Easy Fix for Scratched CDs

NotQuiteOnto writes "Ben Hayes (om3ga) has performed an experiment as to the best method to fix scratched CDs. He set himself the criteria that it can't take longer that 5 minutes and it has to be something in his house. The result isn't what you'd think ..." Luckily, he stopped before "peanut butter."

In other news ... people still use CDs

[EaglesNest]

About the only thing I use a CD for is Oblivion, Halo, and FEAR. ID Software has been kind enough to no longer require a CD be inserted just to play a game that is already on my hard disk. Half Life 2, of couse, has Steam.

The premise of the article raises two questions:

1. What the hell do people need CDs for?
2. How in hell do these CDs get scratched? It's not a long distance from the CD tray to the jewel case.

Re:Will this work with HD-DVD/Blueray?

[ultramrw21]

logically a minor scratch on a next gen format will mean more comprimised data. just another reason to say NO to hd-dvd and blu-ray, as if we didnt already know enough to stay away from them.

Re:Google cache of site

[Mr. Underbridge]

wrong-o. I'm a low maintenance guy married to a low-maintenance girl. No hair product in our house. I'd rather marry a girl who looks good straight out of bed than one who takes 3 hours to look decent.

For those in the know....

[Khyber]

Take a lesson from the cleaning industry - Pledge is NOT a good solution for CDs due to the residue that's leftover and begins to cloud on the CD's surface. If you want to repair scratches, you're far better off using good old Turtle Wax. Two good coats will repair most surface scratches and it doesn't require nearly as many re-applications as pledge would, plus it's lots cheaper on your budget than buying a bunch of pledge, since a little wax goes a loooong way.

To polish out scratches...Wright's Silver Creme

[unitron]

To polish out scratches (rather than 'fill them in'), I've found that Wright's Silver Creme, a silverware polish, works well. Use the enclosed sponge to apply.

Just remember, as with any treatment, rub straight out from the center, at a right angle to the tracks, and never around the disc in a circular motion.