How to backup files?

With mobile devices everywhere, it is now a breeze to snap photos and capture videos.  Consequently, It has become increasingly important to make sure all of your digital creations are stored properly so we don’t lose them forever.

One of the best ways to safe keep your files is to store them on backup disks.  Doing so will guarantee your files are always safe even if catastrophes strike.

In this guide, we will walk through the steps for backing up files on optical disks such as CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs.

You might ask why I have excluded Flash Drives and Portable Hard Drives as viable devices for backing up files.  The reason being these devices do not permanently store the files for you.  Your files can be accidentally erased or lost due to equipment failures.  They are also more expensive to use as the backup medium than optical disks.

To start backing up files, you will need the following setup in your computer: 

• An optical disc writer.  (Asus Blu-ray disc writer)

• A blank disk for storing the files.  (Recordable Blu-ray disc, you can use CDs and DVDs as well.  I prefer the Blu-ray disc for its storage capacity.) 
• The software to help us write the files to the Blu-ray disc.  (Power2Go by CyberLink which came with the Asus writer)

The steps outlined below can be used on any computer setup, in this tutorial, we will be using Windows 10 operating system. 

To start creating backup disk:

Step 1: Insert the recordable Blu-ray disc into the disk writer.

Step 2:  Start Power2Go software and create a Blu-ray Disc project.

Step 3: Identify the files to be backed up.

Step 4: Finalize your disc writing settings and create the backup disc.

Now, you have successfully created a backup disk, you will want to make sure it is well protected.

Here are some storage options I have used before and I rank them from 1 to 5, 1 being my favorite option and 5 for not recommend for the long term storage solution.

1. Disc Binder (Excellent for organizing large number of disks and it looks great on the bookshelves). 

2. Disk Refill Sheet (Cheaper to use than Disk Binder If you have a spare 3-rings binder, but not as sturdy as the Disk Binder).

3. Disk Spindles (Free since they usually come with your recordable disks, but a nightmare for organizing disks.)

 4. Disk Case (Costly to own and create clutters when you have many of them).

 

5. CD sleeve (Good for temporary storage, not good for the longevity of your disks and messy to organize).

With all of your files backed up and safely stored.  You might ask “how do I keep the discs and files organized?” and “How do I quickly get to my files?”

Please visit my blog post on How to Organize Backup Discs / Files?.

Thank you for readying and have fun keep your files safe!

James