Discs Suddenly Stopped Working...

[davejonesbkk]

I have 2 PC CD games that have both stopped working for no reason, one is an original another is a 'local' copy:

Original - Far Cry - Had this game for several years, pulled it out a few weeks ago and re-installed it. Installation went ok but when I put disc 1 back in to run the game it kept giving an error message saying to 'insert disc 1'

Local copy - Championship Manager 01/02 - Same again, had this game for years played it loads, tried to install it again 6 months ago. Installed ok, but when I run the game and I try to start a new profile it says 'Not enough hard drive space to start anew game' this is when I have around 20 Gig free!! Ok so I just tried it the other day on my NEW laptop...same again!

How can this happen? Has some kind of bug been burnt/written onto the disk somehow??

[thaiclan]

I have 2 PC CD games that have both stopped working for no reason, one is an original another is a 'local' copy:

Original - Far Cry - Had this game for several years, pulled it out a few weeks ago and re-installed it. Installation went ok but when I put disc 1 back in to run the game it kept giving an error message saying to 'insert disc 1'

Local copy - Championship Manager 01/02 - Same again, had this game for years played it loads, tried to install it again 6 months ago. Installed ok, but when I run the game and I try to start a new profile it says 'Not enough hard drive space to start anew game' this is when I have around 20 Gig free!! Ok so I just tried it the other day on my NEW laptop...same again!

How can this happend? Has some kind of bug been burnt/written onto the disk somehow??

Have you tried ripping the CD onto your PC and then burning onto a new one? I do that with DVD's alot when they magically stop working.

[davejonesbkk]

How do I do that? I have ripped music before (with Windows Media player) but never software...

[Crossy]

Assuming that other disks work ok (so its not the drive) then it's quite possible that the aluminium reflector on the CD has bee eaten, either by the CD eating fungus http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1402533.stm or simple corrosion.

Before you consign them to the bin, clean your drive with a cleaning disk and/or try the disks in another machine. If they work in a second machine try copying them using that machine.

[thaiclan]

How do I do that? I have ripped music before (with Windows Media player) but never software...

I use Nero and same as for music choose "copy CD" option. Any irreparable flaws will soon come to light.

[davejonesbkk]

I have tried them both in my brand new laptop with the same results.

If they have been eroded then surely they wouldnt work at all? The second discs installs ok and runs fine it just gives an in game error message (not a windows error) when i try to create a new profile.

[Guest Reimar]

Assuming that other disks work ok (so its not the drive) then it's quite possible that the aluminium reflector on the CD has bee eaten, either by the CD eating fungus http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1402533.stm or simple corrosion.

Before you consign them to the bin, clean your drive with a cleaning disk and/or try the disks in another machine. If they work in a second machine try copying them using that machine.

Unfortunate the use of an Cleaning CD is the worst you can do! Cleaning CD's having a brush on the Data side and this brush is damaging by time the Reading Heads for the Reader while the Reading Lenses are not from Glas but from Plastic! Even of the cemical for to cleaning Readings Heads and Lenses are kind of poisining!

The best way is to open the Drive case to get access to the Reading Head/Lens and than clean it with an Cottontap with clean Aclcohol on it. Do NOT use Rubbing Aclcohol because that contains some chemical which will "blind" the lens after some time of using. Use clinical clean Alcohol ony which you can get in an good pharmacy.