I need to back up my old computer's files as I'm going to reformat the hard drive due to tons of problems and install a more stable operating system. The computer didn't come with a CD-Recordable drive, so I was thinking about buying an external model. I've never backed up data onto a CD before, so my question is: when you backup data to CD-Rs, do you have to choose all the files you want to backup at one time and then as a group copy them to the CD (up to the CD storage limit, of course), or can you do the files one at a time? I'm wondering if I record one file of data with say, only 10 Megs onto the CD, is that all I can copy onto the CD because it's CD-R? Or can I add several other smaller files later one at a time? Is it like a floppy disk where you can keep adding stuff up to the storage space limit? Or, do I have to lump all the files I want to record into one big folder and then transfer that folder to the CD? Thanks.
Once you burn a cd its done. All files at one time. If you have USB 2.0 an external hard drive might be a better choice for better flexibility (or a second internal drive for that matter).
Unfortunately, the computer is so old it doesn't have USB 2.0 Just to be clear then, I would have to take all the files and put them into one big folder and then copy that folder to the Cd, right? Or could I use the Cntl feature, highlight several files, and drag those to the CD icon? Thanks.
The burning software usually has a file manager build in so that you don't have to copy the files into one directory. You chose all the files and when your're finished you press "burn". Some Drives come with software that allow to use the CD as a floppy disk (e.g. HP). But the format isn't compatible to others so I strongly recomend to burn single session CDs (CDs on which you can't add files when they are burned) for backup purposes like yours. Btw: I would buy an internal one if the hardware allows it.
be aware that if you try to back up everything on your computer it takes a lot of cds. ive tryed it with several backup programs and they crashed about halfway through. better option is to just backup whats important.
there's probably no one alive who knows less about computers than me. I got a burner a circuit city for $19 after rebate. And even I can back up files. You just find the file you want and use the "send to" option. I don't know what happens when you finally fill up the cd, I've never gotten that far. But you can send them one at a time, no folder needed. The burner I got is internal. It took me about four hours and 2 phone calls to Dell and whoever made the cd burner, to install it. But now that I know how to do it I could install one in about 40 seconds.