Effective Optical Disc Repair?

CyberKnet writes "I have an extensive music collection on original CD media. While most of it is in impeccable condition, I have a few discs that have suffered extensive scratching through listening to the disc either via a portable disc player, or in a car CD stacker. I've long since learned the error of my old ways and don't listen to discs in those devices any more, but those discs are irreplaceable in many cases. I would very much like to be able to repair them or have them repaired to original condition, or at least well enough that I can pull the tracks off once and archive the track data. I have heard really uncomplimentary things about devices like the Skip Doctor; ranging from it not helping to it making things worse. I've heard great things about JFJ devices that are seen on the counters of most Hollywood and BlockBuster video stores, but even their consumer devices start at $250. I would appreciate any other suggestions for devices that people have had personal experience with that won't break the bank."

Re:Toothpaste

[AioKits]

Toothpaste eh? Working porn DVD and clean teeth, all in one swoop!

Re:cdparanoia

[pitchpipe]

Burn to new CD.

No need! This [amazon.com] is the absolute GREATEST optical disk repair device that I've found! It'll even repair cracked disks!

Re:Blow Torch, Seriously

[David Gerard]

That's gotta be some sort of Extreme Sports of disk recovery ...

Slide case cover to left

[pagewalker]

I wonder if that works on 3.5" floppies...

Of course, 3.5" floppies are in cases, so I'll have to just squeeze the toothpaste into the case, and then use the disk drive to spread it out over the surface of the disk.

It might be worth it just for the tech support call.

Re:Toothpaste

[CaptainPatent]

Toothpaste eh? Working porn DVD and clean teeth, all in one swoop!

Oh man...

Please no "pearly white" comments to this.

easiest solution...

[WwWonka]

...to recover tracks from compact disc: 1. insert said CD into laptop/desktop 2. see if spins/reads correctly 3. open browser 4. in the URL bar type "piratebay.org" 5. this will give you another search option 6. enter cd title and/or artist 7. ensure you have one of those illegal bittorrent clients 8. recover tracks/whole CD/maybe even a few extra tracks not on CD *if using Comcast this may take a bit longer than normal 9. RECOVERED! 10. eject and toss compact disc, flip off RIAA

Ask the record company/RIAA to replace it

[krbvroc1]

Since you only license the material and do not own it, they should be able to replace the media for a nominal fee.

Re:Toothpaste

[Inda]

1. Take a power drill, make sure the hammer action is off.
2. Place the CD on the chuck, tighten the chuck around a bolt and washer to keep it in place.
3. Clamp the drill in a bench vice.
4. Spin the CD at 30,000rpm
5. Hold an oily rag against the CD and polish away.

Disclaimer: I typed this message with two fingers.

Re:Not Toothpaste

[weirdcrashingnoises]

thats not toothpaste...

Re:cdparanoia

[elrous0]

It will reduce your disc problems to nothing in a matter of seconds.

Re:Scratch removal

[timbck2]

Yeah, but then you'd have to LISTEN to it to find out if your repair worked...Then you'd have to find a way to repair your ears!

Iron Filings, Magnetism, and the Floppy Problem

[pagewalker]

Perhaps I should sprinkle iron filings into the toothpaste prior to applying it to the floppy. Magnets work well on iron filings, so I know they'll work well with a magnetic medium.

I suppose the iron-toothpaste mix could get stuck in the floppy drive, but I can just pull it with a big electromagnet, like the ones they use to lift shipping containers.

Then I will be able to read the floppy disks quite well. A happy ending! :)

Re:Ask the record company/RIAA to replace it

[Eric Pierce]

> Since you only license the material and do not own it, they should be able to replace the media for a nominal fee.

Why is this tagged Funny?

EP

Re:Frist post?

[Pope]

Yes, those analog CDs really hold the waveform better than the digital ones, man.

Re:cdparanoia

[orielbean]

You know when your disk repair tool is measured in horsepower, you are ready to rock.

Re:Blow Torch, Seriously

[Lucas.Langa]

"Gentle passes of a butane blow torch" sounds like some serious goth poetry volume title ;)

Re:Not Toothpaste

[bennomatic]

I'm such a nerd. I immediately thought of this as a Star Wars reference: "This is not the toothpaste you're looking for..." I was wondering how this might be considered funny, and then...

Re:Why not GEL?

[camperdave]

I thought all toothpaste has some very mild abrasive in it.

That may well be. It's just that the poster has stock in a toothpaste company that does NOT produce a gel. All you gel using people are diminishing his retirement fund, and the fact that you have a brilliant white smile, fresh breath, and no cavities is just rubbing it in.

Re:Iron Filings, Magnetism, and the Floppy Problem

[greedyturtle]

If you take a very small magnet, (refrigerator magnets will do) and move the magnet AROUND THE CIRCLE of the disk, it will cause the magnetic bits to line themselves up correctly, saving your important data on those crappy old 3.5" disks. The greatest thing is that it's a magnet, so you don't even have to open up the 3.5" case to get at the disk inside. I've saved countless disks of their important data this way.

If you have a very steady hand, this will even work on a hard drive!

Re:cdparanoia

[Machtyn]

I would have thought this [amazon.com] would be better.

Re:I've got a $5 solution..

[Anonymous Coward]

When was the last time you wore silverware?

Re:That word you keep using...

[Anonymous Coward]

When I think of FUD I think of OM NOM NOM NOM

(sorry)

Re:Define Irreplacable

[Lord Apathy]

I would call mine irreplaceable because once you got rid of them you didn't want to replace them.

Re:Toothepaste

[Anonymous Coward]

the abrasive in toothpaste can help to polish out the scratches, but really (especially as these are valuable/irreplaceable discs) you should just get it done professionally.

Professionally? You mean take the CD's to a dentist?

Re:Toothepaste

[Reziac]

I did worry about that, but amazingly, it didn't even rattle in the drive. The break was so clean that it wasn't immediately obvious -- neither I nor the librarian at the checkout counter noticed it, but it probably explains why someone had abandoned it on a table far from the CD rack.

Proved to be a pretty good foot-stompin' country album, so was worth the bother :)

nobody's mentioned the banana method?!

[Anonymous Coward]

from macosxhints.com and others:

      1. Take a piece of freshly cut banana and rub it all over the CD in a circular motion.
      2. Using the banana peel, wipe over the banana residue with the peel in a circular motion.
      3. Wipe the residue off with a clean, dry cloth for a few minutes.
      4. Spray Windex onto the disc and wipe it clean with the clean side of the cloth you've used (in a circular motion).
      5. Done, your disc should now appear completely new and unscratched.

I store backup copies of all my CDs on eMule

[Joce640k]

Whenever I need a fresh copy I just download one.

Some of the kind people out there even make a second backup copy for me and store it in BitTorrent format. I don't know their names but thanks!