Whether it's a
kid with sticky fingers, a pet with a love for shiny things or just the result
of frequent viewing and handling, DVDs are constantly at risk of damage. Even
though DVD players incorporate an error-correction feature that's 10 times more
efficient than the one found in CD-ROM players, a disc with scratches, stains
or fingerprints may not be readable. Even so, before you toss the DVD or turn
it into a futuristic-looking coaster, try repairing it yourself.
Water Cleaning
o Even
tiny smudges or stains can turn a perfectly good DVD into a useless piece of
plastic. To remove such marks from a disc, you need soft paper towels as well
as a polishing cloth designed to clean DVDs or a standard eyeglasses cloth.
After gently rubbing slightly wet paper towels over the surface of the DVD
until all stains disappear, dry it with the polishing cloth.
Using an Abrasive
o Scratches
on the protective layer of the disc can prevent your DVD player from accurately
reading it. To remove those scratches, you also must remove part of the DVD's
protective layer with a slightly abrasive solution of toothpaste or a metal
polish such as Brasso or Tarn-X, which cost less than $8 at grocery stores.
After putting a little bit of toothpaste or
polish on a paper towel, gently rub the DVD, preferably in straight strokes
from the center of the disc to its edge. Once the scratches are barely visible,
rinse the disc with water and dry it with a polishing cloth. Removing part of
the protective layer does leave it more susceptible to damage, however, and you
should only attempt this repair method in a well-ventilated area if using a
chemical-based product.
Repair Machines
o Available
at most computer or consumer electronics shops, CD and DVD repair machines
range from small manual units to automatic professional machines. The cheaper
models cost less than $20 and make it easier to remove the DVD's protective
layer: Instead of rubbing the surface for several minutes, you spray the disc
with a supplied abrasive chemical agent and turn a crank to scrape the DVD's
surface. More expensive units, sold for about $100, run the entire process
after you insert the disc, and even apply a new protective layer to prevent
further damage.
Software
o Software
applications such as IsoBuster Pro, Nero 11 or Recover Disc help you recover
data from a DVD that's too damaged for cleaning methods. While Recover Disc and
IsoBuster Pro cost less than $30 as of 2012, Nero 11 sells for about $100, but
incorporates more features. All three also are available in either time-limited
or stripped-down free versions. These Windows applications copy a DVD's contents
to your hard drive and can transfer them to a new disc using a DVD writer,
although they can't always recover data from commercial DVDs with embedded
anti-piracy measures.
You can determine if you have a DVD writer in
your computer by visiting the manufacturer's website or calling its support
center. Alternatively, the trial version of any DVD-recovery application will
reveal if it detects a DVD writer. Even without a DVD writer, you can use such
programs to copy recovered files to a USB flash drive and burn them to a disc
in the future.
Considerations
o If
your DVD player frequently has disc problems, the problem may be the player
itself, which reads DVDs via a laser beam emitted through a lens that can get
dusty over time. Lens-cleaning kits, sold at electronics or computer shops for
less than $10, contain a special disc affixed with one or more small brushes
that gently remove any accumulated dust on the lens as the DVD rotates inside
the drive.
