Monday, January 22, 2007

How to Fix a Scratched DVD

This Christmas we bought our kids a PS2. Within a week my oldest son’s favorite game was damaged (likely by one of his two little brothers). Since it would not work I searched the web for suggestions of how to fix it. In my searching I found a site that compared all sorts of cleaning options with the results from multiple cleanings (sorry I couldn’t find the link again). I was surprised to see that Brasso (the metal polish) was rated as far superior in comparison to professional DVD cleaners and toothpaste. I didn’t have Brasso on hand, so used toothpaste 3-4 times. Each time I could see that the paste was “wearing down” the scratches, but to no avail, the DVD would never work. As a last ditch effort I got Brasso the other day at Walmart and tried it. After the first application, the disk still wouldn’t work. Since there was nothing to loose, I thought I would give it one more try and, low and behold, the game has worked perfectly ever since.

Consequently, I recommend Brasso for any CD or DVD repairs that aren’t fixable with a simple cleaning (sometimes the disks don’t work because of finger prints/grime). So, if a scratch is keeping your disk from working, use a soft cloth and apply Brasso in a circular motion on the disk. The Brasso is literally rubbing off some of the coating on the disk, so don’t push too hard, but also don’t push so light that you aren’t being productive. Once the Brasso coat has dried you can wash it off in the sink with water and dry it with a soft cloth. The study I read said that multiple applications actually improved the quality of the fix, so if it doesn’t fix it the first time don’t be afraid to do it a 1 or 2 more times.

If any of you have any other disk fix testimonials or discoveries I’d love to hear em.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

For a Kenny G. CD, you can usually use a good solid heavy hammer. Lay the CD on a hard cement floor, and repeatadly strike the CD with the hammer over and over until the desired effect is achieved.

- JC

Unknown said...

scott, you're such a dad :p