Does anyone know...

[Tuffcookie]

how long my digital pictures will last when I download them onto a cd?

TC

 

[caitycaity]

do you mean how long they will be able to be read on a cd?

theoretically, forever, as long as it doesn't get really scratched.

 

[helenabear]

As long as the CD doesn't get damaged, they should be there and readable forever. Just make sure you don't have a re-writeable CD & burner so that you don't accidentally ever overwrite it in the future.

 

[Towncrier]

It also depends on how "good" the media is that you use in your CD burner. As blank CD-R prices have dropped, so has the quality. Still, a well taken care of CD-R should last for decades.

I am running into the same issue now that we have a digital camera. I plan on burning my photos onto at least two different CDs just as a precaution.

 

[one_cat]

There is a time limit that cds will last I've heard, I think it's something like 100 years. Videotapes will last about 20 years. Some of my videotapes are over 20 years old. I need to get them transferred to dvd before they aren't readable anymore.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

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Someone told me that the lifespan of a cd is about 30 years. I guess we'll find out

I plan on doing the same as TC... I've got over 10K pics on my laptop, and I shudder to think of losing them. (and you don't want to see me shudder - it ain't a pretty sight )