Lifetime of a CDROM disk
"I need to archive some files on CDROM disks. I hear a lot about the differences in quality of CDs. How do I determine what is a high quality CD that will last at least several years?
How Long Will a CDROM Last?
As with any backup medium (floppy disk, tape, CDROM, etc.) the lifetime of the data is an important consideration. Kodak has done extensive accelerated aging tests which indicate that their Infoguard CD-R should last 200 years. TDK say that their discs will last "about 100 years". Others tell horror stories that no-name CDs which they have burned are no longer readable after a few months.
CDROM manufacturers advise that storing your backup disks in a cool, dry environment will help to prolong data life, while direct sunlight and fingerprints may cause damage to a CDROM. A good rule of thumb (no pun intended) seems to be to buy a brand-name disk, treat it as per the guidelines above, and don't expect it to last more than five years.
But even if your CDROM data remains intact for 20 years, will we still have CDROM readers commonly available then? Technology changes rapidly. When was the last time you saw a computer with a 5.25 inch floppy drive? Even the 3.5 inch floppy is an endangered species, now that most computers are sold without them. In a few decades, the CDROM may be outmoded.
I suggest you revisit your backup strategy every few years, and re-copy all critical data to new media on the same basis. Now that portable USB flash drives are getting cheaper, you might consider using them instead of CDROMs.
Repairing a Damaged CDROM
Even if you're careful, CDs can get scratched and become unreliable or unreadable. A few years ago, I read about the Toothpaste Cure. It sounds a bit hokey, but I can tell you it has brought some CDROM disks back to life when I thought they were goners. Here's how it works:
First clean the disk with warm water and mild soap to remove any oils from fingerprints or other sources. Dry it with a clean, lint-free towel and see if the disk will work now. If not, bring on the Crest!
Rub the disk gently with toothpaste (the pasty kind, not a gel) in a RADIAL (not circular) motion from the center of the disk to the outside edge. Wash and dry it again and see if it's readable.
Some people report success when using car polish, silver polish, or Rain-X instead of toothpaste. The idea is that small scratches are buffed out, and some of the polishing agent remains on the disk to fill in any irregularities on the optical surface. Due to the chance that the filler may fall out over time and gum up your CDROM drive, you should make a copy of the repaired disk and discard the original.
It doesn't always work, but it's worth a try when the only alternative is to throw away the disk. Some commercial products that may be useful are Wipe Out! and Discwasher.
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Posted by Bob Rankin on November 11, 2005 09:04 PM
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- Lifetime of a CDROM disk (Posted: November 11, 2005 09:04 PM)
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Copyright © 2005 - Bob Rankin - All Rights Reserved
Most recent comments on "Lifetime of a CDROM disk"
(See all 17 comments for this article.)Posted by:
Rebecca
18 Nov 2005
Remember that the marking pens or paper labels can degrade your data. There is a great page on CDs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD-R
Posted by:
paradox
18 Nov 2005
i tried an informal "advanced acceleration" test of a CD-R recently. i left a TDK CD-R filled with JPEG images out on a window facing the sun for about 6 months. it was not readable by my CD drive, but the surprising thing is the software considered it a blank CD-R. it even passed the testing phase. i'll try and burn something to see if it actually can be re-burned.
Posted by:
David
18 Nov 2005
For more on makers see:
http://www.cdrfaq.org/faq07.html#S7-4-1
Also, Amazon has a good page summarizing tests. Can't find the page now, but they place Mitsui first (especially the Gold with blue dye), Maxell, then Fujitsu. The Maxell result contradicts what the above link mentions but I suspect that has more to do with the actual maker. Much like they mention for Verbatim, not all media from the same brand are made by the same factory.
Mitsui are hard to get in Canada so I've been using Maxell with good results. Definitly stay away from cheapos.
Posted by:
Thom
19 Nov 2005
Fred Langa had some thoughts on this.He suggested not using stick on labels on burned disks,that they tended to shorten disk readability life greatly.
Posted by:
Jesse
20 Nov 2005
I have a Skip Doctor and it works like a charm!
Posted by:
Fred Showker
20 Nov 2005
As a service to our user group membership we do keep computers up and running that use 3.5 floppies, CD, Zip, and SCSI removable like SyQuest, etc. Have saved many users from losing valuable files.
Posted by:
Rachel
23 Nov 2005
I had lost 1/2 a year of digital pictures and was just heart-sick, but thanks to your article, after just cleaning with mild soap and warm water, I was able to read it and copy them to a new disc. Will definitely remember your toothpaste suggestion. Thanks for ALL your worthy tips.
Posted by:
paradox
17 Sep 2006
Just an update regarding Flash Drives. There was an article recently that mentioned that flash drives degrade over time at a much faster rate than any media type archive (tape, CDR, DVD, floppies, etc.) Just a word of warning if you are planning to use them for long term storage. Basically, the older the technology, the longer the archive life (i.e. stone tablets lasted longer than parchment/paper which lasted longer than magnetic media which lasted longer than flash media). My advise is to at least get printed copies to archive on acid free paper, especially pictures. Music files and videos are harder to archive, just try & look at your VHS home movies of just 10 years ago & check out the image quality. Even old movie film will degrade noticeably after just a decade.
Posted by:
null
19 Jun 2007
Well, I have a question about a computer game. It is called The SIMS2, my brother an I used to play it ALL the time, however when we were finished we of course were lazy and forgot to put it back in the case. Now I would really like to play it again, but when I put it in the computer, it won't play. I noticed scratch marks on it, so I went online to see if I could possibly clean it and that would be simple enough to work. However it failed and I am really upset about this. Is there ANY way that I can possibly get this disk to properly work again? If so please give me some advice :)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Did you try all the ideas in the Repairing a Damaged CDROM section of this article?
Posted by:
Lin
14 Jan 2010
I purchased a Simplex 500 GB and backed up all my pictures onto this drive. I was told that I should STILL put them on a DVD as these types of drives are unreliable. Is this correct? I have 1000's of pictures on this drive and it takes FOREVER TO BURN THEM TO DVD. What would you recommend?