The Backup Ransomware Can’t Encrypt (Yes, It’s a Blu-ray)

Most people think they have a backup because they copied their files to another drive. An external hard drive, a USB stick, a NAS, a cloud folder — all useful.

But ask one ugly question: can your computer still write to that backup? Because if your computer can write to it, so can malware. It can encrypt it, delete it, corrupt it, or turn your family photos into a ransom note.

That’s why an old-school method still solves a very modern problem: burning your most important files to a finalized DVD or Blu-ray.

Prefer to watch instead of read? Here’s the full walkthrough — or skip it and keep reading below.

Where This Fits (and Where It Doesn’t)

I’m not telling you to back up your whole computer to a mountain of discs like it’s 2003. You still need a normal backup — an external drive, cloud backup, or NAS. (If you’re not sure yours is real, start with how to test your backup.)

But backups that are always connected, always syncing, or always writable carry risk. A finalized disc is different: a permanent archive for the files that would make you sick to lose — family photos, tax records, scanned paperwork. The stuff you don’t edit every day.

• Don’t use it as your only backup.
• Don’t use it for files you change daily.
• Don’t try to back up your whole Windows installation this way.

Your regular backup is for fast recovery. Your optical backup is the archive. Picture ransomware hitting your PC, your plugged-in external drive, and your synced cloud folder at once. The finalized Blu-ray on a shelf in the other room was never connected and never synced. It doesn’t even know anything happened. That’s the whole point.

DVD or Blu-ray?

• DVD: about 4.7 GB — fine for documents, tax files, and small archives.
• Blu-ray: about 25 GB, or about 50 GB dual-layer — better for photos and larger files.

For most people: a USB Blu-ray burner, decent blank discs, and proper storage cases. The burner is a one-time cost. Don’t bargain-hunt on the discs — cheap media is more prone to write errors and degrades faster, which defeats the point of an archive. (The gear I use is on my gear page.)

The Process, Step by Step

1. Build a clean folder with an obvious name, like “Family Photos 2010 to 2015.” Only the files you actually want to preserve — not shortcuts, not Downloads-folder junk.
2. Scan it before you burn. Use Windows Security or the antivirus you trust. You don’t want to create a permanent museum exhibit for malware.
3. Burn it and finalize it. Finalizing makes the disc genuinely read-only. Don’t leave it open to add more later — that keeps it writable.
4. Verify it. Use your burning software’s verify option. Then open the disc yourself and open a few files. Software lies politely.
5. Label it: “Family Photos 2010–2015 — Verified October 2026.” Future you won’t remember what “backup 3 final final” means.
6. Store it properly: a real case, somewhere cool, dry, and out of sunlight — not loose in a drawer with batteries and random screws.

For anything truly important, make two copies: one at home and one somewhere else — a family member’s house, a safe deposit box, a fire safe. If both copies are in the same house as the computer, one bad day can still take everything.

A Note on M-Disc

M-Disc is marketed as longer-lasting optical media, and many people like it for archives. If your burner supports it and the price makes sense, it can be worth considering. But “archival” doesn’t mean careless: you still verify the burn, store it properly, and keep more than one copy.

The Short Version

1. Keep your normal backup for fast recovery.
2. Pick one folder of irreplaceable files.
3. Scan it, burn it, finalize it, verify it, label it.
4. Store it safely, and make a second copy somewhere else.

Sometimes the best backup isn’t the biggest one. It’s the one nothing can rewrite. Start small, burn one clean archive, and be smugly boring while everyone else hopes their always-connected backup survives the next disaster.

Stay grumpy.