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linuxguymarshall
August 21st, 2008, 07:29 PM
Hey, my Goldeneye DVD wasn't playing so I went out to fix it with my home remedy, car wax and polish. While I fixed it (It's playing now) I wondered how most of you fix cd scratches.

I have heard of peanut butter, toothpaste and commercial removers and other fixes. Post here and I will make a poll when I get a few responses.

LaRoza
August 21st, 2008, 07:41 PM
I prefer preventing issues, by taking care of them. A little care goes a long way.

mips
August 21st, 2008, 07:49 PM
I prefer preventing issues, by taking care of them. A little care goes a long way.

I have to agree with this 100%. I treat my cds & dvds with care. I have seen how other people treat them (including mine) and it does not suprise me that they dont last long.

To repair scracthed media I went to a optical lab that manufactures and polishes lenses for spectacles and got a bottle of the stuff they use to polish plastic lenses with. It is a VERY fine liquid compound and I think it is basically magnesium based. If you leave the bottle it contents seperates into a clear liquid and a white powder, you have to shake it up before use.

JillSwift
August 21st, 2008, 08:13 PM
Knowing good ways to revive CDs and DVDs is essential if you know folks (or are those folks) who have small children with an interest in movies and music. The lil tykes are still learning to control their bodies and are prone to doing some amazing damage even when they're bring careful.

For very deep scratches (so long as they didn't hit the aluminum) I use a Dremel mounted polish pad to get the edges of the scratch down, then fill it with a fine transparent epoxy like the sort you'd use to repair delicate inlay or china. Once that's set, you can use a fine rouge to buff it to match the surface of the DVD or CD. Low RPMs and a very light touch with lots of patience required. But you will be the heroine of Finding Nemo fans ;)

For lesser scratches, often the car-wax approach works just fine.

amadeus266
August 21st, 2008, 08:19 PM
Chrome polish is finer than car polish. I've gone so far as to use an industrial buffing machine with red jeweler's rouge.

Dremora
August 21st, 2008, 08:36 PM
Boil the disc for about 5 minutes.

Lord Xeb
August 21st, 2008, 08:39 PM
Does that actually work?

Dremora
August 21st, 2008, 08:42 PM
Usually.

The best idea is to not be an idiot with the disc.

hessiess
August 21st, 2008, 08:46 PM
make copys and dont use the origonals

linuxguymarshall
August 21st, 2008, 08:46 PM
Boil the disc for about 5 minutes.

Ok. im going to burn a cd with a few images and then key it. Then im going to try this method

linuxguymarshall
August 21st, 2008, 08:58 PM
No luck with the boiling

Kvark
August 21st, 2008, 08:59 PM
Copy DVDs and don't use the originals. Rip music CDs to flac and don't use the originals. Use no CD crack or Deamon Tools for games so you only have to use the originals to install, not to play. Make 2 copies of any home made CD while you're at it, one to archive and one to use.

OutOfReach
August 21st, 2008, 09:00 PM
I take care of my CDs/DVDs, but once in a while they do get scratched and when that happens I bring out the toothpaste. :)
Works like a charm almost everytime.

gn2
August 21st, 2008, 10:56 PM
CD doesn't work, CD goes in bin. They only cost pennies.

Warpnow
August 21st, 2008, 11:05 PM
Copy DVDs and don't use the originals. Rip music CDs to flac and don't use the originals. Use no CD crack or Deamon Tools for games so you only have to use the originals to install, not to play. Make 2 copies of any home made CD while you're at it, one to archive and one to use.

I do this as well.

If someone sees a movie they like, I'll usually tell them to keep it, and burn a new copy for my collection later.

Dremora
August 21st, 2008, 11:08 PM
No luck with the boiling

How deep are the scratches you made?

This only works for nicks and smudges.

Icehuck
August 21st, 2008, 11:09 PM
CD doesn't work, CD goes in bin. They only cost pennies.

THIS.

Also it doesn't matter how careful you are, using it will result in scratches.

Polygon
August 21st, 2008, 11:40 PM
CD doesn't work, CD goes in bin. They only cost pennies.

what happens if its a dvd or some cd with important info that you have to get off? thats what hes trying to say =P

NoSmokingBandit
August 21st, 2008, 11:53 PM
I always try to take very good care of my cd's but that doesnt keep them from getting scratched if i drop them or lend them to someone else :)
Toothpaste works great from what i have seen. I've also used it to polish my psp's screen. Now my psp smells all minty. mmmmmmm... minty psp....

yabbadabbadont
August 21st, 2008, 11:59 PM
Three to five seconds in the microwave will guarantee that you'll never have worry about it being scratched again... :twisted:

(In case it wasn't obvious, that was a joke. Don't do it unless you want to destroy the CD/DVD. For that, it works great. ;))

I've still got CD's I bought when they first came out in the 80's. No scratches yet... Except for the kid issue, there isn't any (legitimate) excuse for them getting messed up. At least not in my opinion. :D

init1
August 22nd, 2008, 01:01 AM
Hey, my Goldeneye DVD wasn't playing so I went out to fix it with my home remedy, car wax and polish. While I fixed it (It's playing now) I wondered how most of you fix cd scratches.

I have heard of peanut butter, toothpaste and commercial removers and other fixes. Post here and I will make a poll when I get a few responses.
Goldeneye? I was just watching that on TV a few minutes ago.
As for repairs, most of the CD's I have are Linux CD's, so I just download the ISO and burn another one if a CD stops working.

wirepuller134
August 22nd, 2008, 01:59 AM
We have used Brasso with good results, with a lens cleaning cloth. Repaired several disks that were damaged while in a hostile environment.

linuxguymarshall
August 22nd, 2008, 03:23 AM
We have used Brasso with good results, with a lens cleaning cloth. Repaired several disks that were damaged while in a hostile environment.

I have used brasso before but I mostly use that to remove scratches from ipod backs

damis648
August 22nd, 2008, 03:25 AM
I use an old banana. Just start by rubbing the meat around then polish it up with the inside of the peel.:popcorn:

gn2
August 22nd, 2008, 09:25 AM
what happens if its a dvd or some cd with important info that you have to get off? thats what hes trying to say =P

I don't buy DVD's of movies (unless they're in a clearance sale) and I don't put anything important on optical media, if I did I would always keep copies on at least two separate hard drives.

I see optical media as disposable and something that's on it's way out, I think it will soon go the way of the floppy disc, remember them?

mips
August 22nd, 2008, 10:12 AM
if I did I would always keep copies on at least two separate hard drives.


Great minds think alike, I also have my data spread across two physical drives. I have actually never lostdata in my life using this method & I have lost a physical HD before.

Chessmaster
August 22nd, 2008, 10:28 AM
I got given one of these CD Repair machines for Xmas - kinda like a mini version of the ones they have at the DVD rental place.

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/48ae85d80940ee02273fc0a87f3b06bf/Product/View/C7128

I works ok for light scratches but not for deep ones.

My brother takes his down to the local DVD Rental Place and they repair the scratches for him for free. Works quite well apparently, just takes a small layer of plastic off.