[mhm45]

I was reading todays newsletter, and the questions posed and answered. One of them prompted me to ask this: when backing up, is it better to backup the download in its original form (i.e. zipped) or in the unzipped format?
Molly McLeod

[angelaNussbaum]

I prioritize by doing my zips first. As everything you need is contained in them, and the zip format is just a tad smaller than the whole of the contents. Every time there is enough for a new cd, i burn. The extra stuff i dont worry about to much. I have backed it up once.. but probably wont do it to often. Hope im not wrong!!!

Angela

[mau]

Hiya

I also do mine in zip or rar format.. mainly because in
the zip/rar format, the files are compressed to a smaller size
and I can fit that much more onto the cd.
For instance a 10 Mb file zipped can be compressed into
5 or 6 Mb's..thus putting almost double amount of files
on the disk or even your hard drive. I also leave my zips
in zip format on my computer too until I am ready to use them,
then I just unzip and scrap away!

[Laurel Lakey]

FYI - make sure that you've opened and tested your ZIP'ed file before burning it, just in case there was a problem with the download or something. You don't want to have to go try and rescue it from a DVD just to find out that it's a corrupted file or something!

[mau]

@Laurallakey..

Quote

FYI - make sure that you've opened and tested your ZIP'ed file before burning it, just in case there was a problem with the download or something. You don't want to have to go try and rescue it from a DVD just to find out that it's a corrupted file or something!

Amen! you are so right about that! One simple thing not done can cause a catastrophy!
Especially when you decide to use that particular scrap and all of a sudden you're looking
at a corrupted file!..Whoa!..Now thats a catastrophy!

I had it happen a couple of times, so I should have remembered that...(doh!)

mau

[nichole]

Maybe this is wrong...but I backup unzipped. The reason is this, when I'm working on a layout and want a specific element that is on the cd, I don't have to unzip the folder to my hardrive. I can just use it directly from my cd/dvd. Make sense. I'm sure I'm wasting space on the disks this way, but I try to keep my documents neat and clean without a lot of downloads. I guess everyone has a different way of doing things and this is what is easiest for me.
HTH!
nichole

[lgsouthfla]

opps, all of my unzipped are gone. I get rid of them. On another question. I tried to back up last week and I have so much stuff that when I put them on DVD, I realized I would need several, Do they come where they hold different amounts of files and do you guys use rewritables so you just copy over your last "SAVE"?

[ManiakMama]

Linda, I just backup onto multiple DVD's as I go. When I have enough to fill up one DVD, I backup. Then I keep all of my DVD's in a CD case.

[lgsouthfla]

I guess where I am confused is, I am constantly adding to my different folders. I organize like RO. So how to you exactly save? Because I had to break things down and I am sure as I add I will end up have so many more things in the different files that the original way I saved will be changed and then I will be so confused. So if you save each month or everythree months what exactly do you do, when you have already saved before? And neww things have been added? Am I thinking too much into this?

[nichole]

When I save, I clean out My Documents after I make sure the stuff IS on the disc. The only things I keep are my absolute favorites that I use all the time. But otherwise, I just delete everything and label the dvd so that if I do need something, I know what disc its on. Then, the next time I need to backup I don't have to figure out what is already on a dvd. I just know that everything in MY Docs needs to be saved onto a disc. Don't forget to check the disc to confirm that everything is on that disc! I've made that mistake before....its a bummer!

[lgsouthfla]

Thanks Nicole. I just have such a nice selection of things that I would hate to lose it. THey are on my EHD but that isn't always safe either. I figured it would be about three-four DVD's to save what I have now. But For me maybe Rewritable CD"S are best even though they cost more. Anyone else have any opinions?