2e.html

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Gurm]

So I read this thread with mounting horror... why oh why are you using drag-to-disc? It ALWAYS sucks. Why not just burn with a DVD burning program, as you have said it runs nice and fast that way... there are just so many reasons that drag-to-disc is broken, not the least of which is the horrible drivers (and installing one horrible anonymous driver you found on some website instead of another horrible driver called "InCD" is hardly an IMPROVEMENT in the stability of your system!).

[VJ]

The reason was to be able to change single files (was intended as a backup of the working files, if I changed a file I needn't rewrite the DVD).
But I don't anymore (changed the workflow)...

The drivers I found where not anonymous but Toshiba (the ones they offer with their capable DVD-RAM laptops), so I think they are ok.


Jörg

[The PIT]

Do what I did and buy a huge internal hard drive and backup that way. The chances of that going and your system going tits up at the same time are small.

Takes half n hour to back up 50 odd gig across a gigabit network which isn't bad.

[Gurm]

The reason was to be able to change single files (was intended as a backup of the working files, if I changed a file I needn't rewrite the DVD).
But I don't anymore (changed the workflow)...

The drivers I found where not anonymous but Toshiba (the ones they offer with their capable DVD-RAM laptops), so I think they are ok.


Jörg

Multiple sessions will accomplish the same thing WITHOUT monkeying up your machine. Even Toshiba's DVD-RAM driver update made my machine run like dog poo... and it's a Toshiba!

[VJ]

Well, I did something similar as The Pit...

Bought a RAID5 on which my working files reside (one level of security), and I back up my worked on files to an external FW drive (when all is finished, it goes to two single session DVDRs).


Jörg