Can old DVDs be saved from rubbish bin?

Jumpstart

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I made some DVDs about eight years ago, recording from one machine to the other.

I ran them into the ground so to speak, watching them over and over again. Although I never threw them into a drawer.

Anyway, they all have scratches on, and most of them don't play. I tried a supposed 'great DVD cleaning kit' which was *h**.:eek:

A waste of money.

My question is, is the information burned on these discs lost for good, or is there a way of restoring them to their former glory?

* By the way, I tried toothpaste, which helped a bit, but wasn't the total solution.:D

Thanks in advance.:)
 

Jumpstart

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I made some DVDs about eight years ago, recording from one machine to the other.

I ran them into the ground so to speak, watching them over and over again. Although I never threw them into a drawer.

Anyway, they all have scratches on, and most of them don't play. I tried a supposed 'great DVD cleaning kit' which was *h**.:eek:

A waste of money.

My question is, is the information burned on these discs lost for good, or is there a way of restoring them to their former glory?

* By the way, I tried toothpaste, which helped a bit, but wasn't the total solution.:D

Thanks in advance.:)
 

Analoguesat

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Sopme of the shopping channels sell kits that have a 2 -part action using different abrasives used in a circular motion in a small box thing. Im always dubious about the claims of the shopping channels but you never know.

You certainly stand a better chance if its just light surface scratches, anything deep that goes down through the data layer forget it.
 

Analoguesat

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Sopme of the shopping channels sell kits that have a 2 -part action using different abrasives used in a circular motion in a small box thing. Im always dubious about the claims of the shopping channels but you never know.

You certainly stand a better chance if its just light surface scratches, anything deep that goes down through the data layer forget it.
 

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Analoguesat is correct you stand a better chance with those kits, the reason the data cannot be read through scratches is that the light is being refacted from the data at a different angle to the rest of the CD thus misses the lens of the reader, the object of the two part cleaner is to replace that shiny surface evenly over the CD. Cannot say I have ever had need to use such a kit so cannot vouch for their effectiveness.
 

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Analoguesat is correct you stand a better chance with those kits, the reason the data cannot be read through scratches is that the light is being refacted from the data at a different angle to the rest of the CD thus misses the lens of the reader, the object of the two part cleaner is to replace that shiny surface evenly over the CD. Cannot say I have ever had need to use such a kit so cannot vouch for their effectiveness.
 

Jumpstart

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Okay, thanks, I'll try them. :)
 

Jumpstart

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Okay, thanks, I'll try them. :)
 

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Jumpstart said:
* By the way, I tried toothpaste, which helped a bit, but wasn't the total solution.:D

Just the job for light car windscreen scratches, though :)
 

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Jumpstart said:
* By the way, I tried toothpaste, which helped a bit, but wasn't the total solution.:D

Just the job for light car windscreen scratches, though :)
 

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Tivù said:
Just the job for light car windscreen scratches, though :)


a lot cheaper and less hazardess than jeweler's rouge (mercuric oxide)
 

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Tivù said:
Just the job for light car windscreen scratches, though :)


a lot cheaper and less hazardess than jeweler's rouge (mercuric oxide)
 

compufunk

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I've had some success in the past with recovering data from damaged disks with Alcohol 120%. It has some advanced settings for reading damaged disks.

It will depend on how badly damaged the disks are.
 

compufunk

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I've had some success in the past with recovering data from damaged disks with Alcohol 120%. It has some advanced settings for reading damaged disks.

It will depend on how badly damaged the disks are.
 

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compufunk said:
Alcohol 120%.

15% is about my limit :p


Bet it is kept in the freezer

Ok I know it is software, which makes use of heavy duty error error and flow control software similar to chkdsk and attempts to recreate the data
 

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compufunk said:
Alcohol 120%.

15% is about my limit :p


Bet it is kept in the freezer

Ok I know it is software, which makes use of heavy duty error error and flow control software similar to chkdsk and attempts to recreate the data
 

Analoguesat

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Try this tip:

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
I use furniture polish... like pledge on a soft cloth and buff till dry & shiney. The wax in the polish fills in the scratches so the laser on your dvd player will glide right over them.
 

Analoguesat

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Try this tip:

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
I use furniture polish... like pledge on a soft cloth and buff till dry & shiney. The wax in the polish fills in the scratches so the laser on your dvd player will glide right over them.
 

PaulR

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Topper said:
a lot cheaper and less hazardess than jeweler's rouge (mercuric oxide)
Jeweller's rouge isn't very expensive I thought, although it is some time since I bought any!

Also, it's not an oxide of mercury but an oxide of iron - much less hazardous! Some rouge is even allowed to be used as a food additive.
 

PaulR

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Topper said:
a lot cheaper and less hazardess than jeweler's rouge (mercuric oxide)
Jeweller's rouge isn't very expensive I thought, although it is some time since I bought any!

Also, it's not an oxide of mercury but an oxide of iron - much less hazardous! Some rouge is even allowed to be used as a food additive.
 
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