OK,most people don't like resurface discs but what about disc rot? real, fake, sucks!

[sloan]

I've heard the term "disc rot" used and never understood its use. I have had a couple game discs (Dreamcast, Gamecube) over the years that there was a point in the data layer where light would shine through if held up to a lamp. What caused it, I don't know because I bought the games that way, unfortunately.

Somewhere, I have been told that writing on CD-R discs with a Sharpie marker is bad because supposedly the chemicals in the marker ink eat through the disc over a period of years. True or not, I do not know.

[Gameguy]

Somewhere, I have been told that writing on CD-R discs with a Sharpie marker is bad because supposedly the chemicals in the marker ink eat through the disc over a period of years. True or not, I do not know.

This is true, the solvents in some markers could eventually affect the dye layer. It's best to use markers specifically designed for CDs. I don't have any so I just leave discs unlabeled, I label the case they're stored in. Also don't use adhesive labels on discs as they can affect the balance of the disc.

What a lot of people don't seem to understand is that different types of discs are manufactured differently. CDs, DVDs, CD-Rs, and DVD-Rs are all made differently and have different layers. The discs can fail in different ways as they have different weaknesses. I have come across Sega CD and PC games that have pinholes in them, if the holes are past the data then the discs can still be playable. It could be caused by manufacturing problems or with poor storage, something has to penetrate the top coat/layer and cause the reflective layer to flake off or oxidize.

As for how I feel about disc rot, I avoid buying discs if I notice pinholes in them. I also tend to avoid discs if I notice them starting to discolour in the reflective layer, it could mean that the reflective layer is starting to oxidize and will become unreadable. I'd rather not risk it unless it's something really valuable.

[PROTOTYPE]

http://www.rfgeneration.com/news/Dis...uyers-1337.php This is how I've learn about it and my discs look like this too.Do I believe in it? some..

[kedawa]

This is true, the solvents in some markers could eventually affect the dye layer.

The solvents should have evaporated long before they could have caused any damage.

[djshok]

The solvents should have evaporated long before they could have caused any damage.

This. I'm glad someone said it. The solvents in most markers are alcohols which evaporate within seconds of writing.

[Gameguy]

The solvents should have evaporated long before they could have caused any damage.

This. I'm glad someone said it. The solvents in most markers are alcohols which evaporate within seconds of writing.

http://www.tapeonline.com/articles/u...rs-on-cds-dvds
http://superuser.com/questions/34533...on-a-cd-r-disc

It depends on the marker, some contain xylene and toluene instead of just alcohol. While the solvents will evaporate quickly, they could potentially damage the outer coating once applied(within seconds) and the ink that stays behind could continue to eat through to the reflective layer over time, the ink is the stuff that stays on the disc that you can read.

Does this mean that all markers will damage a disc, of course not. It's like with handling computer hardware, you can handle and install parts without using anti-static equipment. It doesn't mean that the hardware will get damaged, there's just a higher chance that it could get damaged. It depends on the quality of the discs too, some top coatings are better than others. The markers designed for CD-Rs are water based so they're safer to use compared to other markers.

[goatdan]

"Disc Rot" is real, but the claims that some people make about it are way way overblown. The brief version of the reason for it is that the platter layer containing the data on a CD rots, and it causes an issue with the disc.

Honestly, real honest-to-goodness disc-rot is extremely, extremely, extremely rare.

That isn't to say that games don't get those pinholes in them, but that is actually a different problem. If you take out your discs and look at them, you'll notice that one side is screen printed. If the problem was disc-rot, the color of the hole should be the same as the color of the screenprint on the other side... but you'll notice that it almost never is. Instead, what you've got is a disc that at some point in it's life was mishandled -- maybe by you, maybe by the person that owned it before you, maybe at the factory. The side that is screenprinted is pretty fragile, and I believe the data is actually nearer the surface there. If you scratch it deep enough, you'll gouge the data layer right off.

A *lot* of people store discs upside down, so as to combat them from getting scratched, but a scratch on the other side of the disc can lead to the pinhole problem, and can definitely render a disc unplayable. Sometimes, it is hard to see that a little irregularity even occurred, as the screen printing combines right into it.

The problem with disc rot ultimately usually comes from air being sealed into that layer of the disc. This is not common for professionally printed CDs at all to get. My oldest CD is from 1986, when manufacturing was much crappier on them, and it still works fine. Does it exist? Yeah. It is overblown? Yeah -- because it is often misunderstood.

I don't know if that will help anyone, but I hope that it does

[PROTOTYPE]

yea, you maybe on to something there. I took one of the worst of my discs[ rare one] and look at it with the flashlight, there was 4 or 5 holes group together. Then I turn it over in the same spot on the printed side of the disc there was these very tiny scratch marks in the same place they were hard to see.This disc did skip a couple times in the game... So, if its a deep scratch on the printed side its wreck forever then? But won't get any worst which is good in a way? You know I've never look that hard on the printed side maybe that's why people are careless into thinking it won't hurt them?

[xelement5x]

The problem with disc rot is I'm not sure if it really is a manufacturing problem for all the cases I see, or sometimes just a poorly treated disc. I've got several games that look exactly like disc rot, except for the fact that I know about the lot they came from and those have just been terribly abused. Poor Saturn games