Keep your discs in tip top condition

Before considering how to best look after DVDs and CDs, it is a good idea to ensure you are buying good-quality discs. There are a lot of apparent ‘bargains’ to be had on bulk deals, but the discs may be unreliable. Cheap DVDs and CDs might work well enough at first, but the quality will tell: deterioration of rewriteable CDs and DVDs is particularly apparent on cheaper versions. Discs may produce errors soon after purchase if not pressed well or if the materials used to make it are of a poor quality. In short, while cheap media has its place – sending copies of stuff through the post, for example – if you want the discs to be readable for years to come, start with higher-quality discs.

Regardless of quality, DVDs and CDs are notoriously easy to scratch. So it is important to store them safely. While music CDs and films on DVD come in protective cases, blank discs are often supplied in bulk, on a spindle. Jewel cases and DVD-style plastic boxes can be picked up relatively cheaply and offer a great way to store discs safely. A convenient, but less sturdy, alternative is a basic plastic or paper disc sleeve, or even just an appropriate-sized envelope.

Few people consider the environment in which CDs and DVDs are stored. However, this is important as it can dramatically affect lifespan. First of all, ensure they are somewhere safe and secure. This might sound obvious, but if you store them on a high shelf they could easily be knocked off and break. Similarly, never store CDs and DVDs in direct sunlight as this can quickly deteriorate the dyes used on disc surfaces. Also, keep the discs organised: label cases and file them neatly on a shelf or in a drawer. Computeractive’s archive discs, for example, are stored in sturdy, locked filing cabinets, away from windows. Keep the most important discs away from computers – if the PC is stolen or damaged, the vital discs should still be safe.

It isn’t necessarily a great idea to stick labels onto discs or write on them with pen. Sticky labels can deteriorate over time, damaging the disc. Also, sticking a label onto a disc upsets the weight balance of that disc. When a CD or DVD spins in a disc drive it spins very quickly and even a tiny change to the weight distribution can lead to it becoming scratched. Writing on the disc itself is risky as the solvents in the pen could possibly damage the disc. To be safe, a far better option is to either store a piece of paper in the jewel case saying what is on the disc, or better still write what is on the disc on the jewel case it is stored in.

Keeping CDs and DVDs clean is perhaps the most important part of disc care. Sticky finger marks, scratches and scuffs can stop a disc working. There are some quick and easy ways to keep discs clean and even restore damaged ones so they will work again. A wipe with a lens cloth will often do the trick. Work outwards from the centre of the disc when wiping. Disc-cleaning kits cost from around £5 (like this one from Philips) for a simple cloth wipe and cleaning fluid. If a disc should become so scratched that it won’t play, it may still be possible to restore it. Costlier disc-restoration kits, priced at around £30 (such as this model from Maplin) include a motorised drive that spins discs very quickly, polishing and buffing away any scratches that have appeared.

Finally, if a disc won’t play and you’re sure there is nothing wrong with it, there could be something wrong with the disc drive itself. Over time, CD/DVD drives can become dirty and dust can collect on the lens that reads this disc. While a small amount of dust shouldn’t pose a problem, on rare occasions a lot of dirt can build up. This can cause discs to not be recognised, take a long time to read or, in the case of audio CDs and DVDs, audio or video content to skip. Never blow into a suspected dirty drive, as flecks of saliva and other dirt can get onto the laser. Instead, use a can of compressed air but use short bursts to dislodge the dust effectively. Lens-cleaning discs are also available, with prices from around £5.