couple more ideas for ripping scratched discs

[syc0pathic]

I was trying to copy a scratched DVD last night... it was a minor scratch, but it was enough to halt the ripping process. I tried using DVD Decryptor, SmartRipper, and vStrip, but to no avail. I searched the forums and tried some suggestions about changing error reading configurations for the software, but that didn't work either.

So I tried an old trick I discovered last winter... back in Jan, I put another scratched disc outside in single digit temps. Then I stuck it in my drive and ripped the vob I was having trouble w/ as quickly as possible. Not a permanent fix, but it worked well enough to get it copied.

Of course, it's Sept now and 80* temps don't have quite the same effect. So I put the disc in the freezer. Unfortunately, it's a lot more humid right now than it was in Jan, so the disc fogged up bad enough to prevent the DVD drive from even reading it. By the time the fog went away, the disc was at room temp again. So I had to come up w/ a new trick...

I knew from playing the movie on the DVD drive that the affected area was less than 10sec long. I figured all I needed to do was to get the ripping program to skip over that and keep going. I thought that's what the configuration changes I made to the software were supposed to do, but apparently the drive couldn't find a spot to start reading again after the scratch. Anyway, so I knew I needed to get it to skip over the scratch. And how do u make a disc player skip? Well hitting it is 1 way... so that's exactly what I did. When it got hung up at that pt, I smacked the side of my computer. And it worked! It copied the rest of the vob w/ no problem. When I went back and checked the vob, it didn't even skip! As far as I can tell, the vob is complete and includes the "missing" 10secs.

Some tricks to keep in mind next time u have a scratched disc... HTH.

[Taelon]

Or if you'd rather try to read the data instead of skipping over it, polishing is the best solution I found. I did some research on this a while back, had a few disks that generated tons of read errors in DVDD, and one that the drive wouldn't even recognize, but they all played back fine in our SAP. Found an article that ran tests on various polishing compounds on audio CDs, their conclusion was to use "Brasso".

Somewhere in my searches I read something about using "Pledge" furniture polish, since we didn't have any Brasso in the house, but had some Pledge I gave it a try. Much to my amazement DVDD was able to read all 3 disks without a single read error. The good folks at digital-digest put the cleaning and polishing guide (http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=54849) that I wrote as a FAQ (still a work in progress, please ignore the paper towel references ;)

hope it helps

[setarip_old]

@syc0pathic

Hi!

When it got hung up at that pt, I smacked the side of my computer. And it worked!

Despite the fact that this yielded good results for you, I'd suggest that the risk of permanent damage to your system resulting from doing this is not worth it...

[feedback]

I smacked the side of my computer. And it worked! It copied the rest of the vob w/ no problem.
That is great LOL.
Even in this day and age something mechanical or in this case electro-mechanical, the DVD-Rom, can be made to work as you needed with a well placed whack.

There is a freeware tool Here (http://www.smart-projects.net/) called ISOBuster that can retrieve data from scratched disks. I have used it sucessfully on a couple of my kids game CD's but it works with DVD's also.

Regards,:)

[movax]

Kind of gross, but peeing on the disc and chilling it (and of course wiping/cleaning it off :rolleyes: ) has worked on every disc of mine, including the one my dog decided to try biting. :)

[CWR03]

Kind of gross, but peeing on the disc and chilling it (and of course wiping/cleaning it off :rolleyes: ) has worked on every disc of mine, including the one my dog decided to try biting. :)

I wonder if that would work on some of my employees.

I use a Skip Dr. (It's sold under many names, like Game Dr., or DVD Dr., but it's the same thing) that works well for polishing out minor scratches. According to the manual, it works by polishing radially from the center out, and the scuffing left behind doesn't affect the reading of the disk. In a few extreme cases I was able to buff down a really bad mark with 400 grit wet sandpaper and removed the remaining scratches with the Skip Dr. The electric ones are overkill - it's rarely necessary to polish the entire disk because of one scratch, where the hand unit can be worked back-and-forth over a scratch. Included with the kit is a small buffing pad that the manual says to use to remove the radial buffing marks, but I've found that it's not necessary for the functionality of the disk - it must be for aesthetics.

[movax]

The manual Game Dr. borked my Vice City PS2 disc even more =( (brother knocked over PS2 while it was vertical with disc inside, spinning of course). Ended up buying a used one from EB for like $5 to finish the game. =/

[syc0pathic]

Despite the fact that this yielded good results for you, I'd suggest that the risk of permanent damage to your system resulting from doing this is not worth it...Well I didn't hit it very hard... it was more of a light tap. I used a little more force than u would use if u were tapping out a drum beat on the table.

I'm not saying these are the only or even best solutions... it's just other things u can try. This was actually my brother's disc... I take care of my discs and I've never had a scratch myself -- so I don't have a Skip Dr. and he was only there for a short time so we couldn't go buy 1.

Polishing or sanding a disc is a more extreme measure and u risk making the problem worse. It's better to start w/ the simplest stuff 1st, then try the more extreme stuff if necessary.

[feedback]

I am from the "Whatever works Camp".

You had a problem and you resolved it...maybe a bit unorthodox but it worked for you.

Who hasn't felt like drop kicking their computer from time to time.

As a matter of fact, if yelling or cursing at one's computer would fix a problem we would probably have a lot less posting of problems around here.

All in all, whacking, thumping, kicking, slapping, shaking, tapping, whatever, worked for you and it was a humorous fix to boot. (no pun intended)

Regards,:)

P.S. If however all that other stuff does not work, then try the ISOBuster link I provided above.

[Leak]

Who hasn't felt like drop kicking their computer from time to time.
Me. I value my feet too much so I don't try or even think of doing something like this... ;)

(You do know how heavy your average PC is, right? On the other hand, my NSLU2 is another matter entirely - very dropkickable, and relatively cheap to boot... :p)

np: Deadbeat - Right As Rain (Staedtizism 3)