Safest way to store archival DVD or CDs?

[asscherisme]

I keep my photo collection backed on on DVDs and was wondering the safest way to store the dVDs over the long haul. Would it be safer to store them in paper sleeves? Or safer to store them in jewel cases? I''m wondering if the jewel cases might contain some sort of plastic the might over time breakdown the data stored on the disks?

I also have an external hard drive that I back up to as well but the disks are in addition because these photos are so important to me. And don''t laught, but I also keep a set of dvds in my safe box.

I spent months scanning in old family photos and have over 10,000 photos so proper storage is important so I don''t lose the data.

Thanks!

 

[TooPatient]

CDs & DVDs have something called "bit rot". The data on them will break down over time (the lenght of time varies) and, at some point, the disk won''t be readable anymore.

My grandfather used to put all of his digital photos (weddings, births, etc) onto CDs for archiving. He stored them carefully but.....
when I built a new computer for him, I tried to copy all of the CDs onto the computer so he could have easy access to them and found several CDs that could only be partially recovered and one that could not be read (tried three different drives).


What I do for my photos (and the old slides I scanned for my grandfather) is keep a copy on my computer (1.5TB disk) and another copy on an external harddrive.

If you want to keep CD/DVD copies too (which I think is great), you might consider making fresh CD/DVD every so often (1 or 2 tiimes per year) so that the data isn''t lost.

 

[stone-cold11]

multiple copies, different storage media.

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 3/26/2010 3:47:54 PM
Author: TooPatient
CDs & DVDs have something called ''bit rot''. The data on them will break down over time (the lenght of time varies) and, at some point, the disk won''t be readable anymore.

My grandfather used to put all of his digital photos (weddings, births, etc) onto CDs for archiving. He stored them carefully but.....
when I built a new computer for him, I tried to copy all of the CDs onto the computer so he could have easy access to them and found several CDs that could only be partially recovered and one that could not be read (tried three different drives).


What I do for my photos (and the old slides I scanned for my grandfather) is keep a copy on my computer (1.5TB disk) and another copy on an external harddrive.

If you want to keep CD/DVD copies too (which I think is great), you might consider making fresh CD/DVD every so often (1 or 2 tiimes per year) so that the data isn''t lost.

Thats a shame he lost some of his data.

I do update them every so often.

I also put them on gold archive type disks. I don''t know if it makes a differnce but worth a try. I have all the photos in hard copy but spent so much time on the scanned collection, wanted to makes ure that as well as new digitals I take are not lost.

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 3/26/2010 3:48:23 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
multiple copies, different storage media.

Yup, disks at home and a set in safe box. Plus I keep a dupliate copy of my collection on my desk top and laptop. AND I just bought an external hard drive.

So it looks like I''m covered.

As far as storing the disks though, does it make a difference if I store them in paper sleeves vs plastic jewel cases in terms of the disk date breaking down any faster?

 

[perry]

If you have data you wish to archive - then you need to write it on special "Archival" CD''s; which typically cost about $3-$5 each depending on the volume you buy (but which will not degrade for at least a century if stored properly). The key to long term storage on the archival CDs is to not put paper sticky labels on them, store them in jewel cases on edge (with the CD vertical). Put the label on the jewel case, and write on the inner edge of the CD with a marker a code to match them to the label

Here is the company that started it all....

http://www.mam-a.com/

They use pure gold and the best materials.

99.999 % of CD''s being made use much cheaper materials that start degrading in several years. I''ve lost data that was stored on a normal CD within 4 years with the CD stored in a climate controlled vault and in the dark.

Do some internet searching on "Archival CDs"


If you are looking for longer term storage than that - you can go to glass optical disc.

Perry