High failure rate regions on an optical disk may be identified in some approaches over time as a result of performing various real time read and/or write operations on the optical disk, in response to performing a plurality of test read and/or write operations, based on historical data, using statistical probabilities, etc., depending on the desired approach. Moreover, once the high failure rate regions have been identified on a given optical disk, steps are preferably taken to reduce the number of data errors are experienced while writing to and/or reading from the optical disk. For instance, any one or more of the processes included in FIG. 5 may be performed in order to prevent data failures caused by the high failure rate regions.

Referring specifically now to FIG. 4B, different high failure rate regions are depicted according to an example which is in no way intended to limit the invention. As shown, a surface contamination 414 may have been caused by an object coming into contact with an outer surface of the optical disk 400. Although this contamination 414 creates a high failure rate region on the optical disk 400, it is confined to a specific location in storage layer 406. A portion of the optical disk 400 towards the outer diameter 410 thereof (e.g., outer circumference of the optical disk) may also be assumed as being a high error rate region having a higher probability of experiencing data errors. This assumption may be based on historical performance in some approaches.