Fixing a Scratch DVD or CD

[Marvingj]

Recently, I came across a Star War Attack of the Clones that is severly Scratch. I tried DVD Decrypter, Ripit4me, Isobuster, DVD Shrink, but none seem to help. I used all kinds of cleaning devices doesn't work. I can't ripped a copy at all. I was thinking about toothpaste on the disc but something inside says that will damaged it more. Do anything know a sure fire way. Maybe I have to bite bullet and buy another DVD. There has to be a way of buffing out the scratches.

[JimmyJoeBob]

I have used toothpaste many times. Don't go around a circular motion go inside at the hole and rub it to the edge outward. Rinse and dry very well. No guarantee but has helped. Also try VobBlanker as a ripper. Sometimes it will rip a scratched one for me the that the others wont. Notice I said "for me", not wanting to start a flame on the proper ripper.

[hech54]

...and your disc is already broken....you can't break it any more.

[HacktheHacker]

Try 1clickdvd copy. It worked for me when everything else failed. You can download a trial copy.

[MysticE]

There has to be a way of buffing out the scratches.

Sure there is, but home non-mechanical methods are only good for very light scratches. For toothpaste you need a more abrasive type, UltraBrite is one. Some have suggested the more abrasive Brasso brass cleaner. You should check with your local video store. One by me has a resurfacing machine that works wonders, they charge $5.

[GTRBudda]

Has anyone tried that stuff you spread across the lenses of scratched eye glasses? The brand name escapes me at the moment. I haven't tried this myself, just wondering if someone had.

[overloaded_ide]

A couple thoughts,

It's clear plastic right! So what about any of those polishes for clear plastics?
Someone already mentoned the stuff for eye glasses.
There is a polish for plexy glass, and kits to remove haze from tailights etc.. also.
A real DVD may be more of a glass, so glass polishes?
Many comercail scratch removers out there, what's good and what's not I don't know.

And rememeber as a last resort, you already own the DVD right. Why buy another for no reason?
So if you have to rent a copy from Blockbuster or such to get a working backup, you have not stolen anything! You still own 1 disk and 1 backup. Why spend $20 for a new disk for the same thing? Only if I can not find a disk to borrow or rent would I buy a new disk for the same movie I already owned!

[Marvingj]

I've tried a friends cd cleaner device that you plug up. It seems to scrap or sand down the DVD. Its a little to scary for me.

[redwudz]

A few years ago my new shiny week old copy of XP got a huge scratch, I don't know how. I spent about a half hour buffing it out with toothpaste and a cotton ball and it still works to this day. The mechanical polishers shave or grind off a layer of plastic from the whole surface of the DVD or CD. Hand polishing does a lot less damage, especially with a deep scratch.

You can find programs that can read a damaged disc, but they will only read the undamaged part, not where the scratch is. This will cause your video to have missing parts. Hand polishing is still the best repair method. Some have used furniture polish or wax to fill in minor scratches with some success. But some polishes could damage the plastic layer.

[MysticE]

I've tried a friends cd cleaner device that you plug up. It seems to scrap or sand down the DVD. Its a little to scary for me.

That's exactly what has to be done. The commercial machines 'resurface', with a 2 or 3 step process. The surface is basically sanded until the scratches are gone then polished. The compounds used, in conjuction with specific pads, are similiar (if not exactly) like the compounds used for automobile finish/prep work, i.e. 3M's Fine Cut or Finesse-It and McGuire's Swirl Remover.

[TooLFooL]

i have one of those hand-crank disk doctors that i have used on dozens of old cd's and dvd's. it's the type that lightly wet-sands the disc surface. it has worked wonders for most of the discs i have used it on. paid about $30 and have been using it for years.

i haven't figured out a good method of fixing cd's where the label side has been scratched, leaving a hole in the reflective layer underneath.

[Marvingj]

This did not help me..... http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/77

[MysticE]

This did not help me..... http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/77

After going to the link in your sig I'm surprised you even own a DVD.

http://www.absolutevisionvideo.com/gpage3.html

The dirty little secret that the DVD industry doesn't want you to hear is that you can get roughly the same picture and sound quality out of a two-head Technics VCR for $39 at Wal-Mart as you can out of a "high-end" $5,000 Harmon Kardon DVD player ordered from some foo-foo electronics "boutique."

Finally, it's worth mentioning that all of these high-end sound formats such as "Dolby Digital 5.1" and "DTS" are pure junk.

[Marvingj]

Researchers at electronics giant TDK have developed a tough new coating that promises to make scratched DVDs a thing of the past and that will help usher in an emerging data storage format with 10 times the capacity of the current DVD standard.

BUT THIS ONLY FOR BLU-RAY & HD-DVD!!

[Marvingj]

REMOVING SCRATCHES FROM DVD & CD... ( this was article that could be helpful)


1.Understanding the damage. DVDs are like CDs in that they are read in a spiral starting in the center of the disk and continuing to the outer edge. The info is encoded in “bumps” below the surface of the disk. A laser reads these by passing through the surface and reflecting off the “bumps.” When the surface is scratched or blemished, the path of the laser is diverted slightly and the player cannot read the disk.


2.Clean. It is always good to clean the DVD just to make sure the malfunction isn't being caused by something that will just wipe off with a moist cloth. If you hold the DVD near a light and at an angle, you can see the blemishes on the surface. The best tool you can use in cleaning and caring for any disc is a lint-free optical cloth. Most commonly used for cleaning eyeglass lenses, these cloths are soft and won’t leave lint when you are done using them. Common rubbing alcohol is a great solution to use when cleaning DVDs. Just put a little on the cloth and rub the surface lightly, always in straight lines from the center out to the edge.


3.Repair. Light abrasives such as toothpaste, polishes and cleaners will all fix scratches to some degree but you have to be very careful in using them. Some cleaners are actually no good at all for the surfaces of disks. Stuff that you use on glass is fine because it's alcohol-based, like Windex. Stuff that you use on bathrooms or floors are not so good; bathroom cleaners such as Tilex use bleach, which is harmful to DVDs.

3.I recommend using a solution or kit specifically designed for DVD scratch removal. These kits usually come with a solution and a cloth, like this example I found at Buy.com. There is even something that works like a wet wipe with the DVD solution already applied to the wipe. Whatever you decide to use, make sure you use a light touch when applying it. Put a little of your solution on your cloth and, starting from the center of the disk, gently wipe out to the edge of the disk in a straight line. Do not use a circular motion or side-to-side, but only straight from the center to outside. Rub it in lightly then wipe clean with the same lint-free cloth.


4.DVD/CD Resurfacing. There are a couple of devices that will give your disk a total surface make-over. You usually put your disk into the device and then spray the included solution on the disk, close the device and spin the disk using a handle or, in some scenarios, by pressing the On button. These are pretty good tools and will, in most situations, cure any of your scratch problems. Two different popular types are the Skip Doctor Classic and CD Clinic.


5.Care for your disks. When you are done cleaning and fixing your DVDs, make sure you put them in a safe place. The original case is the best place for a DVD, but if you want to put it in a holder, look for one with soft backings that won’t damage your disk any further. You can also just get some jewel cases. Stores sell them pretty cheaply and they are a good place to keep DVDs, much better than the floor.