Best way to rescue a partial file from a scratched DVD?

[engineerer]

I've got an old DVD which got scratched somehow, and the scratch is within a VOB file I would like to partially recover, if possible. About 90% of the stuff I want in that particular scene occurs before the scratch, when viewed on various types of computer utilities (such as VLC) or standard DVD players.
I can handle the undamaged VOB files just fine, using DVD-Decrypter, DVD-Shrink, or even just copying the VOB's to my hard drive using Windows Explorer.
But, I cannot find any way to copy -- in a lossless manner -- the good portion of that VOB file that is damaged.
So, the questions become:
1. Are there any good utilities for making a lossless copy, of the VOB portion that is not damaged?
2. Is there any way to "force" a copying program to jump past a damaged section of a video file, on a DVD?
3. Or, is my best approach to try to copy as much of a streaming video file as I can, from a DVD player to a DVD recorder, such as via Firewire, or perhaps an HDMI cable to a computer? (And, if so, what are the best basic HDMI video cards for capturing a video feed from an HDMI BluRay player?)
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Add'l info #1: I've got a MiniMac, as well as Windows 7 computers and a Windows 8 laptop. If anything will work on ANY of those systems, I'd be happy to try it.
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Add'l info #2: I tried 2 different scratch repair pastes (GameStop Disc Skip Fixer, and an old Scotch scratch remover for CD's). Neither one worked in this case. Are there any super-good scratch fixers that I haven't heard about, which might work when those two failed?

[Baldrick]

You can try isobuster or/and cdroller.

[jagabo]

Set the software (DVD Decrypter, DVDFab) to ignore read errors and the hardware/software retry count to 0 (or some low number so it doesn't take forever), Skip Sectors to whatever length your comfortable with. Let it run overnight.

Of course, you won't get a "lossless" result -- the disc is damaged so some sectors will likely be corrupt. But you'll get whatever the drive is able to read.

[jman98]

If you can use different drives, you may find one that is better able to read the disc than the other.

[redwudz]

Sometimes it just takes a lot of polishing to remove a scratch. Some music stores still offer to polish out scratches for a fee. Or you can polish it out yourself, It just takes time and muscle power. It's the only way to recover 100% of the video. Filling in a scratch only works occasionally.

[Cornucopia]

I know I sound like a broken record, but I would try ISOBuster, using their "managed disc image", which can take advantage of the different read & error correction strategies of different drive manufacturers. Get the disc polished first. Run the disc through MULTIPLE drives (3 or 4, at least). If it gets to areas that it cannot read, it will ask what you want to do: skip, fill with zeros, fill with random info, etc. I usually say "fill with zeros" for it and any subsequent bad sections. Could be that a later read in a different drive will "fill in" some of those bad sections. Maybe not to the point of it being FULLY restored, but very possibly to the point where you can then later do a Sector-based extract and at least have partial files.

Scott

[Vidd]

Try IsoPuzzle.

It reads the disc and creates an iso file. It also creates a .flg file that keeps tracks of all recovered and bad sectors. Copy the iso and flg file to an external drive and you can try to recover the damaged dvd on multiple computers and drives. IsoPuzzle will import the flg file. While one drive may report a sector unreadable, another drive may read it with no problem, and vice versa.

[rickydavao]

Agree with redwudz above. Only reason I mention it is that a local retro gaming store here in Victoria, Canada, picked up a new disc resurfacer for their own use, and now offers the service to the public for 4 bucks a disc, which isn't bad (especially if the disc has important video or data). Check around in your town, someone is sure to offer the service somewhere ... hopefully ...

[Noahtuck]

Yep, STOP trying to read through a scratch and take it somewhere to have it resurfaced.

And not with one of those cheap Skip Dr's!!

My local Family Video charges like 2 or 3 bucks and has a nice big professional disc resurfacer.
I have taken in disc's I thought were toast and they came out looking like they just came out of a new package.

If it's not worth a few bucks then it's not worth backing up.

[diacad]

Does resurfacing to get rid of scratches work for DVD-Rs? I am afraid to try until I know for sure.

[lingyi]

Yes.

Be aware that if you're having difficulty reading/ripping a burned DVD, the cause may not be the scratches. Ir may be a bad burn, bad media or deterioration over time.