Housekeeping Tips for Optical Media
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How many CDs and DVDs do you own? These disks could be commercial offerings of films, music and computer applications or those you have created yourself to store precious photographs and other types of important data. Whatever the actual number, it does represent a large amount of information that might well be irreplaceable if disaster strikes. Just think how you would feel if one of these disks developed a fault which stopped from you accessing the data - rather annoyed I should think. While not wanting to sound too much like a doom bringer and worry you too much, this situation could happen if you don't take precautions.
Optical media, whether of the CD or DVD variety, is not indestructible. Manufacturers might promise that this type of media comes with a life cycle of up to one hundred years but often this type of claim is based on circumstances that are hardly likely to be duplicated in real life. While you might not be able to reproduce the ideal temperature and humidity conditions recommended by manufacturers, you can help in other respects.
Generally the optical media you own will have a labelled side and a shiny side for holding the data. It is this latter side that is particularly sensitive to any misuse. You should take great care to avoid inflicting any possible damage to this side of the disk. Some simple rules need to be followed to help avoid problems.
Always handle any disk by the edges so that fingerprints are not left on the disk's surface to cause problems when reading the data. After all if it is your fingerprint on the disk's surface then you only have yourself to blame. The evidence will be there for all to see and you will have to shoulder the responsibility.
Do not place a disk on top of other items. This could result in the disk being scratched and cause damage to the underlying data. You should also train yourself to always return the disk carefully to its case whenever it is not needed. This will avoid possible problems by protecting the disk from dust settling on the disk.
If a disk does require cleaning to remove a fingerprint or dust then it is possible to remove the offending items. In most cases water applied with a soft lint-free (you do not want to leave additional particles behind) cloth will do the trick. Cleaning should be carried out by working from the centre of the disk to the outer edge using straight, rather than circular, strokes. For disks that have suffered from mishandling over a period of time, then perhaps a cleaning kit, such as SkipDr or Dr Fix It, would help alleviate problems.
As mentioned earlier, temperature and humidity can play a vital part in prolonging the active life of optical media. The problem with heat is that it can have an adverse effect on the stability of the protective coating and storage layer. This can cause a deformation of the disk resulting in read/write errors and possible data loss. Even though the polycarbonate element of the disk is waterproof, the combination of high temperature and a high degree of humidity could result in corrosion on the dye layer of the media. For optimum storage conditions, disk should be stored in their protective case at a temperature between -5º C and 30º C. Humidity should be between 40 to 60%.
Sunlight also needs to be taken into consideration. While you might think that a media which relies on a laser light to read and write data would not object to normal sunlight, the opposite is true. Sunlight contains UV-radiation. This can cause damage to the storage layer of the disk if it is exposed to sunlight for long periods.
Even though the label side of the disk is more robust, any damage it sustains can affect the integrity of the recorded data. On one occasion I was sent a press disk identified with a sticky label. Unfortunately the label has become partially detached from the disk and was stuck to the disk's protective envelope. As I opened the package so the label, along with the underlying layer, was pulled off the disk. As a result the disk was unreadable and I had to request a replacement.
When identifying disks you should take care to use labels specifically manufactured for the purpose. These labels will have an adhesive that has been developed not to react with the disk's surface and cause damage. You could also use a soft-tip pen to add a title and any credits.
One final word of advice would be to use branded media that conforms to the rated speed of the drive. My personal favourite brands are those manufactured by Imation or Verbatim which are available from a wide range of resellers.
http://www.verbatim-europe.com/index/articles_view.php?lang_id=1
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