A DVD might store its contents digitally, but the disc itself is prone to problems like any physical media. A disc that develops a scratch on the side will function erratically and sometimes skip while playing or even stop entirely. The disc can be fixed with attention to detail and some patience in following a procedure exactly. This will not harm the disc and will let you get back to watching what's on it without any problems.
Instructions
1. Put down the clean cloth. Put the DVD on the cloth face down. Apply a small amount of baking soda toothpaste to the lint-free cloth.
2. Rub the lint-free cloth gently on the exposed side of the DVD starting at the center of the disc and moving outward to the edge in a nonradial motion. Go around the disc in strokes with the lint-free cloth.
3. Apply more toothpaste to the lint-free cloth and repeat the nonradial motion on the exposed side of the DVD. Repeat the nonradial motion on the exposed side of the DVD until the scratches are no longer visible.
4. Hold the DVD by the edges and rinse the side with the toothpaste in warm water under the kitchen faucet. Continue rinsing it until all the toothpaste has been washed off.
Dry off the side of the DVD that has been washed with a lint-free cloth. Dry off the entire DVD.
Duplicating the DVD
5. Apply a thin coating of petroleum jelly to the side of the DVD with the scratches.
6. Wipe the excess petroleum jelly off the DVD with a lint-free cloth by moving the cloth in a radial motion (opposite that used when you applied the toothpaste).
7. Insert the DVD into a computer and use a DVD copy program to make a copy to the hard drive.
8. Burn a new DVD from the copy on the hard drive using a DVD burning program.
9. Put the DVD copy in the DVD player to watch it. Archive the original DVD.
Tags: lint-free cloth, exposed side, nonradial motion, with lint-free, with lint-free cloth, been washed, copy hard