Are you having trouble searching on what will fix a water damaged CD? You might have a reason why you would like to recover what’s inside the compact disc (CD) because a lot of people easily dispose of their items that aren’t working or damaged.
Therefore, before you do anything hasty, you should know that there’s a good chance that your water damaged discs can be repaired. If it’s beyond your ability, take your water damaged CD to a shop specializing in CD repairs and resurfacing.
The usual notion about the compact disc is it’s water-resistant because a normal cleaning of smear using water would not harm the disc. Hence, the disc’s data layer is delicate, but it is protected by layers of plastic.
If the plastic compact discs are stored inappropriately, there is a chance of being exposed to water, causing warp or distortion and discoloration.
According to CD collectors, a CD will not be damaged by water alone, but vapor might. However, when compared to vinyl records, it is relatively difficult to harm a compact disc.
Compact Disc
A compact Disc or CD is an optically readable media made from polycarbonate, known as hard plastic, coated with metal that is usually aluminum. Three kinds of CDs that are available to use up to now are Compact Disc – Recordable (CD-R), Compact Disc – Read Only (CD-ROM), and Compact Disc – ReWritable (CD-RW).
Before the CD, there were various types of storage media, like the 3.5 floppy disc media storage device. Thus, talking about storage, you might be interested in reading about how to recover water damaged SD card.
With regards to its use, data like video, audio, games, software, and other documents types are stored on compact discs and can be retrieved or processed on your computer. Likewise, they keep track of files for backup or export to another computer, as well as music to listen to in a CD player.
3 Options To Fix Water Damaged CD
1. Compact disc repair kit
A compact disc repair kit can usually fix minimally damaged discs. Though this repair kit is generally designed to repair light scratches on discs, it is better to give it a try on water damaged discs.
Start by thoroughly spraying any CDs that have been water damaged with distilled water in a spray container. By doing so, it is essential to pay careful attention to the parts of the discs that are the most severely damaged.
After that, turn the machine or the repair kit device for the time specified in the device’s instruction guide. When it has cycled for a matter of time, be sure to use a clean cloth to buff the disc lightly.
Compact disc repair kits can be purchased at selected hardware stores. For convenient ways, you can easily add to your cart the repair kit at online stores.
2. Protective plastic sleeve
A thick layer of polycarbonate protects the surface that is being read by the laser. Thus, since the side of the disc which has a label is much thinner, it is more vulnerable to damage.
A protective plastic sleeve is designed purposely for damaged CDs and is intended to be fitted over the water damaged compact disc surface. Hence, the sleeve will serve as a counterfeit surface that will enable your player or console to read the data from the compact disc.
If this method works, immediately copy or backup the data in case the compact disc fails to read.
3. Resurfacing compact disc
Resurfacing a compact disc is the most effective way to repair water damaged or otherwise damaged discs. If you don’t have any, you can visit compact discs shops or any repair outlets to have your discs resurface.
In the process of resurfacing, the resurfacing machine will remove a fine layer of the damaged layer on the disc surface or the polycarbonate with precision. Thus, micro-abrasives are used in the resurfacing machine to clear off the scratched area, making it as good as new.
Typically, scratches or damage on the reflecting side of a CD do not affect the internal data storage, so this method is a great option.
General tips to protect CD from damage
As a person who loves to collect compact discs, it is pragmatic to read these tips.
- Have your CDs stored on a clean and dry shelf.
- CDs should be stored upright in plastic casings.
- Discs should be handled in their hole in the center or outer edge.
- After usage, wipe a clean, soft cloth to remove smudges, fingerprints, and dirt.
- Finally, after each use, put it back right away in its respective storage case.
If ever you have VHS on your CD shelves, it is vital for you to learn how to clean water damaged VHS in case the problem arises.
Conclusion
It is not too late to make your CDs function again after being water damaged because you have learned the answer to the question “what will fix a water damaged CD”. There are many resourceful pieces of advice on the internet, so be wise and research well.