What is disk rot?

No, disk rot isn’t some sort of horrific disease – it’s what can happen over time to the contents of a CD, and it’s irreversible.

Deterioration first affects the protective film covering the disk. Once this is worn away and the metal layer underneath is exposed and gets damaged, the ability to replay the contents will be lost. In addition to this, not all disks are the same, and deterioration can vary depending on brand and conditions they’re stored in.

While disks themselves can last for decades, there is no guarantee regarding longevity of the data stored on them. Exposure to heat and humidity speeds up the breakdown of information stored on the disk, and simply playing a disk over and over will also cause gradual deterioration of the data.

At Data Recovery Specialists, we recommend making backup copies of crucial data stored on CDs, or any data for that matter.