( 
)Cleaning and repairing DVDs / CDs
If you notice problems when playing a disc, you may be able to correct them with a simple cleaning.
* Do not use strong cleaners, abrasives, solvents, or acids.
* With a soft, lint-free cloth, wipe gently in only a radial direction
(a straight line between the hub and the rim).
Since the data is arranged circularly on the disc, the micro scratches you create when cleaning the disc (or the nasty gouge you make with the dirt you didn't see on your cleaning cloth) will cross more error correction blocks and be less likely
to cause unrecoverable errors.
* Don't use canned or compressed air, which can be very cold and may thermally stress the disc.
* For stubborn dirt or gummy adhesive, use water, water with mild soap, or isopropyl alcohol.
* There are commercial products that clean discs and provide some protection from dust, fingerprints, and scratches.
CD cleaning products work as well as DVD cleaning products.
If you continue to have problems after cleaning the disc, you may need to attempt to repair one or more scratches. Sometimes even hairline scratches can cause errors if they just happen to cover an entire error correction (ECC) block.
Examine the disc to find scratches, keeping in mind that the laser reads from the bottom.
There are essentially two methods of repairing scratches:
1) fill or coat the scratch with an optical material;
2) polish down the scratch. There are many commercial products that do one or both of these, or you may wish to do it yourself with polishing compounds or toothpaste.
The trick is to polish out the scratch without causing new ones.
A mess of small polishing scratches may cause more damage than a big scratch.
As with cleaning, polish only in the radial direction.
Windex IS NOT a good idea! It will CLOUD THE PLASTIC after a while. Maybe NOT on the first cleaning, but after a few times it WILL cloud.
You should use a WEAK alcohol solution, and a SOFT cloth, like a chamois.
Any kind of ammonia is NOT good.
If you notice problems when playing a disc, you may be able to correct them with a simple cleaning.
* Do not use strong cleaners, abrasives, solvents, or acids.
* With a soft, lint-free cloth, wipe gently in only a radial direction
(a straight line between the hub and the rim).
Since the data is arranged circularly on the disc, the micro scratches you create when cleaning the disc (or the nasty gouge you make with the dirt you didn't see on your cleaning cloth) will cross more error correction blocks and be less likely
to cause unrecoverable errors.
* Don't use canned or compressed air, which can be very cold and may thermally stress the disc.
* For stubborn dirt or gummy adhesive, use water, water with mild soap, or isopropyl alcohol.
* There are commercial products that clean discs and provide some protection from dust, fingerprints, and scratches.
CD cleaning products work as well as DVD cleaning products.
If you continue to have problems after cleaning the disc, you may need to attempt to repair one or more scratches. Sometimes even hairline scratches can cause errors if they just happen to cover an entire error correction (ECC) block.
Examine the disc to find scratches, keeping in mind that the laser reads from the bottom.
There are essentially two methods of repairing scratches:
1) fill or coat the scratch with an optical material;
2) polish down the scratch. There are many commercial products that do one or both of these, or you may wish to do it yourself with polishing compounds or toothpaste.
The trick is to polish out the scratch without causing new ones.
A mess of small polishing scratches may cause more damage than a big scratch.
As with cleaning, polish only in the radial direction.
Windex IS NOT a good idea! It will CLOUD THE PLASTIC after a while. Maybe NOT on the first cleaning, but after a few times it WILL cloud.
You should use a WEAK alcohol solution, and a SOFT cloth, like a chamois.
Any kind of ammonia is NOT good.
Guide created: 09/23/08 (updated 01/14/09)
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