The invention is directed to verify software to determine the quality and accuracy of data recorded on an optical data storage disk by an optical disk drive. A verify software module receives error information from the optical disk drive indicative of errors associated with the recovered data. The verify software module then generates an indication of data integrity based on the error information and presents the indication to a user of the optical disk drive via an output device. The data integrity indication identifies whether or not the data was recorded correctly and predicts how long the data will last. The indication is especially useful for data storage applications where reliable data archive is vital. The verify software may be distributed as a CD-ROM included with a multi-disk package of optical disks. The verify software CD-ROM may include a tutorial to be presented to the user via the output device.