Learn how to repair a scratched CD |Digital Trends Spanish

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Despite the entry of new storage formats, video discs digital media (DVD) are a cornerstone for the collections of many moviegoers, just as compact discs (CD) are for music lovers. For this reason, when you lend one to a friend, you pray that he returns it to you in good condition. But if that doesn't happen, before ending that long friendship, we suggest you follow these tips on how to repair a scratched CD and rescue the content you thought was lost.

These methods will also work with DVDs, but not with Blu-ray discs, which use a coating. While this protects them from scratches, if they do get damaged, you simply won't be able to repair it. Minor flaws can be fixed with a microfiber cloth, but the data density and layers prevent the alternatives we'll describe from working with Blu-ray. Another alternative is the error correction features of the best Blu-ray players, which help to ignore scratches.

Still, it's always a good idea to back up your DVDs, CDs and Blu-rays to a hard drive, which will keep your music and movies safe for as long as you need them to.

Here's how to repair a scratched CD:

What you need to know before you start

How do scratches affect discs?

A CD or DVD is made up of layers. On top is a plastic one, with the label printed on the surface. Data is stored in the form of ones and zeros (1 and 0). When engraving, a laser burns small holes in the plastic, so that the surface consists of several pits or wells and flat surfaces, called lands or plains. Beneath is a layer of reflective aluminum: when a CD or DVD player reads the disc, it emits a laser, which detects whether you're over a pit or land, before bouncing the reflection back to the player.

The bottom layer is made of polycarbonate and its purpose is to protect data from damage. If it is scratched, it can disturb the path of the laser, making it difficult for you to accurately read pits and flats. To solve this problem, you must either polish the scratch or fill it with a transparent substance, which allows the laser to travel through the data.

Five tips before you start

While there are different methods for cleaning and recoating your discs, it's important to remember a few key rules if you want to save yourself a headache in the process.

1: Wash and dry your hands before handling the discs. It is surprisingly easy to damage the delicate data printed on the polycarbonate layer. Both grease and oil have been known to cause playback problems, even if the disc shows no signs of physical damage. It is best to wear latex gloves.

2: The best way to start cleaning your records is from the center and work your way out in a straight line. This allows for a better grip and helps prevent damage to the data printed on the polycarbonate layer. This is because the data is stored in a spiral, like vinyl records. Because the CD or DVD spins so fast, the drive must be able to make up for missing bits of data as it goes. When a scratch extends directly from the center of the disc to the edge, it is much easier for the algorithm to detect the error and automatically correct it.

3: Tray-loading drives are more likely to read a damaged or scratched disc than slot-loading drives. If possible, use one of these drives when you're repairing a drive to reduce the variables at play.

4: Since the encoded data layer on the polycarbonate surface is close to the top, scratches on the label can cause read errors in the same way as one located on the reflective surface. Try to store all your discs in cases or reels, and handle them by the inner ring, to avoid damaging the data.

5 - There are plenty of ways you can damage a drive, but before proceeding it's important to identify how deep the scratch is or what caused the drive to not work. The first trick is to confirm that the problem is actually with the drive. This is usually done by trying to play the disc on another device or by inserting another disc into the original device that is giving you problems.

Methods to repair your disk

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a household cleaning product, but you may be surprised how useful it is for repairing optical discs. Move the slightly dry cloth over the reflective surface, always in a straight line from the center of the disc outward, which will help reduce some of the scratching without affecting the data. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is made of melamine foam, the same material used for acoustic and thermal insulation. Instead of resorting to chemical products, take advantage of their properties.

Foam acts like an abrasive, like sandpaper, and can smooth the outer layer of a record. Think of it like a pumice or pumice stone against the rough skin of your heel: rub it and you'll get some of the dead skin, but if you rub too hard you can end up damaging yourself. This way, avoid rubbing the disk too much, or you'll risk affecting the data layer.

Expensive Machines

Unless you want to spend $500 or more on a professional machine, it's best to avoid this option. While these high-end devices are great for those cleaning and repairing hundreds of drives a month, they are prohibitively expensive. They often require maintenance that quickly exceeds the cost of replacing a few scratched DVDs. The less expensive versions, at $10 or $20, tend to do more harm than good, often leaving your drives beyond repair or spraying them with chemicals that damage the exterior. It's common to find the professional machines at stores that sell used records, though, and they often let you use them for a nominal fee.

Oil-Based Products

If you got to this point, chances are no other method worked. If you can get any computer to read the disc, you can burn a backup copy to another disc. But if the scratch is severe on the data side, the damage may have reached the reflective layer.

In this case, you can try using an equivalent material, to try to read the disk. There are different materials, some effective and others the result of errors and myths. Lip balm, toothpaste, peanut butter, shoe polish, window cleaner, petroleum jelly, banana peels, and a host of other materials supposedly work, but they all have one common feature: oil. The oils will help fill in some of the gaps, even after you've cleaned them. These oils provide the path for the laser to travel directly to the data and vice versa.

Heat

Again, if you really care about your drive and want to save it, you've probably already taken it to a professional at this point. However, if you insist on seeing your disc scratched, you could try heating it slightly. Polycarbonate has a very low melting point and becomes very malleable with a bit of heat. A desk lamp will work just fine; just place the disk near the focus. You don't need to bend or flatten it, just hope that a little heat will correct small scratches on the printed data and make the disc easier to read.

If you don't succeed

The sad thing is that while the above methods are likely to work, they are just as likely to not work. Generally, once you've damaged a drive enough that it doesn't work anymore, you'll hardly be able to repair it. Unless you need some cup holders and don't mind scratches and a silver look, your records could be destined for the recycling bin.

If after reading this guide you still want to expand your movie collection, check out our guide to the best movies on Amazon or on Netflix. And think about this: the Netflix option is permanently scratch resistant.

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