CDs question

[LucharesuFan619]

This may be a dumb question because it's probably either an "Of course" or "Of course not!" answer, but it should be pretty easy to answer and I need to know, so I'll ask anyway - Is it OK to write in Sharpie marker on a CD. I'm backing up my computer files on CDs and wish to label them, but want to make sure that's OK before I do so. Also, does it matter what format CD one is using, or is whatever answer you give true of all CD formats? Thanks in advance.

[Guest Fook]

Of course

[LucharesuFan619]

Of course yes? Can anyone confirm, I'm not sure whether you're being sarcastic...

[Insane Bump Machine]

I don't know what a 'sharpie' marker is, but as long as you don't write on the wrong side of the disc it doesn't really matter what you use.

 

Format? For normal CD backup use standard CD-R, or CD-RW if you want to be able to overwrite the disc at a later time. Just keep in mind that even CD-Rs don't last forever, but they should keep your files safe for a couple of years.

[LucharesuFan619]

Thanks. How long to CD-RWs last, do you happen to know?

[The Czech Republic]

Sharpies are safer than labels, actually. Any felt-tip marker should be good, just don't use a ballpoint pen

[LucharesuFan619]

Shit, I thought I was using CD-RWs but I just realized they're CD-Rs I'm using. Reason is I have a CD-RW drive, so I assumed it was a CD-RW I was using, but apparently not. Anyway, about how many years will a CD-R work for before I should start thinking about making a copy of it?

 

I appreciate all the help. Whenever I ask a question in this forum, nobody ever lets me down!

 

To Czech Republic: Yeah, I found out labels aren't too good the hard way. I labeled the first few CDs I made and when I put them into the drive, it kept eating up the label so that when it came out, there was no label attached anymore.

[Insane Bump Machine]

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/specsf...VDlongevity.php

 

as long as you treat your discs the way it's supposed to be you don't have to worry too much about the longevity. Read the link above if you want extensive info about the topic.

 

 

Just one tip:

always check the disc after you burned it. Most burning programs like Nero offer the option to check the burned disc afterwards.

[LucharesuFan619]

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/specsf...VDlongevity.php

 

as long as you treat your discs the way it's supposed to be you don't have to worry too much about the longevity. Read the link above if you want extensive info about the topic.

 

 

Just one tip:

always check the disc after you burned it. Most burning programs like Nero offer the option to check the burned disc afterwards.

Check to see that the files you copied are actually on there, right? Or check to see something else I'm missing? Thanks for the link, too.

[Insane Bump Machine]

Just use the check option of the burning program (Nero is great). It compares the files you burnt with the original files on your PC and warns you if they're not identical.

[LucharesuFan619]

I use STOMP's RecordNow MAX feature. Do you know if it has any such feature on it? When I check the files on the CD, it looks identical to the originals...same quality, same audio/video synching, etc.

[Insane Bump Machine]

no, never heard of that program. check the manual. and now stop worrying so much, this is not rocket science. The files are there, everything's alright. If there was an error the program would have told you anyway.