Re: DVD drive lifespan?

[Chris Whelan <cawhelan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

gargoyle47 wrote:

> I built my own PC in June 2005 and installed a Samsung TS-H552U/BEBL
> DVD/CD combo drive, which has recently started playing up, even though
> I only use it about once a week for backing up my personal data to CD-
> RW discs.
> 
> What is the typical life-span for a DVD writer drive on a PC?

That's a bit like a "how long is a piece of string" question; I've certainly
seen them fail before three years. I have also "revived" them by manually
cleaning the lens, but that was when I considered them expensive!

They are available now for under 15 quid, so I would just replace it.

Sliding a bit OT, but how long do you want to keep your data for? I have had
branded optical media that couldn't be read after five years. Archival CD's
are available at a price. You might want to research that?

I have given up on CD's for long term storage. I have an external 500GB USB
drive that was available recently for 50 quid, and keep everything on that.

Chris

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