Effective Optical Disc Repair? 554
CyberKnet writes "I have an extensive music collection on original CD media. While most of it is in impeccable condition, I have a few discs that have suffered extensive scratching through listening to the disc either via a portable disc player, or in a car CD stacker. I've long since learned the error of my old ways and don't listen to discs in those devices any more, but those discs are irreplaceable in many cases. I would very much like to be able to repair them or have them repaired to original condition, or at least well enough that I can pull the tracks off once and archive the track data. I have heard really uncomplimentary things about devices like the Skip Doctor; ranging from it not helping to it making things worse. I've heard great things about JFJ devices that are seen on the counters of most Hollywood and BlockBuster video stores, but even their consumer devices start at $250. I would appreciate any other suggestions for devices that people have had personal experience with that won't break the bank."
cdparanoia (Score:5, Insightful)
Clean the disk well and rip it with cdparanoia.
If legal in your location, replace bad tracks with copies from elsewhere.
Burn to new CD.
Re:cdparanoia (Score:5, Informative)
Try ripping it with both cdparanoia and with Exact Audio Copy [exactaudiocopy.de] (Windows freeware that works well under Wine). Stuff that won't rip in one will often rip in the other.
Re:cdparanoia (Score:5, Informative)
Re:cdparanoia (Score:5, Informative)
You can learn more than you ever wanted to know about ripping discs from the guys at Chris Myden/UberNet. Not that I would ever have anything to do with such a network, that being illegal and such.
http://www.chrismyden.com/uber/ [chrismyden.com]
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
cdparanoia uses older techniques that are not the state of the art in recovering data from physically damaged audio CDs. exact audio copy has been patched and upgraded repeatedly over the last decade, and its age and cruftiness finally become pretty burdensome.
for a modern, cruft-free secure audio extractor, take a look at rubyripper. it uses cdparanoia in a novel way to securely extract audio from damaged media.
personally, i am a fan of the digital innovations skip doctor. it won't fix a label-side scratch
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
"personally, i am a fan of the digital innovations skip doctor. it won't fix a label-side scratch, but i can only think of a couple of discs with intact foil that i've not been able to repair with mine."
my Standard operating procedure for 'fixing' discs involves 1. cleaning the optical media either with a gentle detergent, or with rubbing alcohol*. I always use basic cotton cloths, they're washable, and a fairly gentle cloth. oh yeah and they're cheap. 2. basic car wax I use 'original' turtle wax, but i o
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
afaict what you want to do with scratches is fill them with something that has a similar refractive index to the scratched material. I guess the wax probablly has a much closer refractive index to the plastic than air does.
I store backup copies of all my CDs on eMule (Score:5, Funny)
Whenever I need a fresh copy I just download one.
Some of the kind people out there even make a second backup copy for me and store it in BitTorrent format. I don't know their names but thanks!
Re:cdparanoia (Score:4, Interesting)
No, it's not. Also cdparanoia has a well-documented CD-ROM caching issue which it currently does not defeat making the rips unreliable at best.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, I have the hand-crank model, and I haven't had any bad experiences with it yet. Granted, I haven't had to use it very often; I take pretty good care of my discs. But I've had one disc which many would consider dead returned to its former glory without any problems whatsoever.
A friend of mine borrowed some CDs of mine, among them several CDR's with data on them. While returning them, the plastic bag in which he carried them broke, and the CDs fell to the floor. Jewel cases cracked open, CDs skidded all
Re:cdparanoia (Score:5, Funny)
Burn to new CD.
No need! This [amazon.com] is the absolute GREATEST optical disk repair device that I've found! It'll even repair cracked disks!
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:cdparanoia (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
In any case, burning CDs was my SOP for several years. I would never carry the original in the car, for, as you mentioned, the heat, vibrations, etc would invariable kill the CD.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
We need to GET RID of this optical medium shit that is easily destroyed.
If you are careful with the media and the media is not junk in the first place you shouldn't have many problems. Sure, the media is not nearly as robust as other alternatives but if you stick your discs in cases when they are not in use and don't leave them in extreme heat/cold then you shouldn't have many discs get "easily destroyed".
We will be rid of optical media only if a replacement comes along that is just as cheap and easy to tr
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
No, optical storage is better than magnetic because it isn't susceptible to magnetic fields. When CD-ROMs first came out, they had "caddies" that you had to put them into, before loading them into a CD-ROM drive. Keeping all your CDs in caddies kept them from ever getting scratched, just like floppy disks' plastic covers kept them from being scratched.
Unfortunately, consumers didn't like caddies. They were a bit of a pain to work with, because 1) their CDs didn't come in them, they had to provide them th
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Blame the consumer for not liking caddies? CD caddies were annoying to use. It didn't help that you probably had one or two caddies at the most and 100s of CDs. You still had to handle the bare discs and they only went into the caddy when you were using it.
If reliability and disc preservation were the concern, CDs and DVDs could have easily been contained in a shell similar to 3.5" floppy disks. In fact this is exactly how most magneto-optical drives are - both the 3.5" and 5.25" formats are enclosed in a p
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Besides, last time I checked, there's no such thing as a removable magnetic media which can store 4.7GB of data, or worse the 36GB that BD-R stores.
There is, it's called the IOMEGA REV. But it is stupidly expensive. Optical media is not particularlly reliable but it's so bloody cheap that you can get arround that by keeping multiple copies.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
What happens when we have CD's with >600MB storage space? We won't have to bring our computers over to share a network!
Sneakernet has ALWAYS had much higher bandwidth than the Internet.
Toothepaste (Score:2, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Toothepaste (Score:4, Interesting)
I've also done the toothpaste thing and there is a technique to it (not just randomly swirling it around) because what you are doing is making fine scratches with the paste abrasive and the lines must radiate from the center of the disc outward to be effective. I have restored unreadable discs to a state where data could be pulled from them - it's just good enough for last-ditch recovery, IMO - not something to count on using repeatedly.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Took the disk to the local used CD store and for $2 they fixed the disk. You can still see the rings on the bottom of the disk, but barely, and they work! 2$/CD is a bargain, just pay the money and let someone
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Good to know it works. Yes, well worth it for a disk that would be tough to replace, either for availability or price. I think I'd try ripping it first, tho, just in case (as someone else said can happen) the machine EATS the disk.
I've gotten a couple DVDs from the library that were completely unwatchable, to the point that they'd lock up PowerDVD solid from hardware errors. On a whim I ran one through some basic DVD ripping app, and got a complete perfect watchable copy -- tho it took 14 hours, and the log
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm wondering if dirt/grease in the scratches is as much of a culprit as the scratches themselves.
Don't some scratch-fixers work by filling in the scratches with a substance that has a very similar refractive index to the plastic of the CD itself (thus making them near-invisible to the laser)?
Re:Toothepaste (Score:4, Funny)
I did worry about that, but amazingly, it didn't even rattle in the drive. The break was so clean that it wasn't immediately obvious -- neither I nor the librarian at the checkout counter noticed it, but it probably explains why someone had abandoned it on a table far from the CD rack.
Proved to be a pretty good foot-stompin' country album, so was worth the bother :)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I've heard that rubbing toothpaste on the shiny side and rinsing with water can be effective.
I've had good results using standard toothpaste. What follows pertains to only problems with the read-side surface of discs. Foil-side damage is another problem evident as bright holes/scratches when examining a disc with strong light behind it.
First make sure the disc is clean and free of things like pizza sauce, bean-dip, baby food, ice cream, sex-lubricant, etc. Rinsing in warm water alternated with gently rubb
Toothpaste (Score:5, Interesting)
Get toothpaste. NOT GEL, but regular white paste. Get a small cloth, put a dab on it, then rub it from the center to the outside in straight lines going outwards around the whole disk. When you're done, clean it off and pat it dry. Disk will look like hell, but it'll work.
I have rescued lord knows how many CDs with this technique, including console ones that were completely screwed, and even resurrected a dead DVD-RW just this past weekend using this technique.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Polishing anything requires a lot of skill to get it right.
Its just as easy to screw up your cd than to make it better.
Learn how to carefully polish things before you start and practice on things you don't need.
Toothpaste will not remove scratches that you can feel, but it may clean out the grooves of the scratch enough for them to be read.
If in doubt, speak to one of your friends who buffs and polishes their car every weekend - they will likely have the tools, polishes and most importantly knowledge availa
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agreed. In fact...that is sort of the POINT of a buffer. You heat up the paint, then move it across the scratch that you're trying to get rid of.
Re:Toothpaste (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Toothpaste (Score:5, Funny)
2. Place the CD on the chuck, tighten the chuck around a bolt and washer to keep it in place.
3. Clamp the drill in a bench vice.
4. Spin the CD at 30,000rpm
5. Hold an oily rag against the CD and polish away.
Disclaimer: I typed this message with two fingers.
Re:Toothpaste (Score:4, Informative)
I'm surprised no-one has caught the humor that was hopefully intended in this post. If the intent wasn't humor, then it may have been manslaughter...
30,000 RPM is more than high enough to cause the disc to fly apart - let alone the shattering splinters that would result (and could cause lacerations, embedded chunks of plastic) if you pressed against the disc at anywhere close to that speed.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Yep, the shrapnel-risk speed was determined to be 56x or higher, with 52x being the max truly safe speed. This is probably why after a brief spate of 56x drives, the industry dropped back to 52x; also why there is a shrapnel shield in the front of newer/faster drives. That ten cents worth of metal could prevent a multimillion dollar lawsuit.
That word you keep using... (Score:3, Informative)
FUD does not mean "false" or "myth" or "urban legend". The OP was not spreading Fear, Uncertainty or Denial. Stop using it that way.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
When I think of FUD I think of OM NOM NOM NOM
(sorry)
Re:Toothpaste (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Toothpaste (Score:4, Funny)
Toothpaste eh? Working porn DVD and clean teeth, all in one swoop!
Oh man...
Please no "pearly white" comments to this.
Re:Not Toothpaste (Score:5, Funny)
thats not toothpaste...
Re:Not Toothpaste (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Toothpaste (Score:5, Interesting)
The way this works, by the way, is that white toothpaste contains fuller's earth [wikipedia.org], which is a very mild abrasive. This polishes the disk back to readability.
Use this as your last resort, only when EAC and cdparanoia have both failed.
Note also: if you hold the disk up to the light and see lots of pinholes ... the aluminium layer's fucked and you haven't a hope. I dunno if you can repaint an aluminium layer ...
Slide case cover to left (Score:4, Funny)
I wonder if that works on 3.5" floppies...
Of course, 3.5" floppies are in cases, so I'll have to just squeeze the toothpaste into the case, and then use the disk drive to spread it out over the surface of the disk.
It might be worth it just for the tech support call.
Iron Filings, Magnetism, and the Floppy Problem (Score:4, Funny)
Perhaps I should sprinkle iron filings into the toothpaste prior to applying it to the floppy. Magnets work well on iron filings, so I know they'll work well with a magnetic medium.
I suppose the iron-toothpaste mix could get stuck in the floppy drive, but I can just pull it with a big electromagnet, like the ones they use to lift shipping containers.
Then I will be able to read the floppy disks quite well. A happy ending! :)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Get toothpaste. NOT GEL, but regular white paste. Get a small cloth, put a dab on it, then rub it from the center to the outside in straight lines going outwards around the whole disk. When you're done, clean it off and pat it dry. Disk will look like hell, but it'll work.
I have rescued lord knows how many CDs with this technique, including console ones that were completely screwed, and even resurrected a dead DVD-RW just this past weekend using this technique.
Just to reiterate: http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Scratched-CD [wikihow.com]
I found this VERY helpful.
Re:Why not GEL? (Score:4, Funny)
That may well be. It's just that the poster has stock in a toothpaste company that does NOT produce a gel. All you gel using people are diminishing his retirement fund, and the fact that you have a brilliant white smile, fresh breath, and no cavities is just rubbing it in.
NOVUS plastic polish (Score:5, Informative)
Have had good luck using this stuff, a piece of chamois, and some elbow grease. Good on all kinds of plastics, not just CDs/DVDs.
http://www.amazon.com/Novus-Polish-Plastic-Scratch-Remover/dp/B000B4Q9Y6 [amazon.com]
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Over the years I've tried toothpaste, a paste of Bon-Ami cleanser + water as well as several commercially sold CD scratch removers. All worked to some degree but nothing has worked as well as Novus #2, followed by a cleaning with Novus #1.
I also use Novus #2 to clean up laptop screens, especially touchscreens.
Whatever you choose to polish with, use a soft cloth; never use a paper product. Use a small amount on a fingertip-sized area of cloth and rub firmly in small, overlapping circles. Never let the dry cl
Blow Torch, Seriously (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Blow Torch, Seriously (Score:5, Funny)
That's gotta be some sort of Extreme Sports of disk recovery ...
Re:Blow Torch, Seriously (Score:5, Funny)
Easy (Score:5, Informative)
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I haven't tried the toothpaste, but I'll vouch for Brasso. I typically try to clean discs well before moving on to any other method, and then spray them with Pledge to see if that helps smooth out the smaller scratches/scuffs. If these two fail, I use put a small amount of Brasso on a cotton cloth (an old t-shirt) and buff out in a radial pattern or along deeper scratches. This has gotten some older discs to work, especially some PS2 discs I bought used.
I've got a $5 solution.. (Score:5, Informative)
Get a $5 tub of Mother's Metal Polish. It'll take out scratches in any plastic as long as you use a cotton or microfiber cloth.
It's also handy if you get a gimp DVD from NetFlix/Blockbuster and don't feel like waiting for a replacement.
Typically, you can buff down the worst of gashes in less than a minute. If you can't, then the $250 device probably wouldn't have worked either.
Since there's no way you'll use the whole tub on CDs or DVDs, you can use the rest to pretty up your silverware, brass stuff, and rub rust off things you don't feel safe using steel wool on.
Re:I've got a $5 solution.. (Score:5, Informative)
Since there's no way you'll use the whole tub on CDs or DVDs, you can use the rest to pretty up your silverware, brass stuff, and rub rust off things you don't feel safe using steel wool on.
This is probably off topic but I felt compelled to reply, never buff your silver. There's a super easy trick that companies don't want you to know. (IAAC) Get a container big enough for your silverware. Put aluminum foil in it, put the silver on top of it, fill with boiling water, sprinkle baking soda on top. The tarnished parts of the silver will disappear. It's an oxidation reduction reaction. Every atom of the silver will remain and it only removes the tarnish. No worry about scratches or wearing down the metal. I shine all my/my gf's/my family's silver jewelry and utensils this way. It only takes a few seconds.
Re:I've got a $5 solution.. (Score:5, Informative)
As a fine jeweler, I must say that you pose an interesting solution. However, I don't think that the reaction with aluminum is going to help you, the wearer, much. After putting the jewelry back on, you can still leave aluminum oxide all over your skin, which is very much an irritant.
Also, some of the stones you put in there will absolutely turn to crap if you try that. Don't do it with aquamarines, emeralds, opals, coral, turquoise, or any other soft stone.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I've got a $5 solution.. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I've got a $5 solution.. (Score:4, Informative)
Al2O3, aka sand, is not an irritant. It is very stable chemically, and a very hard substance. The only known health problem with it is silicosis, resulting from breathing in lots of it into your lungs---totally does not apply in this case.
Hmmm... I think you are confusing aluminum oxide (Al2O3) [wikipedia.org] with silicon dioxide (SiO2) [wikipedia.org].
Confirming that... (Score:3, Interesting)
My XYL does this, and it works like a charm. Alas, with our dirty industrial-era air, the silver tarnishes up again rapidly (silver is quite chemically active). I've occasionally wondered how difficult it would be to spray-coat the display pieces with clear lacquer to keep-em bright; I suspect the answer is, "Very, very difficult if you want to get decent-looking results."
Just a note (Score:5, Informative)
Otherwise, you may be *very* unhappy with the results (like if you use a "whitening" toothpaste, or if your tecnhique sucks).
Reminds of an A-Team episode where someone (Murdoch?) tells Mr. T to clean his gold jewelry by putting it in the microwave. Mr. T was not amused with the results, to say the least.
Re:Just a note (Score:4, Informative)
Ah, the lessons learned from Mr. T...
Scratch removal (Score:2)
I always wanted to try a Dremel with a buffing attachment on some of the very scratched DVDs I get from the library, though I haven't been brave enough. If you've got an old Bon Jovi CD laying around (or something similarly useless), you could scratch it up and then see if you could repair
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, but then you'd have to LISTEN to it to find out if your repair worked...Then you'd have to find a way to repair your ears!
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A used cd store near me does that, it works quite well for them. I brought them 15 cds which all produced several errors in EAC along with terrible AccurateRip results to see what they could do. They fixed EVERY SINGLE CD, errors removed in EAC and the CRCs each matched no less than 20 in AccurateRip.
If I ever get the balls I will do the same :)
gah. (Score:2)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3940669.stm [bbc.co.uk]
And its much, much worse for CDRs.
I rip all my CDs and have several digital copies, no I do not P2P or share I simply try to appreciate my music for longer.
cleaning and buffing (Score:2)
I've found most CDs, even fairly severely scratched ones, can be read if you clean them with tap water, wiping them with your finger (perhaps the oil helps fill the scratches and reduce the diffraction), buffing them with a soft wet paper towel, and then with a dry paper towel. Remember to always wipe and buff the CD radially outward from the center, and never sideways.
The layer of plastic above the metal or dye film that contains the actual data is thick enough that you can buff a significant amount of pl
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Your skin oils and the buffing from the paper help remove or pad the sharp edges on the scratch, reducing glare from the laser. This helps the drive read the data immediately next to the damage and get more bits to process with reed-solomon, data which is usually obscured by the reflections off the damage.
I've used a fine-point sharpie to black-out a scratch, and the disc read perfectly after that.
A lesson for the rest of us (Score:2, Interesting)
Define Irreplacable (Score:3, Insightful)
In fact, if the record companies are smart (admittedly the RIAA backed lawsuits strongly cast this into question) everything ever (re)mastered in digital should be available from online music stores.
If you're just trying to see how cheaply you can accomplish this that's fine, however, then it's simply a matter of cost, not availability.
Re:Define Irreplacable (Score:5, Informative)
Local artists that only ran a few thousand copies, and are no longer producing music?
That's how it worked before the internet, CD's or tapes was all they had for distribution and once those were gone, the band may as well never have existed.
I know I've got a dozen or so discs from the early 90's that fit that description, and I treat them better than I do myself. ;)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I've got an original UK Harvest release of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Sure, Dark Side has been released about half a billion times, but the sound quality on this is among the best. I'd as soon as not lose it, because they're very, very difficult to find.
Also nearly irreplaceable is my original release of David Sylvian and Robert Fripp's "Damage". It, too, was re-released, but with a different mix which is nowhere near as good as the original.
So there are SOME irreplaceable discs out there. Not ever
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I would call mine irreplaceable because once you got rid of them you didn't want to replace them.
Ask Nicely (Score:4, Interesting)
How about asking your local Hollywood or Blockbuster folks if you could run your few discs through their fancy machine?
One of those industrial de-scratchers sits ... (Score:2)
at the entrance of the Movie Trading Company® where I live.
I had a bad disc from a library loan once, took it there, chatted up one of the staff and they buffed it up to a playable state for free.
I imagine that a small gratuity on your part would go a long way to having a minimal stack done the same way.
Caveat: Do as other posters suggest, first attempt a rip using CDParanoia & EAC, just in case the machine munches the irreplaceable originals (it's known to happen).
Good luck with your project.
Family Video (Score:5, Insightful)
My local family video will resurface the disks with their professional grade JFJ for a few dollars. If you only have a dozen or so that need to be done that might be the cheapest, safest, and easiest way to get your disks back.
Record Stores (Score:5, Informative)
Really find metal polish (Score:2)
I've used polish for mag rims with great success. Some people mention toothpaste but I find that very fine grit polish works wonders. I think I used a German polish called Weenol and a polishing cloth. My rules: don't press hard. Just rub and rub and rub and rub. Think of a polish that is used to polish the clearcoat of the your paint on your car. It's 2500 grit. Basically, you need something with a very fine grit a flat surface, some TEST CDs a good polishing cloth and time.
Good luck!
Re: (Score:2)
OH! This might be too large a grit but what about baking soda tooth paste? Also, try some of the Soft Scrub bathroom polish on TEST CDs.
Cheers,
Sweat (Score:2)
well, combinations work (Score:2)
Use a disc doctor, or the toothpaste method, to get rid of as much of the hairline scratches as you can.
Next, grab yourself a good fine-pointed marker. The finest you can find.
Black out the large scratches with this. Be very careful to only cover the damage itself - look straight at the disc from the laser's perspective and if you can see any light reflection from the damage, black out the reflective spot. This is difficult, and requires a good marker and steady hand, and sharp eyes.
The idea is this:
The dri
easiest solution... (Score:2, Funny)
Two things: (Score:2)
There's a free utilty called EAC, Exact Audio Copy. Its two disadvanteges are it's windows only, and isn't the easiest to use. Google can find it for you. You should be able to make a pristine, new copy of your CD.
Also, scratched CDs can often be repaired with toothpaste. Only use on the bottom (laser side); do NOT use toothpaste on the top (label side) or you will ruin your CD. Do NOT wipe in a circular motion, wipe in the direction of the radius (center to outside edge). Just use your finger with a littl
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Ask the record company/RIAA to replace it (Score:5, Funny)
Since you only license the material and do not own it, they should be able to replace the media for a nominal fee.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually, this would probably make an interesting court case.
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Not really. They are commodity goods SOLD (not licensed) off the shelf. Ever notice that every CD and DVD advertisement, store kiosk, or print ad says OWN it on DVD today, or OWN it on CD today?
Copyright law does not work how the MPAA and RIAA would have you believe. Yesterday's /. article is evidence of that. You OWN the copy of that content, and no one can ever take away your legal right to view/read/etc. that content. Even their slick marketing departments know that you OWN it.
Their unofficial propoganda
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
> Since you only license the material and do not own it, they should be able to replace the media for a nominal fee.
Why is this tagged Funny?
EP
Aircraft Plexi Repair to the rescue! (Score:4, Informative)
Use Micro-Mesh to remove scratches from the music side of the disc. It will remove scratches that you can catch a fingernail in, as well as the minor ones. Yes it is "sandpaper", but it is a system of varying grits that are used to restore the optics of aircraft windows, etc. I have extensive experience with it, and it works great when recovering a damaged CD. http://www.sisweb.com/micromesh/ [sisweb.com]
Ask for a professional (Score:3, Interesting)
My in-laws run a CD repair business. (Link excluded to prevent accusations of spam.) Mostly they buy beat up junk in bulk lots, fix them up and resell them at a profit, but they can easily handle salvaging damaged collections too.
The machine they use is a professional-grade one that you can drop the most horribly mangled CDs into, and a few minutes later they come out looking *new*. Search around the net a bit, and you'll find plenty of mom-and-pop operations that will be able to do this for you for a reasonable fee.
For a more DIY approach, if you're happy being able to get the CD readable once so you can rip-and-reburn it: Try nose grease. In private to avoid funny looks, hold the CD up to the front of your nose, and give it a good wipe. Spread the grease mark out with your fingers, and notice how all the scratches are now much less visible. The nose grease fills in small scratches, and it has an index of refraction close enough to the polycarbonate to make it optically sound. I've had very good luck doing this after the whitening toothpaste trick others have mentioned. The whitening toothpaste makes a good first pass, but leaves a little haze... The nose grease fills in the haze, and makes the CD salvagable.
Skip Dr Works (Score:4, Informative)
I have a 4 year old that listens to CDs everynight at bed time. As you can image a small child can be a little bit tough on the old SpongeBob CD. Several of her CDs became unplayable. I purchased a Skip Dr at the local Best Buy for under $20. All I can say is it worked perfectly. All of the cheap solutions presented here, toothpaste, Brasso, etc all do the same thing. They are essentially rubbing compound. The difference with using the Skip Dr is that your strokes are perfectly uniform all the way around the surface of the disk and it takes less than 60 seconds to repair a disk. If you have severe scratches or gouges none of the inexpensive solutions are going to work well. One other note; when you read a forum and somebody says that the Skip Dr left scratches all over the CD, that person didn't bother to read the instructions. As with any of the buffing methods small radial scratching may occur and is normal, your player will ignore it.
How to fix optical media (Score:5, Informative)
We have kids, so I've seen a LOT of this between the movies, Xbox games, CDs, etc. I tried the commercial dr-fix-it products and found they were weak at best and only useful for removing the faintest of scratches.
What I did, which carries some risk (with great power...) was go to my local Home Depot/Lowes and purchase:
* bench grinder ($35)
* buffing wheels, high/low density ($20)
* plastic rouge paste ($5)
* plastic polish paste ($5)
After putting the buffing wheels on the grinder, I took one of my worst discs which was scratched beyond belief. I think the kids left it on a table covered with sand and then sat on it and moved it about.
Anyway, start with the low-density pad and some plastic polish. Only buff a section for one or two seconds at a time, keep rotating the disc. Make the buffer scrub from center to the outside edge. If the low-density doesn't work, try the high-density pad. Put the plastic polish/rouge stick against the wheel for a second and then work the disc around.
Once you think you've gotten the worst of the scratches out, finish off with the low-density wheel and the plastic polish. Wipe clean with a soft cloth and water if necessary.
I've restored 50 or 60 games and movies this way. Takes 5 - 20 minutes depending on damage.
WARNING: push too hard or move too slowly and the surface of the polycarbonate will overheat and TEAR. You cannot fix a torn surface, that disc is now trash.
Good luck.
Ask the RIAA (Score:5, Interesting)
They keep arguing that we're buying a license to the music. As such, since the medium they have delivered this to you is obviously flawed (cannot stand up to a reasonable amount of use), they should be obliged to replacing the medium with a new one at their cost. Right?
DVD Rental Place (Score:3, Informative)
$250? (Score:3, Insightful)
More to the point, how many "irreplaceable" discs do you have to want to repair before $250 sounds like a good deal? What did your last cell phone cost? Your last sushi dinner?
What would the submitter sell one of these "irreplaceable" CDs for? $25? $50?
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Frist post? (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, those analog CDs really hold the waveform better than the digital ones, man.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The principle is that if you wipe radially, if grit gets trapped and you cause a scratch by accident (which will happen, even if you don't notice it at the time), it's less likely to be fatal to the data because the error gets shared between more sectors.
A 5mmx1mm scratch can completely clobber hundreds of sectors if it's circumferential, but is (with a bit of a following wind) survivable with no loss if it's radial.