FotoDVD — guide till bästa inställningarna för bildkvalitet

Säkerhetskopiera photos with FotoDVD: a step-by-step guideBacking up your photos to a FotoDVD is a reliable way to preserve memories, free up space, and create physical archives that are easy to store and share. This guide walks you through preparation, selecting photos, creating the DVD, verifying the backup, and long-term storage tips.

Why use a FotoDVD?

• Durability: Optical discs can last decades when stored properly.
• Portability: Easy to hand to family or store off-site.
• Offline security: Keeps copies separate from cloud services and network risks.

What you’ll need

• A computer with a DVD writer (internal or external).
• Blank DVD-R or DVD+R discs (DVD-R is generally more widely compatible).
• Photo management software or burning software that supports data or photo DVDs (examples: built-in OS tools, ImgBurn, Nero, or FotoDVD if available).
• Optional: DVD labels and a marker for labeling discs.

Step 1 — Organize your photos

1. Create a dedicated folder on your computer (e.g., “PhotoBackup_2025”).
2. Within that folder, organize by year, event, or person (e.g., 2024/Christmas).
3. Remove duplicates and blurry photos to save space. Use tools like Duplicate Cleaner or built-in OS search to find duplicates.
4. If space is tight, consider resizing very large files or exporting reduced-resolution copies for the archive while keeping originals elsewhere.

Step 2 — Choose disc format and capacity

• Standard single-layer DVDs hold about 4.7 GB.
• If you need more capacity, use dual-layer DVD+R DL (~8.5 GB) or multiple discs.
• For compatibility, use DVD-R for older players and systems; DVD+R and DVD+R DL are fine for modern drives.

Step 3 — Prepare files for burning

1. Check total folder size to estimate how many discs you’ll need.
2. Split large collections into disc-sized batches. You can do this manually or use disc-burning software that handles spanning across multiple discs.
3. Optionally, create an index file (a simple text or HTML file) listing the contents of each disc for quick reference.

Step 4 — Burn the DVD

Use your chosen software; general steps are:

1. Insert a blank DVD into the writer.
2. Open the burning program and choose “Data Disc” or “Burn Files/Folder” (not “Video DVD” unless you want playback on DVD players).
3. Add the folder(s) for this disc. Confirm the total size is under the disc capacity.
4. Select a moderate burn speed (e.g., 4x or 8x) for better reliability.
5. Enable verification after burn if the software offers it.
6. Start the burn and wait for completion.

If using command-line on macOS or Linux, you can create an ISO and burn it; for example, on macOS:

hdiutil create -srcfolder /path/to/PhotoBackup_2025 -format UDRW -o PhotoBackup_2025 hdiutil burn PhotoBackup_2025.dmg 

Step 5 — Verify the backup

• If you enabled verification during burning, confirm the software reported a successful verify.
• Manually open the disc in Finder/Explorer and spot-check several photos from different folders.
• Compare checksums if you want strong assurance: generate an MD5 or SHA256 for original files and for the files on the disc, then compare.

Example (Linux/macOS):

md5sum /path/to/originals/* > originals.md5 md5sum /Volumes/PhotoDVD/* > disc.md5 diff originals.md5 disc.md5 

Step 6 — Label and store disks properly

• Label each disc with a permanent marker or printed label: include date, contents summary, and disc number (e.g., “PhotoBackup_2025 — Disc 1 of 3”).
• Store discs vertically in jewel cases or archival sleeves away from sunlight, heat, and humidity.
• Keep at least one copy off-site (e.g., a safe-deposit box or a trusted family member’s home) to protect against fire or theft.

Long-term maintenance

• Check discs every 2–5 years by reading them to ensure they’re still readable.
• Migrate to new media every 5–10 years as technology and media lifespans evolve.
• Maintain at least two backup copies in different physical locations plus one cloud copy for redundancy if possible.

Troubleshooting common issues

• Burn fails or verification errors: try a slower burn speed, a different brand of blank disc, or another DVD writer.
• Disc not recognized on another computer: ensure you used a compatible format (DVD-R recommended) and that the other device supports DVDs.
• Read errors later: use recovery tools like IsoBuster to attempt data recovery.

Quick checklist

• Organize photos into disc-sized folders.
• Use DVD-R (4.7 GB) or DVD+R DL (8.5 GB) as needed.
• Burn at moderate speed and enable verification.
• Label discs and store in cool, dark, dry places.
• Make multiple copies and check/read them periodically.

Säkerhetskopiera completed.