On Sun, 2010-04-04 at 15:26 -0500, jdratlif wrote: > When I switched to Linux, I tried their image burning programs. > Don't use the image option if you're backing up data from your hard disk. Thats purely for burning an ISO image you've downloaded as a complete disk. An ISO image is a bit-level copy of the entire disk surface and is treated quite differently from burning a bunch of files because an ISO image already contains the label, TOC, etc. > k3b and Brasero in particular. Brasero didn't work at all, and k3b > had faulty verification. I lost a lot of data I thought was "backed > up" because it said the disc burned correctly. > Are you certain that wasn't a dodgy disk? None of the disk burning programs that I've used verify after writing, so its just not sensible to delete the material off hard disk until you've tested that at least some of the files contain what they should and are readable. Similarly, IMO its false economy to use el cheapo blank disks. I tend to buy TDK as a matter of course. Finally, IME its foolish to trust a home-burnt CD as the only copy of anything you what to keep more than a year or two. Here's why. While the first music CDs I bought (25 years ago) still play perfectly, remember they are physically stamped into plastic (like a vinyl pressing) before being metallised and having the clear outer layer cast on to seal the delicate stuff in. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO A DISK YOU'VE BURNT. All that burning the disk does is modify a layer of dye. Once the dye fades the disk becomes unreadable. I've had apparently decent burnt CDs become unreadable after 10 years - and possibly faster than that because I didn't play those disks all that often. And they were stored in jewel cases where they are never in direct sunlight or over a heater. If you just sling a burnt CD onto a sunny windowsill its usable life could be quite spectacularly short. But, back to disk burning software: Brasero works for me if I'm burning an ISO image or making an audio CD. Otherwise I use the Gnome CD/DVD creator. Martin
