save backup on removable media

The Backup utility can create very large files...too large to fit on a DVD.
Is there a way to save these backup files to DVDs so I don't have to take up
space on an external hard drive?

If you are referring to the backup utility included with Windows XP
(then please say so when you ask a question) it does not do disc
spanning. You have to create a series of backup files each of which will
fit on a DVD.

Personally, if I had the choice of saving backups to optical media or an
external drive - and I do - I would choose the external drive in a
second. The external drive is much faster, more reliable, can be
scheduled and doesn't require that I hang around to swap media.

Also: Almost any third-party backup program you can buy is more
convenient than the Windows XP backup utility.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

CuriousMark wrote:
> The Backup utility can create very large files...too large to fit on a DVD.
> Is there a way to save these backup files to DVDs so I don't have to take up
> space on an external hard drive?

Thanks very much. That answers my question. Yes...I am referring to the XP
utility. I run it automatically to back up my laptop to my office server, but
I wanted to know if there was some way of saving that file on a DVD so I
could have an archive that wouldn't take up so much space on the server.

CM

"Leonard Grey" wrote:

> If you are referring to the backup utility included with Windows XP
> (then please say so when you ask a question) it does not do disc
> spanning. You have to create a series of backup files each of which will
> fit on a DVD.
>
> Personally, if I had the choice of saving backups to optical media or an
> external drive - and I do - I would choose the external drive in a
> second. The external drive is much faster, more reliable, can be
> scheduled and doesn't require that I hang around to swap media.
>
> Also: Almost any third-party backup program you can buy is more
> convenient than the Windows XP backup utility.
>
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare humanum est
>
> CuriousMark wrote:
> > The Backup utility can create very large files...too large to fit on a DVD.
> > Is there a way to save these backup files to DVDs so I don't have to take up
> > space on an external hard drive?
>

IIRC the backup file created by Microsoft Backup (as it's known) is
already compressed. I don't remember if the extent of compression is
selectable (so, for example, more compression produces a smaller backup
file.)

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

CuriousMark wrote:
> Thanks very much. That answers my question. Yes...I am referring to the XP
> utility. I run it automatically to back up my laptop to my office server, but
> I wanted to know if there was some way of saving that file on a DVD so I
> could have an archive that wouldn't take up so much space on the server.
>
> CM
>
> "Leonard Grey" wrote:
>
>> If you are referring to the backup utility included with Windows XP
>> (then please say so when you ask a question) it does not do disc
>> spanning. You have to create a series of backup files each of which will
>> fit on a DVD.
>>
>> Personally, if I had the choice of saving backups to optical media or an
>> external drive - and I do - I would choose the external drive in a
>> second. The external drive is much faster, more reliable, can be
>> scheduled and doesn't require that I hang around to swap media.
>>
>> Also: Almost any third-party backup program you can buy is more
>> convenient than the Windows XP backup utility.
>>
>> ---
>> Leonard Grey
>> Errare humanum est
>>
>> CuriousMark wrote:
>>> The Backup utility can create very large files...too large to fit on a DVD.
>>> Is there a way to save these backup files to DVDs so I don't have to take up
>>> space on an external hard drive?