When to use CDs , DVDs or flash drives

With so many options for backing up today, people often get confused on which method is right for them.

Typically there are three methods for backing up:

1. CD or DVD

2. Flash drive

3. External hard drive

The method you choose should depend on the type of backup you are doing.

CDs hold 700MB (about 300 pictures) while DVDs hold 4,700MB. But the amount of data that they hold is not as important as what you use the disks for. CDs and DVDs are best for archiving data that will likely never change such as pictures, old word processing documents, important tax or financial records, etc. Once you write information to a CD or DVD consider that disk finished and do not try to add more to it.

Flash drives are great for information that is always changing such as your checkbook balance, genealogy or your address book. While the cost of flash drives is always falling, they are still not the most economical way to make archive type backups. Flash drives are reusable and can be erased and/or added to as often as necessary.

External hard drives are great for ongoing backup, but they should not ever be used as the only method of backup. External hard drives are mechanical electrical and breakable. A sudden shock of electricity, a physical knock or eventual wear and tear can all cause a hard drive to fail. The above two methods should be used in conjunction with an external hard drive.

Online backup is also growing in popularity. This is an Internet account that provides storage on the Internet for all of your data. These services are often free for a few gigabytes, but if you have more than 2-5 gigabytes of data to backup, it is probably more economical to use a combination of DVDs and external hard drives for backup. 

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