Discs having E22 and E32 errors caused by improper handling may be readable in many players, but not in all. Minor additional damage could make such discs unreadable. Careful handling and storage can maintain prevent serious damage and will preserve confidence in longevity and interchange. Radial track position and focus of the laser beam along with proper spindle motor speed are all maintained using information from the reflected laser spot. Handling damage not only affects data but also disrupts this information that maintains accuracy of these servo functions.
Time is required after the spot passes a damaged area to reacquire lock for all servo loops.
Data errors occur during this acquisition period, causing the duration of errors to exceed the size of the damage. Since standards do not exist for drives, a damaged disc might be readable in one drive but not in another because of differences in servo performance. High speed 12X and 16X players may be sensitive to effects that are not important in lower speed players. 16X drives rotate as fast as 8000 rpm, speeds usually reserved for precisely balanced hard drive platters that spin in sealed environments. Unbalance on the label surface, such as user-applied adhesive labels, can also be detrimental to performance.