Fixing Damaged Game Disk - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

djtestudo · 12-01-2004, 01:23 PM

I searched for this and didn't see it anywhere, so if I missed it, please let me know.

My NCAA Football 2005 disk for the PS2 is scratched. I was looking for a way to fix it without sending away for a new copy. I've found everything from using toothpaste to using Vaseline to using Pledge. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar problem and how they fixed it.

I'm hoping for some responses since my my addiction is starting to kick in

Pellaz · 12-01-2004, 01:29 PM

I personaly always use toothpaste to good results. Any mild abbrasive will really get the job done, though for surface scratches. Just remember that you're actualy buffing away the scratches to an extent, and you should be fine. Always move the cloth and abrassive radially. If the scratches are deep enough that they are actualy scratching data, you're SOL.

heccubusiv · 12-01-2004, 01:43 PM

spread creamy peanut butter around the scratch wait till it dries and rub it off. ussually works for me

the_marq · 12-01-2004, 01:44 PM

There is a video game place in my town (Calgary) that restores and/or repairs discs. They have some fancy schmancy tool and buffing soloution. You might call a few stores and see if they offer this kind of service.

Rudel73 · 12-01-2004, 02:54 PM

buy a disk doctor...just go to amazon.com or any place like bestbuy ebgames etc and type in disk doctor they all have em

sadistikdreams · 12-01-2004, 09:46 PM

I learned from Wired Magazine to use windex.

Spray onto disc, use a clean cotton rag, and rub with the vertical lines of the disc.

For me, it usually works. See, there's plastic over the aluminum that contains the info. If it's scratched all the way through the plastic, then you're fucked.

djtestudo · 12-02-2004, 08:26 AM

I'll give some of these a shot.

Thanks, guys.

If anyone else has other ideas, you can keep giving.

shadowalker · 12-02-2004, 09:18 AM

I ripped this from another web site, and tried it on some of my cd's and it works great

Fixing Scratched CDs
A simple and safe-to-do-at-home repair for scratched and scuffed CDs
When CDs first came out, there was a remarkable amount of sales hype about how indestructible they were. Those of us who work in radio stations soon found out! CDs are easily rendered unplayable by a small scuff or scratch to the playing surface. Fortunately, these minor abrasions can be easily fixed.

I'm making the distinction between scuffs and scratches because they interfere with the laser tracking and reading mechanism in two different ways:

a scuff mark renders the surface of the polycarbonate milky, rather than clear. This diffuses the laser beam, making it impossible for the tracking mechanism to locate and focus on the pits which carry the sound and tracking information.
a scratch which runs at an angle to the track usually poses no problem for the tracking mechanism. Indeed a well adjusted CD player should be able to track a disk on which a 1mm strip of black tape has been stuck - providing it is stuck on radially. But if a scratch is approximately tangential or circumferential, it can obscure the track below for enough time that the tracking or error correction cannot cope.
Both scratches and scuffs can be removed by the same method - by polishing them out using Brasso. Engineers have been using Brasso as a polish for plastics ever since it was released as a polish for brass.
Use the Brasso in the normal way. A drop or two is usually sufficient (one tin will last you a lifetime of great listening!). Use a soft clean cloth to rub the affected area with the Brasso until the mark is almost gone. Polish scuff marks radially. Scratches are best handled by rubbing along the direction of the scratch. With a scratch it usually is not necessary to polish it completely away - just clean it up enough for the laser to be able to see through it.

Finish up by letting the Brasso dry on the surface, then use a fresh soft cloth to rub it off. Just for good form's sake, do this last stage radially. Remember radial scratches won't generally interfere with the tracking mechanism.

When trying to work out which scratch is to blame for a mistracking, keep in mind that ones at an angle to the direction of rotation are not likely to cause problems. Also keep in mind that a CD plays from the inside out, so that a problem on an early track is more likely to be near the centre than the edge.

So far I have not found a scratched or scuffed CD I cannot fix using Brasso. I hope it works for you too!

12-01-2004, 01:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
djtestudo Baltimoron Location: Beeeeeautiful Bel Air, MD	Fixing Damaged Game Disk I searched for this and didn't see it anywhere, so if I missed it, please let me know. My NCAA Football 2005 disk for the PS2 is scratched. I was looking for a way to fix it without sending away for a new copy. I've found everything from using toothpaste to using Vaseline to using Pledge. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar problem and how they fixed it. I'm hoping for some responses since my my addiction is starting to kick in __________________ "Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen." --Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

12-01-2004, 01:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
Pellaz Addict Location: Texas	I personaly always use toothpaste to good results. Any mild abbrasive will really get the job done, though for surface scratches. Just remember that you're actualy buffing away the scratches to an extent, and you should be fine. Always move the cloth and abrassive radially. If the scratches are deep enough that they are actualy scratching data, you're SOL. __________________ " ' Big Mouth. Remember it took three of you to kill me. A god, a boy, and, last and least, a hero.' "

12-01-2004, 01:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
heccubusiv #1 Irish Fan Location: The Burgh	spread creamy peanut butter around the scratch wait till it dries and rub it off. ussually works for me __________________ Fuck Ohio

12-01-2004, 01:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
the_marq All hail the Mountain King Location: Black Mesa	There is a video game place in my town (Calgary) that restores and/or repairs discs. They have some fancy schmancy tool and buffing soloution. You might call a few stores and see if they offer this kind of service. __________________ The Truth: Johnny Cash could have kicked Bruce Lee's ass if he wanted to. #3 in a series

12-01-2004, 09:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
sadistikdreams lonely rolling star Location: Seattle.	I learned from Wired Magazine to use windex. Spray onto disc, use a clean cotton rag, and rub with the vertical lines of the disc. For me, it usually works. See, there's plastic over the aluminum that contains the info. If it's scratched all the way through the plastic, then you're fucked. __________________ "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." -Lin Yutang hearts, by d.a.

12-01-2004, 02:54 PM	#5 (permalink)
Rudel73 Psycho	buy a disk doctor...just go to amazon.com or any place like bestbuy ebgames etc and type in disk doctor they all have em

12-02-2004, 08:26 AM	#7 (permalink)
djtestudo Baltimoron Location: Beeeeeautiful Bel Air, MD	I'll give some of these a shot. Thanks, guys. If anyone else has other ideas, you can keep giving. __________________ "Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen." --Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

12-02-2004, 09:18 AM	#8 (permalink)
shadowalker Psycho Location: Firefox yourself and change the world!	I ripped this from another web site, and tried it on some of my cd's and it works great Fixing Scratched CDs A simple and safe-to-do-at-home repair for scratched and scuffed CDs When CDs first came out, there was a remarkable amount of sales hype about how indestructible they were. Those of us who work in radio stations soon found out! CDs are easily rendered unplayable by a small scuff or scratch to the playing surface. Fortunately, these minor abrasions can be easily fixed. I'm making the distinction between scuffs and scratches because they interfere with the laser tracking and reading mechanism in two different ways: a scuff mark renders the surface of the polycarbonate milky, rather than clear. This diffuses the laser beam, making it impossible for the tracking mechanism to locate and focus on the pits which carry the sound and tracking information. a scratch which runs at an angle to the track usually poses no problem for the tracking mechanism. Indeed a well adjusted CD player should be able to track a disk on which a 1mm strip of black tape has been stuck - providing it is stuck on radially. But if a scratch is approximately tangential or circumferential, it can obscure the track below for enough time that the tracking or error correction cannot cope. Both scratches and scuffs can be removed by the same method - by polishing them out using Brasso. Engineers have been using Brasso as a polish for plastics ever since it was released as a polish for brass. Use the Brasso in the normal way. A drop or two is usually sufficient (one tin will last you a lifetime of great listening!). Use a soft clean cloth to rub the affected area with the Brasso until the mark is almost gone. Polish scuff marks radially. Scratches are best handled by rubbing along the direction of the scratch. With a scratch it usually is not necessary to polish it completely away - just clean it up enough for the laser to be able to see through it. Finish up by letting the Brasso dry on the surface, then use a fresh soft cloth to rub it off. Just for good form's sake, do this last stage radially. Remember radial scratches won't generally interfere with the tracking mechanism. When trying to work out which scratch is to blame for a mistracking, keep in mind that ones at an angle to the direction of rotation are not likely to cause problems. Also keep in mind that a CD plays from the inside out, so that a problem on an early track is more likely to be near the centre than the edge. So far I have not found a scratched or scuffed CD I cannot fix using Brasso. I hope it works for you too! __________________ I'll make ya famous!