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Recovery Tips For Errored, Damaged Or Unfinalized DVDs and CDs

September 9, 2009 · Filed Under Uncategorized · Comment 
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Here is a short round up of some basic techniques to help you deal with damaged DVDs and CDs, DVDs with errors and unfinalized DVDs.

Before attacking the disc itself it is a good idea to check for other possible sources of trouble:

  • Check to see your CD/DVD burner has the latest firmware by going to the manufacturers website.
  • Check as to whether the brand or type of disc you are using is compatible with your DVD/CD burner.
  • Check to see that the DVD player you are using can play other discs successfully.

Once you are certain that the CD or DVD disc is the source of trouble you can take a look at the solutions below.

Scratched CD DVD Discs

A simple visual inspection of the surface of the disc will tell you straight away whether your problem is physical damage to the disc. You will probably need to handle any visible scratches on the surface of the disc first.

At this point it is best to use good DVD copying software to see if the disc will copy before embarking on any other course of action. DVD software of good quality will be able to read through a great many disc surface imperfections.

If that failed you could go out and buy a scratched disc repair machine to re-surface the disc. Or you could go out to the garage or your local hardware store!

Any neutral or clear car polish product is about all you will need. I use Turtlewax but only because that is what was in the garage. Get a soft lint free cloth and apply a small amount of polish to the disc surface and gently (note: you are not buffing a car!) buff the disc.

Use straight strokes from the centre of the disc to the outer edge and continue to do this until you can see the scratch either disappear or reduce noticeably. Then using the same motion and fresh cloth buff the disc back to its original shine.

Now try again to make a copy with good DVD copying software. If you are still unsuccessful repeat the process until you can be certain the problem is not coming from a damaged disc surface.

DVD Data Recovery

The best DVD recovery software is Nero 9 or Isobuster. A straight search of Yahoo or Google will find you the relevant sites.

Put the problem disc in the DVD drive of your computer then:

Open Nero SmartStart and choose Nero Express. Select the function of copying an entire disc. Make sure the problem disc is selected and let it start. You will know of it is going to work very quickly.

Failing that choose the Save Tracks option located at the bottom of the screen after returning to Nero Express. Again let it run and you will quickly find out whether or not it will work.

If you don’t get a result open Nero Recode by going back to Nero SmartStart. Choose to Recode an Entire DVD to DVD. Make sure the size of the target disc is the same as the source disc and again let it run.

Failing that go back to Nero SmartStart and choose Nero RescueAgent and follow the DVD recovery software instruction there.

Still no joy: Isobuster.

Attempt to create a disc image file then burn to a fresh DVD. Isobuster has three distinct strategies for dealing with corrupt data.

  • It can replace the damaged area with free space.
  • It can substitute the corrupt area with fake data.
  • It can substitute the corrupt area with zeros.

Isobuster will not create the disc image file unless it knows it will be successful. If Isobuster has created the file (note where it was going to put it first!) you will have to re-name the extension to .iso.

Use the disc image file to burn a new DVD disc with DVD burning software.

Still no success?

  1. Open Isobuster and allow it to detect the disc.
  2. Under the “File” menu select “Find Missing Files and Folders” after Isobuster has detected the disc.
  3. You will be able to see in the left side column Files and Folders Found by Their Signature.
  4. Select that, then go to File – Files Found Via Their Signature – Extract Files Found Via Their Signature.” Choose a place to save and let it start.

The files will now be where you chose them to be saved.

Unfinalized discs.

If possible get the original device used to create the disc to finalize it. If this is not possible or the original device is failing to successfully finalize the disc you may have to resort to the Isobuster routine above.

If you have an unfinalized disc that is otherwise perfectly ok.

This is specific to unfinalized discs and requires Nero 9.

Slip the unfinalized DVD disc into your DVD RW. Open Nero 9 and the StartSmart window will appear. Look to the top of the screen and click Create and Edit. Click Author, Edit and Capture Video.The NeroVision module will open. Select the Disc Tools menu and hit Finalize Disc. In the option box that appears choose No Menus and let it run. With a little luck you should now have a finalized disc.

Good luck!

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