How does IsoBuster work?

[Charmer]

How does IsoBuster and all programs of its kind really work? I do not understand how they can help you recover data from scratched discs. I tried Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier, and it took it about two days to copy 11 MB of broken video data! I didn't test the ending file, but I doubt everything went OK, since the integrity column wasn't 100% like the other files.

[MOVIEGEEK]

http://www.smart-projects.net/help.php?help=145

You need the pro version to extract lost or damaged files from UDF discs, it's worth the $30USD because it's recovered many discs that had a lot of errors.

[Charmer]

So what you want to do is extract the full VIDEO_TS folder. E.g. right mouse click the folder in the left hand side pane and choose "extract". When this is successful, either after a flawless extraction or after having to replace bad sectors with all zeroes from time to time, you have the full DVD on your hard drive.

What does it mean? Instead of video/audio I will have what? If I am getting this right, this won't fully recover a disc, it will just replace the broken parts with blanks.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I've used the "replace bad sector with all zeros" many times and most of the time you don't notice it when playing the video, sometimes there will be slight artifacts from the missing data. It's better than throwing the DVD away especially if it has irreplaceable home movies on it.

[Nelson37]

Most copy functions will simply fail after a small number of errors and copy nothing at all. Programs such as this will supply zeros, which while containing no data will be acceptable to most programs in order to attempt to use, or play, the file.

It is the difference between having a huge amount of data with small amounts missing and having absolutely nothing at all. You get to choose which you would prefer.

[jagabo]

No program can completely recover a badly damaged disc. As was pointed out, most programs simply give up when they encounter a read error. Recovery programs will attempt to read bad blocks several times. After several attempt they may get good data, they may get data with errors and retain it or replace it with all zeros. So you will get garbage from the damaged areas of the disc. But that's better than not getting anything at all.

[AlanHK]

Isopuzzle is better for recovering data from a damaged disc.
It tries over and over till you tell it to give up.

If it's just surface scratches, carefully polishing it with Brasso works for me.

[jagabo]

Isopuzzle is better for recovering data from a damaged disc.
It tries over and over till you tell it to give up.

If it's just surface scratches, carefully polishing it with Brasso works for me.

Do you have a good source of WNASPI32.DLL?

[Baldrick]

Doesn't ftp://ftp6.nero.com/wnaspi32.dll work for you?

I have made a mirror for it here also: https://www.videohelp.com/download/wnaspi32.dll

[jagabo]

Thanks for the links. I tried the link in the IsoPuzzle readme file but it was dead.

[Charmer]

OK, now I understand. Thank you, guys.