How Long Does A CD-R Last?

esobofh asks: "I would estimate it's been about four to five years now that making your own CD's and burning CD's in general has been a commonplace thing. I'm finding now, however, that CD-R disks that I purchased a few years ago, are completely unreadable now. Data and Audio. I'm listening to a backup of a Pink Floyd disk I created less than a year ago, and there is now a very intrusive static that wasn't present a month ago. The CD is in perfect shape, without scratches. Is anyone else noticing this with their personal CD-R collections? I'm finding it's especially affecting my KAO and ArtMedia disks, whereas my Sony, HP, Memorex and others seem to be fine. Any idea if certain hardware - DVD players, CD audio component players etc. - shorten the life of these discs? Or do I just live in some weird area of radioactivity that is killing them?"

Comments

According to the CD-Recordable FAQ....

[ScottG]

According to the CD-Recordable FAQ, a CDR which has been written to should last at least 75 years. Strangely, the FAQ suggests that CDR's which have not been written on only have a shelf life of 5-10 years.

Note that exposure to heat or direct sunlight can greatly reduce the life of the media. You haven't been leaving those CDR's on the front seat of your car have you?

The section of the FAQ which discusses longevity can be found here.