In WWW #6.17, in a feature entitled CD-R.DIE.DIE.DIE, we read:-
A Dutch magazine called PC-Active ran a series of tests on CD-Rs, trying to see how long data recorded on big-name and no-name CD-Rs really last.
I was surprised to see that they had CD-Rs with high failure rates after just 20 months. Actually, I wasn’t that surprised, because I’ve been hit with a bunch of bad CD-Rs lately, too.
endquote.
On Sept 15 I responded with:-
Surely this issue is at least as serious as any security problem so far, and can create major problems for many users who never or rarely use the internet. It could be deadly serious for me!
Has the rest of the weekly press picked up on it?
What are the reactions of the burner software companies?
The English-language article didn’t reveal much more than your own summary, and I don’t read Dutch so I didn’t go to the original.
Can you say whether the test distinguished between drives used or software used? Were storage conditions taken into consideration? Were there any findings about the mode of deterioration – dirt, scratches, physical deformation, temperature. Are the results equally applicable to all drives and programs, and merely dependent upon the medium used? Are there ways to detect degradation before it affects readability? Are there recovery technologies that can be applied?
As you can tell, I am really stirred up about this!
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Consulting locally, I hear that the problem is due to ultraviolet light degrading the laser-cut image, especially in cheap CD-Rs because they have only a thin layer of light-sensitive material.
Is that true? Is it the whole explanation? I suppose they are as vulnerable before recording as after. Am I OK if I keep ALL my CD-Rs in a dark cupboard or dark box?
Are CD-RWs secure because they have a thicker layer? Seems to me they will get vulnerable after re-recording several times.
Is there any way to be sure of buying a less vulnerable CD-R? Surely there ought to be an international standard way of grading the products for different markets – eg who cares if a pop song fades after it’s forgotten about?
Storage conditions matter. As you might imagine, leaving CD-R’s without sleave or box on the window sill or on top of the heating radiator is not the ideal way.
