How to Effectively Remove Scratches from CD or DVD (compact disc)?
For general CD/DVD cleaning -- that is, to remove lint and dust particles from a disc (and not scratches), I have used rubbing alcohol or window cleaning solution with great success. Over the years, I've read from many online sources that it is best to wipe the disc beginning from the inner part of the disc to the outer edge using a cotton swab (versus wiping the disc in a circular motion). I suppose the reasoning behind this method is to prevent further damage to the disc in case the cleaning cloth creates more surface scratches; the idea being that since a CD plays in a circular motion, it would better to have scratches across multiple tracks rather than on a single track (close together) as it plays.
As for those CD/DVD repair kits: I've never tried them, and I've never tried toothpaste or Turtle Wax, either. I'm very meticulous about not touching the surface of a disc and taking great care to put it away properly to avoid scratches. But certainly, accidents do happen to the best of us!
So far, the consensus has been that many users have successfully reported using ordinary house-hold cleaners, such as wood polishers (Pledge), Brasso (a metal polisher), and toothpaste (an abrasive tooth polisher) for small surface scratches. For deep scratches, by far the best recommendation I've received is to take the disc to a local DVD video or CD music rental store and have them repair it. These stores are most likely have an in-home repair unit and most are willing to fix your disc for $3 or $4.
In either case: once the disc has been repaired, it is recommended you use a disc copy program to make a backup and use it in place of the original, and then store the original in a safe place. I personally recommend Ashampoo CD Burning Suite -- it's dirt cheap, easy to use, and does darn near every CD format you'll ever need.
For really stubborn discs that seem hopelessly stubborn, I recommend using IsoBuster to extract the data; if successful, you can use your favorite CD or DVD burning software to write yourself another disc and store the original in a safe place.
Please note that it is not recommended that you try any of the below solutions unless you have problems playing the disc in your machine (and only after you've cleaned the surface as I mentioned in Part 1 of our article).
Die-hard Gazette Reader 'Pippe' writes:
" Dennis, here's some more helpful information you share with your Readers as to how scratches can cause a disc to skip or become unreadable.
For starters, data contained on hard drives (I.E.: the "C" drive in your computer) are stored in separate 'tracks', arranged in concentric circles; on a CD or DVD ROM disc, however, data is stored on a single 'track' that spirals from the center of the disc to its circumference. The disc is read by a laser, which penetrates a protective layer of plastic located at the bottom of the disc. Some CDs contain a very fine layer of 'foil' between the layer of plastic, while others will have the foil on the outside of the disc, which is also used (on the reverse side) for the label.
In terms of how the data is stored on the foil: a previously burned (or pressed) CD surface contains 'pits' and 'lands'. Lands are flat surface areas, whereas pits are tiny depressions in the layer of foil. Light (from the laser beam) hitting a pit is scattered, whereas light hitting land is reflected directly back to the CD / DVD reader, where it is then interpreted by the computer as a '0' or a '1' (also known as a 'bit' of data). The 0s and 1s are then formed together to produce binary, which is interpreted by the computer as a byte of data (there are 8 bits in a byte).
So, when you use a solution to clean a disc, you are actually cleaning the plastic so that the lands and pits are better recognized under the laser beam. In the case where there the foil is actually part of the label (and not sandwiched between two layers of plastic): a damaged outer layer (the 'label side') in almost any case will prove to be fruitless, especially if portions of the label are scratched or missing. "
Patrice C. and a few others recommend using ordinary toothpaste:
" I have tried several of those CD/DVD cleaning kits -- most consist of some kind of solution and a special cloth. If cleaning is all you need, most of those products work just fine. Then again, any cleaning solution that is safe for plastics will do the trick.
What most people want is a way to magically remove scratches and nicks, and the best substance for that (in my opinion) is ordinary toothpaste. Toothpaste contains tiny particles that gently 'buff' your tooth surface, and it works beautifully on CDs/DVDs, too. Careful though -- toothpaste is abrasive and if you aren't careful, you may cause more harm than good.
For application: using either a very soft cloth or just your fingers, gently rub the disc with a small dab of toothpaste mixed with a little water and you can remove all but the worst scratches. Unless you have seriously gouged the surface of your disc, the toothpaste will do the trick. "
'Indi in Phoenix' agrees with Patrice:
" I've repaired *many* badly unplayable CDs and DVDs with toothpaste. If the scratches haven't penetrated to through the plastic layer to the metal/dye substrate, it can work wonders. The trick is to pick the most likely scratch first and be just aggressive enough to smooth off the sharp edges of the scratch that are scattering the laser. I usually estimate the location of the problem by how far into the disc it fails. Remember that CDs and DVDs are read from the inside toward the outside. If it fails in the middle of a movie, I might look for a scratch about halfway out from the middle (actually a little farther because inside tracks contain less data than outside tracks due to their 'ring' size on the disc). You don't have to completely remove the scratch. In fact, in some ways the disc might even look worse because the area you're working in will become a dull spot. Just don't do it over the entire disc; I just do it a bit, see if it works in the player, then do it some more until the disc works.
As a last resort, I try a CD-DVD recovery utility on the computer (and sometimes even in multiple drives) since Computer drives are usually a little better at dealing with errors and the recovery utility can fetch most of the data. It is often surprising how one drive might not read a DVD, but another has no problem with it. Once I get the disc working, or recover the data, I make a new disc as a back-up just for extra insurance. "
And, Steven R. concurs with 'Indi':
" I just recently bought a DVD from a garage sale. When I brought it home and played it, it would freeze every 5 minutes because of all the scratches on the disc. I then took some regular toothpaste and a tissue and rubbed it on the DVD in a circular motion and it took the scratches out completely. Who cares it your DVD's smell minty fresh? "
Mark W. and quite a few others highly recommend using Brasso metal polisher. A link to a web site that Mark provided at the end of his comments is worth checking out. He writes:
Mark W. and quite a few others highly recommend using Brasso metal polisher. A link to a web site that Mark provided at the end of his comments is worth checking out; it lists a number of products tested (toothpaste being one of them -- which surprisingly ranks 'useless'). He writes:
" With respect to using Brasso metal polisher --
I sent the following email to my daughter; I also tried Brasso myself, and every disk I tried it on a few CDs and they worked flawlessly afterward. Her children have been putting their DVD's in by themselves so you can imagine how bad the scratches were. From burningIssues.net:
... Engineers have been using Brasso as a polish for plastics ever since it was released as a polish for brass. Use the Brasso in the normal way. A drop or two is usually sufficient (one tin will last you a lifetime of great listening!). Use a soft clean cloth to rub the affected area with the Brasso until the mark is almost gone. Polish scuff marks radially. Scratches are best handled by rubbing along the direction of the scratch. With a scratch it usually is not necessary to polish it completely away -- just clean it up enough for the laser to be able to see through it.
... So far I have not found a scratched or scuffed CD I cannot fix using Brasso. I hope it works for you too! ... It's now many years since I wrote and published this article. Seems like not much has changed however. A recent study of the various fancy products now available for fixing scratched CDs reveals that they found Brasso is still the best! "
http://www.burningissues.net/how_to/scratchrepair/scratchrepair.htm
Gazette Reader John C. uses Pledge furniture polish. He writes:
" I have had great success reviving CD/DVD's using common household polish 'Pledge'; it allows for the scratches to be filled with the wax that is transparent enough to be read through and allow for making a backup of it. Also if you cannot make a backup, that polish when applied again removes the old wax and makes it useable again. It's not a very high tech method but, it reduces further scratching and revives it long enough for use. And if you get the right kind, you have a lemony scent afterwards. "
Jackie H. also has a friend who uses Pledge:
" A friend of mine that does karaoke uses furniture polish with great success. He just sprays them, then uses a soft cloth to wipe them off. End dust or pledge works great for him. It fills in the scratches. PS: You might want to clean the discs thoroughly before attempting to use the polish. "
Jean G. and Colin S. both recommend using the 'Fellows' CD Repair Kit:
" This is an answer to a question a reader ask you about DVD/CD cleaner. I have purchase a CD / DVD repair kit made by 'Fellows' from my local grocery store. I've repaired a few CDs that would not otherwise work, and now they work perfectly. My son has a Sony Playstation and last week, one of his CD games wouldn't work. He tried the kit and all was well. Hope this information will help your Readers. "
Colin S. agrees:
" I have children in the house so scratches are inevitable, I have had success with the Fellows CD repair kit. It is a 2 part system, part 1 'softens the surface' so the small circular buffing action levels out the surface and part 2 is a hardener to finish the job and prevent further scratches. I then took copies of the working CD so as not to loose it again. "
Jake R. and a few others provided the best all-around solution to repairing a CD or DVD:
" A couple of years ago, I dropped the jewel case carrying my Windows 2000 Professional disk on an asphalt parking lot. The case popped open and the disk went skidding across the tarmac. Well, it was horribly scratched. When I tried it in several different computers, the disk was not even recognized by the different CD-ROM drives. I was distraught. Well, I learned that a local video store had some kind of disk resurfacing machine, so I took the disk to them. What a great job! The disk was returned to me with the read surface looking brand new! The video store owner told me that he could probably have made another pass or two if I still had problems with the disk. I had none. And, this cost me all of $4.00, which was eventually lowered to $2.00! Bottom line: I suggest checking with your local video rental stores to see if they offer similar services. "
Sam W. also has a great approach to dealing with scratched discs. He writes:
" I find that the best way to remove scratches is to use the computer. Save the CD to hard disc and then use a program like Nero Burning Rom or Ashampoo CD Burning Suite to burn a new copy that is as good as new. "
Side note: IsoBuster is a fantastic program that you can use to extract data from stubborn CDs and DVDs [freeware software for most situations].
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