How long will data last on my CD or DVD?

How long will data last on my CD or DVD?

Ian Urquhart (Lead Developer, E-Haus, LLC.) gives expert video advice on: What is the difference between DVD-R and DVD R? and more...

Chances are that the data on your CDs and DVDs is going to be around a lot longer than you are. CDs were manufactured to last 100 years. Since 100 years haven't passed yet, we don't know if that's true or not. However, some people actually estimate that if you don't do anything to your CDs or your DVDs, they could last as long as 1,000 years.