Disc Care for CD-R's and DVD-R's We are offering this advice as a guide only, these are not the absolute guidelines for CD-R and DVD-R care. Please check with your governing agency as to your specific needs. Although CD-ROM discs are sturdy, they can become scratched and unreadable. A scratch on the label or top side on the disc can be more damaging than on the data side because the protective coating on the label side is thinner than that on the data side. A scratch on the data side can often be compensated by an error correction whereas a scratch on the label side can damage pits and lands with no hope for recovery. Find a CD-R you don't want anymore, and try to scratch the top (label side) with your fingernail, a ball-point pen, a paper clip, and/or anything else you have handy. The results may surprise you. The following conditions need to be applied to ensure the projected lifetime: In general, CD-R's and DVD-R's are far less tolerant of environmental conditions than pressed CDs, (like store purchased music CD's) and should be treated with greater care. Protect your discs from scratches, strong sunlight, heat, humidity, and extreme cold. Make sure there is no corrosive gas in the air. The temperature should be controlled within 25 +/- 2 degrees The humidity should be controlled within 55 +/- 5 RH%. Store your discs in the case in which you received them and always store your master CD-ROM's and DVD-R's at an equally protected off-site or second location! Twisting or bending of the discs can cause a stress crack around the outside edge of the disc which over time will allow moisture and bacteria to infiltrate the hills and valleys of the disc surface under the protective coating. This will inevitably cause read errors and eventually ruin the discs completely. Clean the disc using a soft, dry cloth and commercially available CD cleaner or ethyl alcohol. Hold the disc along the outer edge or by the center hole only and wipe across the disc. DO NO wipe in a circular motion on the disc. Only write on the label side using a quick-drying, permanent felt-tip marker. NEVER use a ball point pen to write on the disc. Last but not least: Avoid finger prints, always handle you discs by the outside edges. That small smudge now won't make much of a difference, but in 10 years the chemicals from your skin can break down the composition of the CD-ROM surface and cause serious read errors if not ruining the disc completely! Follow those rule and your discs will probably live as long as you do (emphasis on "probably"). <> Back to Top <> Contact Us__|__Send e-mail__|__Site Index__|__Home Page