Your data is precious and you should take care to protect it. This can be done in various ways. In addition to using an effective antivirus, making regular backups is one of the most effective ways of. When it comes to executing backups, it's usual to think of backing up to an external hard drive or maybe even to the cloud. Although Blu-ray discs don't seem to have much of a future when it comes to digital videos, largely due to services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, they are definitely suitable for backup purposes.

A regular Blu-ray disc can hold 25GB, and these discs are quite sturdy. While they may not be as suitable as hard drives for data which you access frequently, they are ideal for storing the most precious of memories. Things like older family photos and important completed project documents are examples of the type of data which you absolutely don't want to lose but that you might not access regularly and are hence better suited for storage on a Blu-ray disc. Also Read: Blu-ray disc Overview Blu-ray discs were introduced in order to facilitate the. Blu-ray discs are read with a blue laser. This is in contrast to CDs and DVDs which are read with a red laser. Blue Laser Diode Since the wavelength of blue light is shorter than that of red light, more data can be packed on to a Blu-ray disc since the blue light can be used to 'resolve' smaller areas of data on the disc.

What this means is that the physical areas where data is recorded on the surface of a Blu-ray disc are comparatively smaller than CDs and DVDs. This means that more data can be recorded using the same surface area with a Blu-ray disc than with the other optical disc formats.

As a result a standard Blu-ray can store 25 GB. How to Backup Data On Blu-ray As I mentioned before, the use of Blu-ray discs is an excellent option for backing up data that isn't regularly accessed. However, don't just take my word for it. Let's take a look at how Facebook uses Blu-ray discs to instead of ancient digital tape. How Facebook is Taking Data Storage to Higher Heights Inside a Facebook Blu-ray disk storage rack Facebook's data is usually stored on hard drives or flash storage. It isn't cost effective to keep older data on hard drives or flash storage however, so Facebook developed a storage system which. Facebook's system uses a combination of robotic arms and tons of Blu-ray discs stored in racks.

The arms move the discs between the racks and central drives to allow for the reading and writing of data. The inexpensiveness of Blu-rays and the efficiency of the robotic arm system makes this a promising and effective data storage solution for older data and data which isn't accessed regularly. How to Make Your Own Blu-ray Backups In order to make your own Blu-ray backups you will need a few things. For starters, you will need a Blu-ray drive with writing capabilities. Pioneer Blu-ray Burner Blu-ray Disc Recordable (BD-R) as opposed to Blu-ray disc Recordable Erasable (BD-RE) discs are recommended. This nullifies the possibility of overwriting your precious data and also protects against viruses. You will also need software that allows you to burn your files to a Blu-ray disc.

Burnaware free is a useful free software for doing this and allows for the easy creation of a data Blu-ray disc. Simply select the files you need and burn them to the Blu-ray. Blu-ray discs are quite sturdy but they aren't invincible. They are susceptible to direct sunlight, excessive heat and scratches. For this reason they should be stored in a cool dry place in a suitable storage wallet away from direct sunlight. They will require some care but if they are treated well they can last for several decades. Wallet case The recording surface of readily available Blu-ray discs are made up of either an organic or inorganic dye.

Blu-ray discs made form organic dyes are known as LTH (Low to High). Verbatim LTH Disk Blu-ray discs made from inorganic dyes are known as HTL (High to Low). LTH means that when the disc is burned, the recording surface is changed from low reflectivity while HTL refers to the recording surface being changed from high reflectivity to low reflectivity. HTL discs are expected to last longer than LTH discs and are less susceptible to damaged than but they are generally more expensive.

Verbatim HTL Disk Why You Should Start Backing Up to Blu-ray Discs When you consider the low cost of Blu-ray discs and the ease with which they can be burned as long as you have the right tools, it is worth your while to take the initiative to backing up your precious data via this format. For the purpose of backing up your data it would be better to use HTL discs, since these have a longer lifespan than LTH discs. You want to ensure that your data is still intact when you go to retrieve it after all.

If your Mac starts up to a flashing question mark, but then doesn't continue starting up, try these steps. Turn off your Mac by pressing and holding the power button for a few seconds. Press the power button once to turn your Mac back on. Immediately press and hold the Command and R keys on your keyboard to start your Mac from. Keep these two keys held down until you see an Apple logo or globe.

If prompted, select a Wi-Fi network to connect to the Internet as part of startup. After the macOS Utilities window appears, choose Startup Disk from the Apple menu. Select your startup disk, then click Restart. If you don't see your startup disk in the Startup Disk window, close the window and try the next sections of this article.

If you don't see your startup disk in the Startup Disk window, use these steps to see if your startup disk needs directory repair. Open from the window. In the Disk Utility window, select your startup disk (usually named 'Macintosh HD') from the left side of the window. Click the First Aid tab. Click the Repair Disk button to verify and repair any issues with your startup disk.

After your disk is successfully repaired, quit Disk Utility. Choose Startup Disk from the Apple menu. Select your startup disk, then click Restart.

If you still don't see your Startup Disk, on your startup disk. If you don't see your built-in startup disk in the Disk Utility window, or if Disk Utility indicates there's a hardware issue, your Mac might need repair.

Make an appointment with an Apple Genius or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for more help. If Disk Utility finds issues with your startup disk that it can't repair, you might need to reformat it. You should back up any important data on your startup disk before erasing it. Erasing your startup disk deletes everything stored on it, including items in your home folder like your documents and items on your desktop. If you don't have a of personal data that's stored on your startup disk, you can use these steps to try to back up your data to an external drive:. Connect an external USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire drive to your Mac. The drive needs to be the same size or larger than your current startup disk. It also needs to be a drive that you can erase.

Use macOS Recovery to onto the external drive. Make sure that you select the external disk as the one you want to erase. Don't select your built-in startup disk, usually named Macintosh HD. After installation is finished, your Mac automatically restarts from the external drive. When Setup Assistant appears, select the option to migrate your data from another disk.

Question About Backup Disc For Machine

Choose your built-in startup disk as the source to migrate your data from. When migration is done, complete the steps of the setup assistant. After the desktop appears, confirm that your data is present on the external drive. Now that you've made a backup to an external drive, follow these steps:. Use macOS Recovery to.

Backup Programs For Mac

Select the built-in startup disk as the one you want to erase, not the external drive. When installation is finished, your Mac automatically restarts from your built-in startup disk.

After you erase your startup disk and reinstall macOS, your Mac automatically restarts and setup assistant appears. To copy your personal data back to your startup disk, select the option in the setup assistant to migrate your data from an existing Time Machine backup or other disk. Choose the external drive as the source to migrate your data from.

Backup Disc Creation

If you're unable to erase your startup disk or reinstall macOS, your Mac might need repair. Make an appointment with an Apple Genius or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for more help.