OPTICAL DISK DATA ERASING DEVICE

PURPOSE: To surely erase data recorded in an optical disk at high speed. CONSTITUTION: In an optical disk data erasing device erasing data of an optical disk 3 in which data are recorded in a helical track an optical head 4 whose movement is guided in the radial direction of the optical disk 3 in which data recording is completed and an external scale 12 detecting the track position of the optical head due to the movement of the optical head 4 are provided. The optical head 4 moves plural tracks on the optical disk 3 in the radial direction while detecting the position of the radial direction by the external scale 12. Moreover, data are erased at high speed by irradiating the optical disk 3 with laser spot light having an output larger than the output at the time of a recording, for example, a laser output being >=250mW and having an elliptic shape extending over plural tracks, for example, an elliptic shape having about 50μm to 150μm in the circumferential direction of the disk and about 2μm to 4μm in a track direction.