Resource Center > Media Resource Guide >  Media Protection and Maintenance

1. How to protect CD-Rs?
2. Can scratched and damaged CD-Rs and CD-RWs be restored?
3. Is it necessary to verify CD-Rs and CD-RWs after recording?

1. How to protect CD-Rs?

CD-Rs have always been regarded as very fragile and much more susceptible to environmental conditions than other produced discs. Based on the features distinct from others, CD-Rs should be protected from dust, heat, pressure, cold, high humidity and most vital, bright light. The important issue is one should keep them in jewel cases, where nothing is permitted to touch their surface, in a dark cool place. Here you ought to know the reality that some cheaper cases give off corrosive/acidic gasses from the plastic which can harm the coating of CD-Rs.

2. Can scratched and damaged CD-Rs and CD-RWs be restored?

Often it is less expensive and makes more sense to transfer the data from a damaged disc onto a new one rather than to try to restore the problem disc. For dealing with more badly damaged situations consumer disc repair kits are available while several companies offer CD restoration and resurfacing equipment and services. See the resource listing in the appendix for contact information.

3. Is it necessary to verify CD-Rs and CD-RWs after recording?

Verifying discs after writing certainly help maintain an appropriate level. The amount of ongoing integrity checking and data verification that may be necessary is really a question of acceptable risks for any particular application. For example, letting recording software conduct data comparisons immediately after writing is usually sufficient in casual settings but critical data archiving and large-scale duplication may call for more comprehensive testing. This is due to the differences that often exist among recorders, drives and players. For example, recorders typically incorporate higher quality optical systems and lenses with slightly larger numerical apertures than do reading devices. Consequently, successfully verifying a written disc on a recorder does not guarantee broad playing compatibility, especially in cases where disc jitter is marginal.

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