Did you rip your full CD collection?

I just bought a copy of Anydvd HD to enable my paid for software to play my paid for discs (when you buy a new disc to find it won't play and find out why you realise the movie/legal software companies and the pirates are pretty much morally equivalent).

The point is that it works perfectly and also claims to enable any disc, including audio, to be ripped. There's a 21 day free trial so it's worth a try - just Google for it. 

Hello Singlespeed - I would really like to back up my data but it is not always that easy.

Many of my albums will not allow me to copy / move them to an EXT Hard Drive (that I have sitting about doing nothing) as when I try to copy / move I get an error message stating that they are to long. The only way that I can move them is by renaming and shortening every track which is not really achievable with 6000 CDs.

Thanks

You don't have to rip again. Just batch convert the files into whatever format you like and place them on your NAS device. Unless you didn't rip them "losslessly" .

No way. You have NOT lost your files twice due to hardware failure and no back-up. Please tell me that isn't what you are implying.

You're doing back-up wrong. You shouldn't have to re-name anything. Maybe your external drive is formatted to an unsuitable standard that limits filename length.

You should also consider using a clever back-up program that, once the initial back-up is done, just backs up the changes. (Apple's default is "Time Machine", but there are others available).

6000 Cds. That's impressive.

Thank you Winkin canada - I am using PC windows 7 to the WD EXT 3TB x2 in my QNAP.

I will have to try to work out how to be able to move these across to an EXT HD as it really does bother me somewhat!

Cheers

As Winky suggested you need to use backup software. QNap provide backup software called netbak replicator. I use it with my QNap. I'm pretty sure it will back up the NAS to a hard drive connected to a PC via a USB port.

Thank You Fatcat - I will try what you have suggested

Thanks again

Mark

If you want meaningful metadata you are far better managing that process yourself. Just ripped a John Tavener CD and 3 of the 4 metadata sources couldn't even spell his name correctly!

I rip to a Synology NAS (my archive copy), which automatically duplicates the ripped files (as they are ripped) to my library NAS using the Synology utilities included on the NAS.  At 2am the library NAS backs itself up to a larger Synology NAS, which also functions as my Time Machine backup drive for my Mac.  All NAS are RAID drives, i.e. they contain 2 or more hard disks which duplicate the data in real time, so if a disk fails the other has a copy on it.  Belt, braces and a whole lot more, but I hope that I am unlikely to lose my music files! To be ultra-secure store another copy off-site somewhere (Aunty Joan's will do), but no need to get too carried away. However, 6000 ripped CDs is an awful lot to lose.

I’m busy ripping at the moment, realising that until I have everything ripped I won’t really appreciate everything streaming has to offer.

Although ripping is a pain it is like looking at old photographs to a degree, remembering that you heard that album first on John Peel and haven't listened to it since 1992! I haven't found any Cds I didn't know I had yet but it certainly has shown me that the less accessible shelves near the floor have CDs on them that rarely get listened to. Another Saturday Night, Songs form the Louisiana Bayou on ACE certainly being one of these (on in background).

I'm ripping everything, even going so far as to add all details for  Sing Joyfully Songs form the choirs of Beverly Minster (only CD I bought on my last trip to the UK, strange how quickly record shops have disappeared, I used to always buy on trips and once again ripping them brings back memories of the holidays)

enough babbling, time to get my Logitech server to rescan all the CDs I've ripped tonight.

SJB