Thread: Corrupt DVDs and CDs

I was reading a post a thread in this section and someone mentioned that DVD's and CDs can get corrupt during a period of time.

Is this really true and is this was blank DVDs/CDs or ones which have been written on. I have a lot of things saved on CDs, does that mean that in a few months, years time the CD will be ruined?????????/

If this is the case, then i need to find alternatives to saving my data.

Yes. Please use an external hard disc to save important data.

To keep your CD, DVD safe

1. Use at regular intervals

2. Keep them air tight.

3. Keep it in cover/case.

4. Do not clean using cloth.

5. Prevent scratchs.

Also over a period of time , Jewel case tend to get blisters, due to which cd's can get damaged.


10mm_Single_Black__CD_Jewel_Case.jpg


Usually retail software,audio CD's are fine, but Blank media cases tend to have this problem.

Check your data once in 6 months.

A good indicator of CD/DVD is the speed at which files are copied and how smoothly the CD drive is reading the CD.

Note: this does not apply if you have lots of files ie in 100's or 1000's. Also no other application must be accessing the drive when ur copying the data.

A bad CD will usually make the cd drive run with vibrations and usually the drive will pause and re-run while the cd is bad.

Originally Posted by meetdilip

2. Keep them air tight.

that is not necessary

its a good idea to use a cd/dvd album to store it

I dont have an external hard drive, and one of my reasons to storing the data on disk was that my computer has gone faulty and i have ended up losing my data twice now, and thought the disk would be the safest way to store it, but even this is not permanent.

So as long as i do what has been mentioned, play the disk etc, it should be ok?

What other backup do you recommend then, maybe a large sized pen drive?

the best idea is to get an external/additional hard drive as CD's and DVD's can not last for long. Even i lost my data about an year ago and from that time till now i save each n everything on hard drive otherwise got an online data drive to keep my stuff safe and secure.

No storage is 100% proof. Good brand DVD/CD's should last enough provided that they are properly cared for, i.e., protected from heat, dust, strong sunlight, etc. But it is better to have multiple backup options:

a) CD/DVD
b) External Hard Disk - these are not very expensive. I purchased a 1TB disk for Rs. 6500/-.
c) On the computer itself

Note that the above are not EITHER-OR but AND.

external hdd if it gets corrupt then u loose all the data in matter of seconds...where as on dvds..not all of them get corrupt over all

how about Taiyo Yuden or Verbatim blank dvd's?....they say they are way better then sony and last long

well i woulld say no means of back up is reliable .. even HDD fails (i think np had recently problem with seagate HDD) , cds/ dvds get worn off..

not much idea abt online data storage.. i dont know wat if their server crashes?

all we can say that there is nothing like permanent data storage. yes but we can make it last longer for time.

Originally Posted by Mr.Tooth Fairy

well i woulld say no means of back up is reliable .. even HDD fails (i think np had recently problem with seagate HDD) , cds/ dvds get worn off..

not much idea abt online data storage.. i dont know wat if their server crashes?

all we can say that there is nothing like permanent data storage. yes but we can make it last longer for time.

I agree with tooth fairy, there is no means of digital storage which we can call as permanent, the best thing you can do if that data is so much important is have multiple copies of that in different places and medias thats all we can do,

Have it on online server, CD-DVD, HDD pendrive etc...

The best method

1. Classify your data

2. Multiple storge

3. Seek help

Not all data are important. They can be classified as

a. Personal data of vital importance

b. Favourite personal data including family pictures, friends and videos

c. Favourite data of non personal nature - Music, videos, movies and software

d. Stuff we like to keep

How to store

Type a

Use all means available and multiple copies. Write into CD/DVD, External storage and online facilities like SKYDRIVE.

Type b

A copy in optical discs apart from external HDD will serve the purpose. Unless your house caught fire, one of the source will remain intact even if one fails

Type c

I have shared them with my friends. I do help them to store these kind of data by sharing files and picture of common interest. Share a bit of your HDD in exchange of the same.

Type d

A copy in one of the optical backup devices should serve the purpose.

Originally Posted by Preeti_20

What other backup do you recommend then, maybe a large sized pen drive?

Pen drives are even more unreliable than dvd/cd...... they should be only used for transfering data between mediums ..... flash memory is not a reliable medium to store important data

Thanks for that Shadowcon!

I agree with you Tooth Fairy, that no way of keeping data is reliable, something is bound to go wrong and stop working one day! Just keeping backing up someway or another i suppose and care for the CD/DVD like J4K said!

here is the world's best data storage medium DVD RAM

mediadvdram16xpanasonic6it.jpg

dvd_ram.jpg


data retention on DVD ram is more than 30years!!!!, data can be saved like hard disk just insert it in DVD ram drive and drag and drop files into it!! and its write cycle is 1,00,000 yes 1lakh cycles unlike DVD RW which is 1000,it costs Rs 800 a disc i am using it since 2002,but sad part is its not available in India I've imported it from Canada.

375952.jpgi use Maxell brand and good thing is these discs are Made in Japan which is symbol of reliability and quality, more info on DVD ram DVD-RAM - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by Mr.Tooth Fairy

well i woulld say no means of back up is reliable .. even HDD fails (i think np had recently problem with seagate HDD) , cds/ dvds get worn off..

not much idea abt online data storage.. i dont know wat if their server crashes?

all we can say that there is nothing like permanent data storage. yes but we can make it last longer for time.

data retention on DVD RAM is 30years+

DVD RAM advantages

* Long life — without physical damage, data is retained for an estimated 30 years minimum. Ideal for video evidence recording in CCTV applications amongst many other uses.
* Can be rewritten over 100,000 times (DVD±RW can be rewritten approx. 1,000 times). Faster DVD-RAMs support fewer rewrites (3x speed: 100,000, 5x speed: 10,000)[citation needed], but still more than DVD+RW or DVD-RW. (These are theoretical numbers. In practice they could be smaller depending on the drive, the treatment of the disc and the file system. In practice, a domestic DVD recorder can rewrite a disk only 300 times. Note also that some areas of the disc, e.g. directory, can be written many times without the user perceiving multiple writes.)
* Reliable writing of discs. Verification done in hardware by the drive, so post-write verification by software is unnecessary. Software verification is disabled in all current DVD Video Recorders.
* Disc defect management safeguards data.
* Suitable for archival storage.[4][5]
* DVD-burning software may not be required — discs can be used and accessed like a removable hard disk. Mac OS (8.6 or later) supports DVD-RAM directly. Windows XP supports DVD-RAM directly for FAT32-formatted discs only. Windows Vista is able to write directly to both FAT32- and UDF-formatted DVD-RAM discs from within Windows Explorer. Device drivers or other software are needed for earlier versions of Windows which do not support UDF, or any format, on DVD-RAM.
* Arguably easier to use than other DVD technology.
* Very fast access of small files on the disc.
* Small 2 KB disc block size wastes less space when writing small files.
* Finalization not necessary. This is an attribute of the VR recording mode and is available on other media such as DVD-RW.
* Media available with or without protective cartridges; can be used in the cartridge by many devices.
* In some video recorders DVD-RAM can be written to and read at the same time, allowing one program to be recorded and a different one, or an earlier part of the same one (time slip recording), to be viewed at the same time. This is an attribute of the VR mode recording mode and is possible, although only at lower bit rates, on other media such as DVD+RW.
* Supported by some high-end security digital video recorders, such as the Tecton Darlex, as a secure export medium. 30 year retention makes this an ideal format for evidence.
* Holds more data when using Double Sided discs than dual-layer DVD+RW and DVD-RW, 9.4GB for DVD-RAM vs 8.5GB for DVD+RW DL and DVD-RW DL.
* Has write-protect tabs to prevent accidental deletion when used in a cartridge.

dvd ram surface

800px-DVD-RAM_Detail_Sectors.jpg