Data Longevity on CD, DVD Media: How Long Will They Last? In the early '90s when the first CD-R disc was introduced manufacturers said the media had a data life in excess of 40 years. In the late 90s ...

Stick it in a CD-ROM and see if it reads the disc? And then if it doesn't, try it in a DVD-ROM drive. And if neither reads the disc then it's screwed up, probably.

Physical media is old school, but there are times where it may make sense for some PC owners. Let's take a look at compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), and Blu-rays to see which option ...

Have you owned PCs for a while now? That is, over decades, not just a few years. Then you probably have dozens of backup CDs and DVDs sitting in your closet, waiting for you to get that data onto more ...