• Sometimes the web is a great place for answers, other times all you seem to get is conflicting opinions. That is the case with CD repair. Never fear, if you dig deep enough, there are a variety of useful remedies you can try on your damaged disc .
  
  

Repairing Cds With Household Products

• Try cleaning the disc. Begin with a dry, soft cloth to remove any smudges. If the disc looks otherwise unscathed, try it. Many times this will do the trick. For more stubborn stains or sticky spots, try glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab.
  
  Many gamers and software users say toothpaste is the way to go. Mildly abrasive, it is recommended for use only on scratched areas. Turtle wax is one home remedy that does work, sometimes. Follow the label instructions to apply and buff the wax, leaving a layer that will repair minor to medium scratches.
  
  Metal polish, such as Brasso, is the most recommended home remedy. Spread a layer of the polish on the surface of the disc and use a soft cloth to polish the disc vigorously. This one is for deeper scratches and should not be used if cleaning or waxing work.
  
  

Commercial CD Repair Products and Services

• Commercial cleaner kits are mostly recommended by their sellers. Most electronics departments sell a version of this. They typically come with a couple of different cleaning solutions, a mounting pad for the disc and a polishing cloth.
  
  Mechanical resurfacers, such as, "Skip DR" or "CD doctor" get mixed reviews from users. They cost quite a bit but claim nearly magical results. They come with enough supplies to resurface a large number of discs, which, the sellers claim, brings the cost per disc repaired way down.
  
  There are professional services that offer CD resurfacing, such as wefixcds.com. You deliver the discs to them, and they claim they will send them back in like-new condition. The cost is $2 to $7 per disc including shipping, which may be more than the hassle is worth for some CDs. However, if you have damaged an expensive piece of software, it might be worth the risk.
  
  

Digital CD Data Recovery

• If you have tried cleaning and scratch removal remedies, don't give up just yet. There are digital solutions that may help you recover your CD data to make a back-up disc.
  
  There are several pieces of software that claim to be able to recover data from damaged discs. Two that offer free trial downloads are "Bad CD Repair" and "Bad CD/DVD recovery." No reliable reviews or even home pages for these software could be found, so use at your own risk.
  
  "CD Recovery Toolbox" earned 3 stars from the users of Cnet and is also distributed as freeware. It claims to be able to recover data from some discs with mechanical damage, such as scratches, and discs that were improperly recorded. It works for DVDs and Blue-ray as well.