How to Fix A Scratched DVD & Digitize the Content for Later Play?
Summary: There might be times when you fish out a stack of old but valuable DVD discs only to find some of them are too scratched to be played on your home player. Throw them away or fix scratched DVD, that is a question. To maximize the loss, you might as well read this post for the optimal solution for how to fix a scratched DVD and digitalize the content.
Table of Contents
Are you struggling to find the best way to fix a scratched DVD? Although CDs and DVDs may seem outdated in today's streaming era, many of us still treasure personal collections of music, home videos, games, and essential data stored on these discs.
Unfortunately, DVDs are fragile physical media—prone to scratches, and smudges. A few surface marks can make them unreadable. In this guide, we'll walk you through practical ways to repair scratched DVDs, and more importantly, show you how to back up and digitalize your DVD content before damage becomes irreversible.
Precautions Before You Fix a Scratched DVD
Before you try any scratch repair methods, it's important to follow these essential steps to protect your DVD and maximize the chances of recovery.
Wash your hands properly and dry them. The data that is imprinted on the disc's polycarbonate layer is extremely fragile, and any grease or dirt will cause playback issues even if there is no physical damage to the disc. You can use latex gloves for better protection.
Clean in a straight line, center to edge. As recommended by the DVD Forum and manufacturers like Verbatim, always wipe discs from the center outwards to minimize the risk of laser misalignment caused by circular scratches.
Avoid slot-loading drives during data recovery. Slot-loading drives (common in laptops) can scratch or worsen disc damage. Use a tray-loading optical drive for safer handling.
Some DVDs store data on both sides. If there's a scratch on the label side, the disc may be unreadable. Always store discs in cushioned cases and handle them by the center ring.
💡One thing that you need to do before fixing a scratched DVD is to identify the depth of the scratch and understand what caused the disk to malfunction. Sometimes, it is the disk reader’s fault, so insert the DVD in another drive or insert another DVD in that drive to test it out.
Extension: How DVDs Store Data & What Makes Them Vulnerable
Physical Structure: DVDs consist of multiple layers of plastic and a thin metal reflective layer where data is actually stored. The data layer sits very close to the surface, so even shallow scratches can impact readability. Conversely, if a scratch or damage penetrates the label (top) side, it can be even more fatal since the data layer is just beneath it.
Common Damage Causes: Besides scratches, fingerprints, dust, and exposure to sunlight or heat can degrade the disc’s surface or warp it, leading to playback errors.
How to Fix a Scratched DVD: Home Remedies & Professional Options
Depending on the severity of the DVD damage, you can try DIY repair techniques and commercial repair kits. Some of the most effective solutions are summarized below.
Clean the Disc Thoroughly: for Minor Scratches
Before using any repair techniques, make sure the disc is clean and free of dust or smudges. This alone can sometimes solve playback problems.
Instructions:
- Wash your hands, using lint-free gloves if possible.
- Use a microfiber cloth slightly dampened with distilled water or isopropyl alcohol.
- Wipe radially from the center outward, not in a circular motion.
Try DIY Surface Repairs: for Light-to-Moderate Scratches
Option 1: Toothpaste
A mild, gel-free toothpaste can help polish surface scratches, and the grit inside helps remove the top layer of scratched DVDs.
How to use:
- Apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to the scratched side of the disc.
- Gently rub with a soft cloth along the scratches (from center to edge).
- Rinse with water and dry with a clean microfiber cloth.
💡Avoid whitening or charcoal toothpastes as they may be too rough.
Option 2: Vaseline or Other Oils
You can use Vaseline or any other oil-based products for DVD scratch repair. They will fill up the cracks of the DVDs.
- Clean the surface of the DVD with a soft, clean cloth to remove any dirt or debris.
- Continue to rub the Vaseline or oil into the scratch using a circular motion until it is filled and the surface appears smoother.
- Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe off any excess Vaseline or oil from the DVD.
- Allow the DVD to sit for a few minutes to let the Vaseline or oil settle into the scratch.
- Use a clean, soft cloth to buff the surface of the DVD to remove any remaining residue and to restore shine.
Use a Commercial DVD Repair Kit: More Reliable Option
If you've tried home remedies without success, or if you need to deal with deeper scratches, then commercial DVD restoration is your best bet. Repair kits like SkipDr, JFJ Easy Pro, or those found on Amazon/Walmart are designed to polish or resurface discs, smoothing out scratches on the polycarbonate layer.
What is usually included?
- A mild abrasive or polishing solution
- Manual or motorized disc polishing machine
- Polishing pad or soft wiping discs
- Cleaning cloth and sometimes even a disc protector
Better Ways to Fix the Scratched DVDs: Backup Your DVDs
Since you are looking for how to fix a scratched DVD, you should know that sometimes the scratch is beyond repair. That will be a disaster since you won’t be able to recover any data, and it will be lost forever. That’s why the best solution isn't always repair—it’s prevention. Thus, you shall finish this backup task before your DVD discs get scratched. We will tell you two ways by which you can do so.
Copy DVD to ISO/Folder: DVDFab DVD Copy
The first method is to create an ISO file before the DVD is badly scratched, so that the entire content, including menus and subtitles, can be stored on your computer or flash drive. DVDFab DVD Copy does the job perfectly without quality loss.
Most commercial DVDs have copy-protection. DVDFab DVD Copy will be able to remove DVD copy protection easily, and you can make personal backups quickly. Note that it is considered illegal to make commercial backups.
DVDFab DVD Copy
- Burn a DVD to a blank DVD disc (DVD-5/DVD-9)
- Compressed a DVD to a smaller one to save data storage
- Clone a DVD with a 1:1 ratio to output lossless quality
- Copy a DVD with 6 different copy modes
- Customized options for language, audios, and subtitles
Rip DVDs to Digital Formats: DVDFab DVD Ripper
One alternative to ISO files is to store DVD discs in desired video formats. DVDFab DVD Ripper is the best DVD ripping software for that digital backup. To make the final backup more personalized, it allows you to customize the output video via Advanced Settings and Video Editor.
DVDFab DVD Ripper
- Convert DVD to MP4 and 1000+ Video & Audio Formats
- Works on Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 and macOS 10.10-13
- Convert DVD to MKV.Passthrough video and 5.1 AC3 audio in original quality
- Auto-detect and remove any copy protection from DVDs
- Get 50x faster DVD ripping speed with GPU acceleration
- Make ripped DVDs available on any portable devices like iPhone
- Allow you to trim/crop/adjust your videos and audios including subtitle, etc
FAQs
Yes, but it depends on the severity of the damage. Minor surface scratches can usually be repaired at home with simple methods such as cleaning with a microfiber cloth, applying toothpaste, or using a commercial DVD repair kit. These techniques work by smoothing or filling in the scratches to improve the readability of the disc.
However, deep scratches that penetrate the data layer are usually not repairable and can lead to permanent data loss. For this reason, it is highly recommended to create a digital backup of your DVD before it becomes damaged beyond recovery.
No. Blu-ray Discs are manufactured with a harder protective coating than DVDs, making them more resistant to scratches. However, once scratched, Blu-ray Discs are very difficult to repair due to their tight data structure and sensitivity.
You can try to clean a lightly scratched Blu-ray disc with a microfiber cloth, but unlike DVDs, most DIY scratch repair methods will not work on Blu-ray discs.
Final Thoughts
That's all you need to know about how to fix a scratched DVD. If you are lucky, you can get rid of scratches using DVD scratch repair kits or Vaseline. Else, goodbye data. That is why you should always keep a digital collection of your favorite movies, files, and other stuff. Check out DVDFab DVD Ripper and DVD Copy as they are the best backup tools.
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