NIST Releases Study Of CD/DVD Longevity

dirkin writes "The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a preliminary study of the potential lifespan of CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. The PDF study is here. A good starting point for deciding what type of media to purchase to keep those backups and photos kicking around longer. (You DID buy the silver/gold alloy phthalocyanine CDs, didn't you?)"

Comments

Re:floppy disks

[Squareball]

Correct! So the obvious solution is MILES AND MILES of paper tape!

This is not surprising.

[Krapangor]

The data layer of a CD-R consists of cynanide or phthalocyanine organic dyes. However these dyes have a orientated electric charge like water molecules.
Take now into account earth's rotation and its magnetic field. It induces an albeit very slow movement of the molecules - the data layer degradation. The same effect causes btw certain currents in the Pacific oceans. While the movement is very slow and in the case of the ocean not very important, it does cause damage after a certain amount of time in the case of a CD-R. You should remember that the scale of the information storage units on a CD-R is in the nanometer range. The information is just "washed away" in an entropy-like effect.

However, you can slow this movement down. The molecular movement in the data layer is directed. So it can be reversed to a certain degree just be placing the CD-R the other way around. So, all you have to do is to mark the position of the CD-R in your rack exactly. And reverse it's position every month or so. This can increase to the lifetime of a CD-R about 150 percent. More can't achieved (in normal environment) because electric machines like your computer etc. create their own electro-magnetic fields. And the effects of these varing fields are much more difficult to negate.

BTW: the 100 percent wrong place to store your CD-Rs is on the top of your CRT.

Re:Blah, physical backups

[Jugalator]

Or put it in your Kazaa folder and give the filesi maginative names like "horny young teen sex party.mpg", etc... You need to maintain a porn name real name table though in case you'll need the backups again. :-)

Re:harddisk rack back-up

[B747SP]

most people I know have trouble just filling up their 'small' 20 or 30 gig drives.

With respect Sir, most people you know don't download nearly enough pr0n.

HD

[bogaboga]

Mine will be kept on a real Hard Disk. What I have now is a 120GB, 7,200 rpm Maxtor HD, which has never disappointed me at all.

remember kids,

[Anonymous Coward]

Discerning pr0n collectors choose silver/gold alloy phthalocyanine CDs.

I Use Stone Tablets

[Nova Express]

I carve all my important data on stone tablets. If it was good enough for Yaweh, they by Him, its good enough for me! I look forward to over 2000 years of stable storage without data loss! Unless, of course, I need to smite some wayward Israelites with them or something...

phthalocyanine shmithalocyanine

[mg2]

I still think that corn CDs are the best idea... you'll just need to reburn every once in a while.

It only becomes a problem if you're a big nacho fan...

Re:government?

[Stevyn]

I just write mine down as ones and zeros on paper. It takes me a few months to do a full system backup, but it would take the government years to accomplish the same task. I figure I'll be saved by the statute of limitations by the time they figure out what I've been doing.

Re:Readers

[Anonymous Coward]

"I still have tons of 5" floppy disks"

That could be a problem, since the only drives around are for 5.25" disks.

-Anonymous Phil

Re:government?

[Proc6]

I store all my data in FBI digital case files. The government will obviously never have a system in place that can read them, so I'm safe.