[MacDV] Re: OT: Best way to destroy used CD-R's

[Ron Woodland]

Just take a sharp object and scratch the side with the coating.  On a 
CD-R, that is what actually contains the encoded data - the laser burns 
the reflective coating on the underside through the plastic disk 
material to create a null-reflection point representing a binary 1 (or 
0, I'm not sure).  Any significant amount of scratches to that 
reflective surface will probably make the disk unreadable.  I use a car 
key and do it several places hard until the reflective material flakes 
off, then simply throw it away.  There's no way anyone can read it.

Of course, in our world today you can't be too careful.  A CD shredder 
would be the ultimate protection.  Then again, I don't have anything 
archived that would be that sensitive.  My method is sufficient for the 
work I do.

Ron Woodland



Susan Tomanek wrote:

> we shred them. got a cd shredder at office depot.  
> 
> ----------
> 
>>From: Dwayne Bradley <dwayne_bradley at mac.com>
>>To: "Macintosh Digital Video List" <MacDV at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
>>Subject: [MacDV] OT: Best way to destroy used CD-R's
>>Date: Wed, Mar 26, 2003, 4:49 PM
>>
>>
> 
>>I know that this is a little off topic, but I thought that this group
>>should have plenty of experience with this.
>>
>>What is the best way to destroy used CD-R's?  I have several that have
>>personal backup data which is very old that I no longer need and I do
>>not want to just throw them in the trash with this data still
>>accessible.  What does everyone think?