How to Fix a Scratched disk
Introduction
OK. Some of you have found out the hard way that scratches on a GH or GHII DVD can be disastrous. I myself was playing Jordan, managed to beat it, and My PS2 fell off it's shelf in the partying that ensued. The PS2, amazingly, was fine, but the disk was scratched. I was able to go out of the song, and it saved my progress, but afterwords, NO SONGS WOULD LOAD. And it was a small scratch. I'd heard some rumors about fixing scratches with household Items, so I decided to check it out and do my own research. Now, this FAQ is for people who do not have the money to go outand buy those CD scratch repair products they sell at Gamestop.
What worked
I found a lot of different methods, and tried most of them, until I found one that's right for me. The one that worked for me was Toothpaste. Now, I've read an article (supplied by eachann) that says that Hair Gel will also work. I plan to test this in the future. I will be testing every technique I discover online, to gauge the effectiveness.
The Toothpaste Method - OK. First off, you can use any normal brand of toothpaste, but the baking soda kind works best. NEVER use the gel kind. Now what you do is, you put a small glob on the disk, and wipe it in with a soft towel, making sure you at least cover the scratched area. Then, when you are satisfied with the coverage, rinse it off softly in running water, and then dry it with the same towel, making sure not to rub the disk hard enough to take the toothpaste out of the scratch. The Toothpaste will dry, giving the laser in your PS2 or Xbox 360 something to reflect off of, thus fixing the damage. This is a temporary fix, from what I've heard, but it DOES work. Just make sure the disk doesn't get wet again, and you'll be fine.
What DIDN'T work
I tried three different substances, which were rumored to be able to fix scratches in a CD. These were Windex, Turtle Car Wax, and Pledge Furniture Polish. I will describe the three methods and how effective they were.
Windex - This seemed like it could work, but it was a last ditch effort before I got really desperate and used the toothpaste. You were supposed to spray some Windex on the disk, and dry it of with a soft towel, using circular motions. When I dried mine off, though, there was no difference in the gameplay (The scratch wasn't fixed), but my disk was REALLY REALLY clean. lol
Turtle Car Wax - This method made sense, actually. You were supposed to do the same thing as with the Windex, and it was supposed to fill the scratch with the wax. But for me, the only outcome was the CD smelling like a new car.
Pledge Furniture Polish - This one seemed like it had just as much potential as the Car Wax, and it was the first one I tried. For all intensive purposes, it used the same method as the car wax, and had the same theory behind how it was supposed to work. But it had a worse outcome. Before, I was able to load the game and navigate through the menus, but after this, It wouldn't even load the RO intro. :-/
What you DEFINITELY should NEVER do
Now, the above methods may have worked under different circumstances, but the next few should NEVER, I repeat, NEVER be tried.
Microwave - Supposedly, putting a cd in the microwave for a short period of time will melt the plastic area, filling in the scratch. NOT! This method will cause your CD to spark, and possibly explode in your microwave, ruining it.
Heating - This is supposed to follow the concept of the microwave theory. Heat it, the scratches melt away. While this may or may not work, it will still ruin the structural integrity of the disk. Now a PS2 or Xbox 360 spins the disk in the drive at a very high RPM. If the disk is weakened (which it will be) through heating, there is a possibility of it exploding INSIDE your PS2 or XBox 360. Then none of your games work. :tooth:
Freezing - I have NO IDEA why this idea was even conceived. Maybe it has to do with the disk warping shape or something, but wouldn't that also ruin the structural integrity of the disk? Exactly. It's a nono.
This is the end of the FAQ for now. As I obtain more information about thi subject, through my experiments, I will update this FAQ
Special thanks to Eachann for the article.
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