| How Long Will a CD or DVD Last? | | | | them instead of optical disks. |
| As with any backup medium (floppy disk, tape, | | | | Repairing a Damaged CD-ROM |
| CDROM, etc.) the lifetime of the data is an important | | | | Even if you're careful, CDs can get scratched and |
| consideration. Kodak has done extensive accelerated | | | | become unreliable or unreadable. A few years ago, I |
| aging tests which indicate that their Infoguard CD-R | | | | read about the Toothpaste Cure. It sounds a bit |
| should last 200 years. TDK say that their discs will | | | | hokey, but I can tell you it has brought some |
| last "about 100 years". Others tell horror stories that | | | | CDROM disks back to life when I thought they were |
| no-name CDs which they have burned are no longer | | | | goners. Here's how it works: |
| readable after a few months. | | | | First clean the disk with warm water and mild soap |
| Optical disk manufacturers advise that storing your | | | | to remove any oils from fingerprints or other |
| backup disks in a cool, dry environment will help to | | | | sources. Dry it with a clean, lint-free towel and see if |
| prolong data life, while direct sunlight and fingerprints | | | | the disk will work now. If not, bring on the Crest! |
| may cause damage to a CD or DVD. A good rule of | | | | Rub the disk gently with toothpaste (the pasty kind, |
| thumb (no pun intended) seems to be to buy a | | | | not a gel) in a RADIAL (not circular) motion from the |
| brand-name disk, treat it as per the guidelines above, | | | | center of the disk to the outside edge. Wash and |
| but don't expect it to last more than five years. | | | | dry it again and see if it's readable. |
| But even if your CDROM data remains intact for 50 | | | | Some people report success when using car polish, |
| years, will we still have CD and DVD readers | | | | silver polish, or Rain-X instead of toothpaste. The idea |
| commonly available then? Technology changes rapidly. | | | | is that small scratches are buffed out, and some of |
| When was the last time you saw a computer with a | | | | the polishing agent remains on the disk to fill in any |
| 5.25 inch floppy drive? Even the 3.5 inch floppy is an | | | | irregularities on the optical surface. Due to the chance |
| endangered species, now that most computers are | | | | that the filler may fall out over time and gum up your |
| sold without them. In a few decades, the CDROM | | | | CDROM drive, you should make a copy of the |
| may be outmoded. | | | | repaired disk and discard the original. |
| I suggest you revisit your backup strategy every | | | | It doesn't always work, but it's worth a try when the |
| few years, and re-copy all critical data to new media | | | | only alternative is to throw away the disk. Some |
| on the same basis. Now that portable USB flash | | | | commercial products that may be useful are Wipe |
| drives are getting cheaper, you might consider using | | | | Out! and Discwasher. |