Reading a 10 years old CD-R

This week-end, i decided to copy a collection of CD-R back to my hard drive, to make new copies. Everyone knows, that a CD-R only live for 10 years. After this date, the data on it are more difficult to read. So it's the time to know what brand of CD-R has the greatest lifetime.

I begin to write CD-R sometimes around 1997. From this date, i keep using the same scheme to do this task: use high-end CD recorder (Plextor), good quality disc, always write at the minimum speed (ranging from 4x to 16x for the latest CD-R -- because sometime you cannot go under a defined speed), keep data on a separate partition to prevent buffer underun (10 years ago this was mandatory). The way i do this has almost not changed, expect maybe for the buffer underun, which doesn't happen anymore on modern hardware.

They have been in the same place at the same date. They have always been kept out of direct sunlight exposure, in 18-25°C environment (i.e. near my computer). I didn't often use them. None have "scratches" on theirs surface. I have written the name of the CD with a permanent marker (Stabilo).

For reading back the data I use a DVD-Recorder (Plextor PX-716UF) that can lower its speed if there are too many errors during the read.

The result is somehow what you should think:

  • Verbatim CD-R DataLifePlus metalAzo (blue surface): lost something like 5 files on 50 CD-R
  • Kodak DS (gold surface): 0 lost on 2 CD-R
  • Memorex CD-R (gold surface): 20 files lost on 2 CD-R

The Verbatim and Kodak can be read at full speed. I think the data on this two media are really well conservated. Even, if i have lost some data from the Verbatim medium, i think it is a really good rate for a 10 year old CD-R. The Kodak medium seems also good, but i don't have enough of them to be sure that i won't have the same error rate as Verbatim. Memorex CD-R is by far the worst media. I think all the data i have on these CD-R are lost. It takes me something like 1 hour to conclude that the first disc i try was totally destroyed.

At the time i have bought Verbatim medium, it was the best medium around. I gave a try to the Memorex medium to reduce the price per unit.

Conclusion: i have lost 15 CD-R with their content because 10 years ago i was thinking that i will save 2-3F (0,5€) by replacing Verbatim with Memorex...

They posted on the same topic

Trackback URL : http://sylvain.le-gall.net/blog/index.php?trackback/30

This post's comments feed