Methods for repairingCDs

[Jh316]

So, I'm trying to install Arcanum again, and I see there's a big scratch on the edge, and that the file _02112.bik is now corrupt. Ran it through a Disc Dr. a half-dozen times with no luck. Any advice? I heard car wax works, but I don't have any.

[Slaughter]

So, I'm trying to install Arcanum again, and I see there's a big scratch on the edge, and that the file _02112.bik is now corrupt. Ran it through a Disc Dr. a half-dozen times with no luck. Any advice? I heard car wax works, but I don't have any.

The power of Google revealed this, this and this. Hope it helps.

[Jh316]

That's not very helpful. One says to use a commercial cleaning kit which I tried, one said to use sandpaper, and one said to use neither and just replace it.

[Matri]

lol

Commercial cleaning kits are a somewhat dubious way of getting it to work. Replacing it is your best option.

 

And sandpaper?!?!? I suppose pouring hydrochloric acid on open wounds can cauterize them too?

 

Most of the ways I know to recover a scratched CD is using commercial methods, but mostly as a temporary fix. Once the CD is readable, make a copy immediately.

[Jh316]

Well yeah, but it's hard to find a copy of Arcanum other than on Ebay, and I've had bad experiences with that site before.

[Kernel]

Well, you could always download it from somewhere... since you already own the game.

[Jh316]

That's the problem. I have Dialup, and Arcanum is over a gig.

[JellyfishGreen]

This is unlikely to work, but is that the only corrupt file, and how big is it? Could you copy the entire CD to a directory or drive and then just try downloading new copies of the broken files, and installing from the drive?

 

On CD's my basic knowledge is a scratch on the clear plastic can sometimes be masked (cleaning kit liquid or buffing?) but a scratch on the back -through the label, and aluminum data layer - permanently removes the data.

[Jh316]

Yeah, I tried that. In the setup it says that's the only missing file, but when I go in manually, I can't exctract about half of the files needed for setup, a total of around 250 megs worth.

[Strong Bob]

Toothpaste. You don't have to believe me, but it works for me. A thin sheet of it can easily mask a scratch.

 

What exactly is the extent of the damage? Scratches can be fixed. But if the CD is practically broken in half, not even the power of duct tape can help you.

[knight_of_the_ravens]

two words........turtle wax!

[Jh316]

Deep scratches is all, no cracking.

[Matri]

How deep? If not quite deep, you can buff it down with some anti-static cloth, it should hold together long enough to make a copy.

[Jh316]

Very deep. A little more and some of them might've been a crack.

 

Anyway, mind elaborating on the toothpaste solution? Is there some method to applying it and washing it off, or what?

[Matri]

If it's THAT deep I don't give it much of a chance.

[Zombie]

Let me tell you about fixing scratched CD's, as I went through this headache a while ago. I had a Playstation game that got scratched on the black plastic side (not the label side). While the scratch wasn't too deep and it went laterally across the surface, it did prevent the game from loading.

 

I bought a product off ebay called DVD Fix-It. It's a white liquid that is supposed to "resurface" the CD, that is fill in the scratches. After following the directions and adding multiple layers, the game was still unreadable. I tried a friends disc doctor, but that didn't work either. Turtle wax alone won't fix a deeper scratch either. I never tried the toothpaste idea, but because it usually dries white (not clear) the laser light would not penetrate through to the data below.

 

Here is what I did:

 

I went to my local automotive store (which carries everything), and purchased two grades of sandpaper. Yes, sandpaper. One was a 2000 grit, and the second was a 3000 grit if I'm not mistaken. I'd look for the Aluminum Oxide grit which is less aggressive than the pumice varieties. Now I lightly sanded across the scratch (not with the scratch) with the 2000. Thet removed most of it. Next, I went to the 3000 grit. I used this to sand with the "grain" of the scratch, then in a circular motion. Please note that I was using the sandpapers "wet", not dry. That's important! You need the water to help lubricate the surface so you don't dig too deep.

 

To finish it off, lightly polish with a soft cloth or toilet paper (the soft kind). Hopefully, that should make the CD readable. I have had limited success with Turtle wax as it seems to sit at the surface, rather than "fill in" a scratch. A friend of mine tried Brasso (metal polish) and claims that works too.

 

You have to remember that some scratches you just cannot fix, no matter how careful you are. Be prepared for this before you start sanding. Please note that I am not responsible if you over-sand your disc. If you are scared about putting sandpaper to your disc, maybe you shouldn't try my method.

[Jh316]

I don't see how it could hurt. It's not like it can make the condition any worse, it's already uninstallable.

[Bomb Bloke]

A long time ago, I got a disc. PC Format Gold '95. Great disc that was for a boy with a powerful 486DXII machine that was, over 100 games for me to mess with. They don't make 'em like they used to...

 

Anyway, eventually the disc picked up scratches, and the DOS installer refused to work. Abort, Rety, or Fail? my machine asked, over and over again... I was very sad.

 

The solution turned out to be loading up Windows (3.11) and using WinZip to extract the archives manually. I'm still not sure why that worked; I can only assume that Windows used a different CD driver that was more tollerant then the DOS one, however, Windows 3.11 was more of a shell running on DOS then an OS in it's own right. *shrugs*

 

I can tell you that some drives are more capable then others at reading discs. I'd try that CD in a few machines, and if you find a drive that'll read it, use that one to backup the CD.

 

Guess the recommended method to fix a scratch? Wipe the scratched surface off. Sand paper could work, but a less random method might be to patch the scratch with paste or something, then bath the surface in acid for a while. That way you risk less scratches, I would say.

[Jh316]

...The whole "bathing in acid" thing sounds a bit dangerous.

[Bomb Bloke]

Erm, I think putting some acid (or something otherwise corrosive) on a tissue and wiping hte surface with that is more practical.

[Zombie]

I am a chemistry major, so please take my advise: DO NOT USE ANY CORROSIVES ON A SCRATCHED CD!!!!!!!!! This is a warning! First of all, any kind of strong acids, bases, or oxidizing agents are extremely dangerous and should only be handled by individuals who know the risks associated with them. Secondly, acids or bases will do nothing to "fix" that scratch. Those chemicals are pretty much non-reactive to the plastic on a CD, so using them is kinda a waste of time.

 

However, if that scratch goes to the data layer (which is usually made of reflective aluminum), strong acids or bases WILL react with that metal, effectively trashing your CD. Bathing in acid? Don't try it. You are just asking for trouble.

 

Oxidizing agents will sometimes react with the plastic, discoloring it. I don't see how that would help either.

 

As a side note, I did try Laquer Thinner on a scratched CD once. Since it is an organic liquid, I thought that it might remove (dissolve) some of the plastic layer so that the scratch was not so bad. Big mistake! The laquer thinner actually made the plastic "crackle". Not good.

 

I have heard that heating the area until the plastic melts into the crack works. In practice, it should. However, that method requires some skill because too much heat can warp a CD.

 

Your best bet is the sandpaper method. It doesn't require too much skill, it's not expensive, and it doesn't require the use of chemicals which may destroy the data layer. Saftey first!

[Bomb Bloke]

Zombie's right - what was I thinking?

 

It is true that corrosives are usually used to fix scratches, and I gather they are the most effective method. But you'd probably want to get a proper kit, which is basically a dropper bottle which you use on a special wiping thingy, which you then rub on the surface.

 

I never meant that one should drop a CD in a barrel full of acid, but I know it sure came out that way. :lol:

[Ki-tat Chung]

lol. well, you should all see my warcraft 2 cd. i dunno what you'd call it, but it is majorly damaged. somehow, it got caught up win the drive, so when i ejected the bay, the disk was above it, inside. what i did was just burn a copy off a friend. so, you can't dl it, but can you get a friend? if you're desperate, i can do it for you...