Reading scratched CDs - these are your options

If a CD or DVD is scratched, there are often problems reading the data carrier. This is especially annoying if there is still data on the CD that you want to back up. However, there are various ways in which you can still read the damaged media.

How to read scratched CDs - all info at a glance

Whether you can still save a scratched CD depends on how severe the damage on the surface is. If it is only minor scratches, there are several tricks how you save the data medium.

• Try first to play the CD with another drive. Here, burners are particularly suitable, since they often have a greater tolerance than normal drives.
• Scratches can be removed in many cases, so that the CD can be recognized again by a drive. To remove scratches, use, for example, a corresponding repair kit.
• Alternatively, you can also try to remove the scratches with white toothpaste and a soft cloth. To do this, put a little of the paste on the CD and polish it out again with the soft cloth.
• With free rescue tools such as IsoBuster or CDRoller, you can read scratched CDs. The tools then allow you to convert the uncorrupted data into an image. You can then either transfer the image to a new CD or store it on your computer's hard drive.