| Compared
to floppy disks, CDs are pretty tough to fix if they get damaged.
On the plus side, they are unaffected by magnetic fields and
the plastic coating on each side of the disk is more resistant
to fingerprints, spilled soft drinks and other contamination
than the magnetic media inside a floppy disk. In addition,
there's no shutter for dried soft drinks to stick closed,
as there is on a 3.5-inch floppy.
However, CDs are anything but indestructible.
They need to be kept clean and scratch free. While the CD
format's built-in error correction will deal with minor problems,
a major scratch or dirt build up requires your action to clean.
The most delicate side of a CD is the label
side. Surprised? You probably thought it was the side the
laser hit. However, the label side is the side closest to
the shiny reflective layer that underlies the recording layer.
The reflective coating is critical to the functioning of the
disk and only a thin lacquer coating protects it. The read
side is protected by a thicker coat of plastic that is designed
to minimize the effects of scratches.
Most of the time, when a CD suddenly refuses
to play, it means that dirt, fingerprints or scratches on
the CD are interfering with the drive's ability to read the
disk. Wiping the read side of the disk from the center outwards
with a mild soap and water solution, or a cleaning solution
made for CDs, and a lint-free cloth will usually clean off
dirt and fingerprints.
The operative words here are "wipe",
as in gently, and "from the center outwards". Don't
scrub and don't work in circles; work from the center all
the way out to the edge.
While people have reported success with everything
from toothpaste (to polish out scratches) to floor wax (to
fill deep scratches) you're probably better off investing
in a disk cleaning and repair kit to deal with scratches.
There are special disk cleaning kits available
that will clean disks and repair some scratches, especially
scratches on the read side. These cost from $10 to $30 dollars
at record stores, video game stores and computer stores.
Among the brands are Game Doctor, Disk Repair
Pro and Universal Game Repair Kit. These kits usually include
cleaning solutions and a mild abrasive for polishing out scratches
on the read side.
Damage to the label side of a disk is much
more difficult to fix and, in some cases, not even the repair
services can do anything with such a disk. A cracked or broken
CD is pretty much hopeless and you can damage your drive by
trying to play one.
Of course, the best protection is prevention.
Treat your CDs gently, handle them only by the edges and store
them at room temperature in a protective case or sleeve.
If you have a damaged CD that you successfully
repaired, you should copy the contents to another CD if possible.
Keep the repaired disk as a backup.
How
to Repair Scratched CDs | 2
Types Of Top Damage | Can
Your Disc Be Fixed? | Repair
and fix damaged CD |
How
to Tell if a CD Is Damaged | CD
Cleaning Solution - Making Your Own
|
Don't
Trash Your Scratched CDs...Repair Them!
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