Exploding CDROMs
"I was installing a game when the CDROM disc exploded into pieces inside the computer. Is this common, and what would cause such a thing?"
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Honey, I Exploded The CDROM!
Unfortunately this is not an urban legend... CDs do occasionally explode when spinning at high speeds. If you have a CDROM drive that operates at 48X speed or higher, then you might not want to sit directly in front of your computer when it is reading a CD. There is a slight risk, documented by CDROM manufacturers, that a flawed or unbalanced CD disc might explode when spinning at the high speeds attained by modern CDROM drives.
When a CD breaks apart, little pieces of plastic shrapnel will fly around inside the drive, possibly penetrating the drive housing and escaping into the room. If this happens, count yourself lucky if you're not injured -- a 52x CDROM can spin a disc at just over 10,000 RPM's. You can forget about the data that was on the disc, and possibly the drive too. Even if you're willing to remove the drive and clean out all the tiny shards, it's likely that the laser which reads the disc was damaged too.
Exploding CDs: Cause and Prevention
According to the data published by CD manufacturers, the likelihood of a CD shattering due to a defect in the disc media is only around one in 10,000. But there are risk factors that can make it more likely. CDs that are old, scratched or cracked are much more likely to self-destruct while in use. Discs that are unbalanced also increase the risk of data detonation. The most likely cause of this is an off-center label, so keep that in mind if you burn CDs and apply labels yourself.
CDs may develop cracks as they age, especially if they're not cared for properly. Store CDs in a jewel case when not in use, and check frequently used discs for cracks before popping them in the drive. If you do experience an exploding CD, it's also possible that the drive was at fault. Contact the retailer who sold you the drive or disc, and you may be able to recover some of your losses.
If you're curious about the damage caused by an exploding CD, check out PowerLabs High Speed CD-Rom Experiments or The Case of the Exploding CD-ROM Record. The latter also includes some interesting technical data about how and why a CD might explode, and offers some suggestions for safer CDROMs.
For information on CD shelf life and repairing damaged CDROMs, see Lifetime of a CDROM disk.
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Check out other articles in this category:Posted by Bob Rankin on September 12, 2006 12:14 AM
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Most recent comments on "Exploding CDROMs"
(See all 12 comments for this article.)|
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I am writing to also state that exploding cd's are real. I had a Windows 98 O/S disc explode and ruin the drive. I did notice that there was a small crack around the center hub but never paid any attention to it, not realizing the great speed the disc spins at. It exploded with a terrific noise and dust. I am very careful to burn a backup copy of any cd's I see that are starting to deteriorate. |
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Exploding CDs -- I have had a CD self destruct in a clients office. the noise was so loud I thought a steel shelf had fallen down. I no longer use self adhesive labels to mark my CDs. If I cant find my permanent marker I leave the thing unmarked. -- Pearson. Cape Town. SA |
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Thanks for the info, this just happened to my computer minutes ago. It was a loud explosion, but the shards did not escape the casing luckily. I've fished most of them out, but we're just going to buy a new drive. - White Rock, BC, Canada |
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My Windows XP Home Edition cd just exploded in my brand new 16X dual layer DVD burner. Largest piece of the disk was no bigger than a dime. I'm returning the drive. I'm hoping Microsoft will replace my disk. If not, I'll be an new Linux user. |
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I experienced this first hand TWO TIMES. After the said incident, i experienced same problems in both combo drives of mine. The combo drive can still be detected by the bios and the operating system, but it can't read my cd. |
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Definately not an urban legend, I just went out and replaced a CD-Rom Drive for a client. The pics are the aftermath of the CD and the Drive. I suggest people dont buy slot load CD-Drives due to risk of an emergency trip to the hospital. See http://anothergoonsite.be/index.php?dir=pics/cd-explode/ |
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Always make backups of original CDs/DVDs and use the backups that way the originals are always intact. Use markers instead of labels because labels have a tendency of wrinkling and peeling off thereby causing and imbalance in the spin. Use Lightscribe media if markers don't cut it. |
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I Looked Up this web site as my Call of duty Cd has just exploded in my DVD -rom. I nearly had heart attack. it sounded like a gun shot and it took my 20 minutes to locate what had happened. CD/DVD Disc explosions Really Do Happen. |
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I had a rental disc explode in my dvd-rom drive while watching it only months ago! So perhaps if threatened, a squirrel just may explode too! It's always easy to refute when it hasn't happened to you, but trust me, it DOES happen! Oh and the store refused to help out saying it was my drive! |
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Posted by:
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Hi I am an elementary technology school teacher. Last January I had a CD explode in a computer of one of my students. Yes, it was very loud and scared most of the students. This January not only did a CD exploded but shards of the CD flew out of the Comuter one of them hit a student. I have been trying to find out why this is happening and how to prevent it from happening again. I do not want a student to get hurt. |
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