words Christine Tomas
Have you noticed scratches on your disc? Is the disc not working? This can be quite an annoying situation since scratches on the drive can be an obstacle to accessing information. Luckily, in some cases, you can fix disk scratches and restore access to files. Below you will find tips and tools to get rid of scratches. Today, there are many available solutions to this problem, but only a few of them are effective.
Before You Start Fixing Scratches on a DVD or Blu-Ray Disc
The use of DVD or Blu-ray discs has become something old-fashioned. However, these disks can still store information, rare files, and so on. Therefore, scratches on disks can become an obstacle to accessing your information. So, there is a need to try to recover the data, and here is how to do it step by step.
Make Sure That the Problem Is with Your Disc
Before you begin the process of repairing scratches on a DVD or Blu-ray, you need to make sure that there is a problem with the disc and not with the player. To make sure that the problem is not a malfunction of your player, use a disc that is not damaged. Just try to play a disc that does not have any damage. If there are no problems with your player, then you need to start the scratch repair process.
Check the Level of Damage
Before proceeding with the elimination of scratches, you need to make sure that all subsequent actions will be effective. In some cases, the tips will not work. If you see a lot of deep scratches through which you can see the gaps, then it would be better to seek the help of experts that will help to fix scratched DVD or Blu-ray discs. The experts will analyze whether it is possible to fix it or if you need to forget about it. However, if you have a few minor scratches, you can try some tips to repair the damage on your own.
Top Tips on How to Remove Scratches from a Disc
Below you will find tips and tools to repair minor damage. Check out the most effective tips that can help you to remove scratches from your disc.
Prepare for the Recovery Process
When repairing scratches on a disc, your hands must be clean since fingerprints can remain on the surface of your discs and complicate the final result. So, it’s important to keep your hands clean. Otherwise, fingerprints can exacerbate the problem.
Remove Scratches with Glass Cleaner
You can also use such a tool as glass cleaners. However, this remedy will be effective if the scratches are not deep since fixing deep scratches will require requires professional help. So, to fix scratches with a glass cleaner, you need to follow these steps:
- Apply a small amount of cleanser over the entire surface.
- Wipe the disc with a lint-free cloth.
- Use a new napkin to remove the remnants of the product.
Check if the scratches are gone. If the damage is not significant, you will be able to get rid of such a problem.
Remove Scratches with Toothpaste
Toothpaste can help in the scratch repair process. Here is an algorithm for how to use toothpaste to remove scratches on a disk:
- You should remove dust and fingerprints from your disc with water and mild soap.
- Use a lint-free cloth to wipe off the water and soap from your disc.
- Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto the surface of your disc.
- Start rubbing the paste into the scratch while doing this from the middle of the disk to the edges with a direct movement of your fingers. Do not use circular motions, as this will not be effective and can completely damage your disc.
- Clean the disc from the toothpaste.
- Clean the surface of the disc with a lint-free cloth.
In most cases, this process will help you get rid of minor scratches on the disc.
Remove Scratches with a Magic Eraser
Surely you know what a Magic Eraser is. This is another option that you can use to get rid of scratches on your disc. All you have to do is use a melamine foam stick. In this case, it is important to be careful and not make efforts in order not to damage the disk. It is important not to use circular motions while doing this, as this can erase information from your disk. Start from the middle of the disc with straight strokes to the edge without using much force.
Remove Scratches with Oil-Based Products
This method involves the use of oily substances to get rid of scratches. Among these products, you can use peanut butter, vaseline, hygienic lipstick, and so on. The algorithm of the procedure is exactly the same as when using toothpaste to eliminate scratches. It is also worth avoiding circular movements as in the previous methods. With this approach, you can quickly get rid of scratches and then transfer all important information from your damaged disc to your computer.
Remove Scratches with Baking Soda
Baking soda is a product that can be found in any grocery store. Therefore, this is another affordable tool with which you can try to get rid of scratches. You need to complete the following steps:
- First, you need to put baking soda on the surface of the scratched DVD or Blu-ray disc, but do not rub it.
- Then wipe it with a cotton cloth that is pre-moistened with water. This will turn the soda into a liquid paste.
- Do not use circular motions! Move in straight lines from the center to the edge.
- Use a lint-free tissue to wipe away the soda pasta.
The Final Step: Extract Files from the Damaged Disk
After you have completed repairing your damaged disk, you must save all important information to your computer. All you have to do is download free data transfer software if you don’t have such a program and transfer the information to your computer since a damaged disk may stop working over time. Therefore, the best option is to extract important information and save it in a more secure place.
Wrapping Up
So, now you know how to fix scratches on your DVD or Blu-ray disk. As you can see, all the tools that will help you to fix scratches can be found in your home. Therefore, it is worth trying to restore your disk, and then you should definitely extract the information from it so as not to worry again when the disc stops playing.
Christine Tomas is a tech expert, consultant, and aspiring writer. She writes for different news portals and thematic blogs for tech experts that helps her stay at the heart of programming, technology news.
