Comments on How to Repair Scratched CDs

Lightly graze the bottom with a lighterand it will melt the scratches but don't leave it in one spot, or you will melt the hole cd.

it dosent clean scratches but it cleans dirt and stuff

If you own the CD, you have a right to make a copy. Don't let the wording of DMCA scare you. It's written in the negative sense so as to discourage copying. Make sure that we keep the rights we won in the 70's and 80's - protest protection schemes that don't allow fair use; make CDs not work in PCs and even in older CD players, smear the audio and other such things. Use Exact Audio Copy. Once it's configured properly, it will make a very good copy of even a badly scratched CD. I had a Hank Williams CD with such a deep scratch that it took all night, but I got back one of my favorite CD's. EAC is postcard ware. Make sure to send a postcard from your home town, if you like the product. Remember, if you let industry rule the countries, through high dollar lobbying, it's no longer a government for the people, it's for the people with money and congress in their pocket. In closing - The labels are their own worst enemy. If they would point the finger at themselves, instead of giving the finger to their customers. They might survive, they'll be different, but they might survive.

Nothing will work. I tried everything on my favorite cd, vaseline, turtle wax, alcohol AND toothpaste and the cd still wont play. The only real way to get your songs going again is to buy a new one.

Most products with some sort of oil will help (turtle wax, baby oil). My A+ book suggests you use peanut butter to fix scratches on CDs. I have found that works best.

Get a very soft artists eraser and rub it until the scratch is gone. I used water to get the eraser particles off and then alcohol rubbing pads to clean off the stuff that the water didn't take off. It took me a few attempts to get the disc fully working. The scratch still shows just a little bit, but it made the CD work!

I have repaired some scratches on CDs using Future Floor Wax. You know the clear product in the clear bottle? Apply floor wax in the same manner as the professional products.

Take a window cleaner, spray the CD 2 times, then wipe clean with a damp rag.

Try using liquid car wax. Apply to CD, let dry to a haze, and wipe off. Good as new! It won't repair deep gouges.

I used Amour All wax-it-dry gel, and it worked wonderfully! The CD player wouldn't even read my CDs, because they were so badly scratched. Nothing else really worked.

Use a yellow highlighter. Color the entire thing, then wipe it off with a tissue. It doesn't always work, but it hasn't ever ruined anything for me.

I was going crazy here! I have a CD that has lots of important photos. I stored them on the CD, not my hard drive for safety. Somehow the CD got scratched, and it wouldn't read the photos. I came across this site in a frenzy, desperately looking for some quick solution to my problem. I tried (sceptically) the hair conditioner option. I put the CD back in, and now I have my photos! I used Aveda rosemary mint conditioner. I can't believe this worked, but I'm over the moon. This site is great!! :)

I tried Turtle Wax on an audio CD. One of the songs was skipping back and forth, and it froze my PC. It's magic: after applying once with a soft tissue, it works just fine!

Use Brasso. I tried it and it honestly and truly works. The Brasso eats away at a part of the plastic coating, which might not entirely be a good thing. As long as the top of the disk isn't damaged (which is the part you can write on and holds the information), as long as the scratch doesn't go entirely through the disk, the label at the top of the disk (that holds the data) doesn't come off - then you're good to go. The Brasso really isn't going to eat entirely through the plastic coating between the data and the outer world unless you use a whole can. It only takes a very minimal amount to work, but it may take a few times to get the scratches fixed. Do not use a circular motion when cleaning the disc, go in a radial motion (from the inside to outside). A circular motion can make the scratches worsen and/or cause new scratches.

Pour some rubbing alcohol over the CD and let it drip dry. Then put it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so. Take it out, let it warm back up to room temperature, and play it. I have no idea why, but it works for some scratches (not heavily damaged CDs though). I know it sounds weird, but try it.

Use regular white toothpaste to clean the CD. Audio CD's can cope with fine scratches much easier than coarse ones.

If you want your CD to work, spray perfume on it. Let it sit for 1 minute, then quickly wipe it off.

If you have a smudge or a small scratches on your CD, spray it with Pledge furniture polish and carefully wipe from the inside out. I tried it on a CD and it totally works!

Using toothpaste on your CD will make your CD shinier, toothpaste also makes the CD hard to read. I did it, and it broke my PS2.

I took Vaseline and rubbed it all over the CD and waited several minutes. I then took Windex and sprayed it all over the CD. Paper towels work well to remove the Vaseline (it takes a couple of minutes to get it off). The only bad thing is that sometimes it is hard to get the wipe marks off.

I have been using WD-40 to repair scratched CD's for years. It works for me.

If you have grease or food on your CD, the best way to clean it is to gently wash it with dishwashing soap and warm water. It cuts grease on a CD just as well as it does with dishes.

I have fixed some CDs by using Armor All with a lint-free soft cloth, buffing lightly.

If you back up your CD on your computer when you buy it you do not have to worry about it getting scratched. What I do is keep the original in a good place, back it up on my computer and burn a copy to play. I did this with all my CDs. All my originals are in mint condition. I made 2 copies of each.

Rub the scratches with an ordinary pencil eraser, then wipe well with a dry face cloth or a soft cloth.