Help. Damaged Cd

[Thetyim]

Can anyone suggest how to recover images fro a CDRW that has been damaged

The disc was kept stored properly but something has eaten thru the surface in two places near the centre hole. This is not physical damage. Looks more like insect or chemical.

The disc contains about 200 photographs and when mounted the label cannot be read.

What do I need ? A blind read utility ?

[johng]

You could try this

http://www.z-a-recovery.com/digital_image_recovery.htm

I had some success recovering deleted images from my camera's memory card with the above software.

I know you are in a slightly different situation but it's worth a look and free to try

so nothing to loose.

Edited June 18, 2005 by johng

[penzman]

Out of curiosity, were they Primco cd's? I have a bunch and I find new spots on them every week. I've left a new blank Primco cd sitting in the shade outside and it's now cluttered with spots after 2-3 weeks. It seems to be corrosion or fungus.

I'll make a trucker happy and give him the whole lot so he can stick 'em all on the back of his truck.

I only use well known brands from now on. Costs a few baht more but avoids wasting time recovering files or losong them.

[monty]

Try isobuster...

It's free for basic functionality, enough to recuperate most of your cd...

http://www.isobuster.com/

[Thetyim]

No it's not Princo it is a genuine Sony CDRW

XP will not even acknowledge that a cd is loaded so nothing I have found yet will touch it.

Take a look at this picture. The surface is see-thru where you can see the squiggley damage. What the heck did that.

I always keep cd's in a case at all times.

[waldwolf]

Thetyim - To my eye, it appears to be corrosion probably caused by minute scratches on the top surface, which opened the reflector (probably silver) to corrosive atmospheric conditions compounded by local heat and humidity.

This problem was discussed in detail a few weeks ago in this thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...34&hl=corrosion

If possible, also try the disk in another CD-ROM drive or on another computer. Sometimes a different drive can read it.

There are an number of utilities which may be able to recover the data (ie: Isobuster as monty suggested). A google search will lead you to several with free trial downloads.

With CD's, CD-RW's and DVD's, the critical surface to protect from scratches is the top, not the bottom surface. If your data is critical, best to make several backups or preferably, use a media with reflectors which are non-corrosive, such as gold.

Good luck, and I hope you're able to recover your pictures.

cheers

[RDN]

... The surface is see-thru where you can see the squiggley damage. What the heck did that....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looks like a W32.Blaster worm to me.

[Crossy]

I am going to be singularly unhelpful here.

Lots of people have pointed at the various CD recovery software, free and otherwise, I really hope that they help.

The easy solution is to use your backup copy

In future:-

Don't use CD-RW for long term storage, CD-Rs are far more reliable but nothing is 100% safe.

Make at least two (preferably 3) copies on different media.

Keep one copy somewhere else.

Keep the disks in a cool dry place, get some silica-gel to keep the storage dry.

[monty]

Maybe we should stock them cd's in our freezers

Works perfectly OK with my food

[Thetyim]

Thank you Waldorf and Crossy.

You guessed right, I can read it on another machine.

My machine reads and writes OK but it will not read this one CD. Funny because it was written on it. Should I get a new Cd writer ?

I did not know that CDRW was not as good for storage.

Thanks for your help

[h90]

No CD-R media can stay outside for a long time!

Thats not a fault of Princo.....

Out of curiosity, were they Primco cd's? I have a bunch and I find new spots on them every week. I've left a new blank Primco cd sitting in the shade outside and it's now cluttered with spots after 2-3 weeks. It seems to be corrosion or fungus.

I'll make a trucker happy and give him the whole lot so he can stick 'em all on the back of his truck.

I only use well known brands from now on. Costs a few baht more but  avoids wasting time recovering files or losong them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[waldwolf]

.......You guessed right...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Guessed right!........Guessed right!

What do you mean 'guessed right'?

I'll have you know, everyone here is a techno-expert, with years of knowledge, training and expertise. We never guess.

Just because we may occassionally be confused by an incomplete question, doesn't mean we didn't have the answer right at our fingertips.

cheers

[penzman]

No it's not Princo it is a genuine Sony CDRW

XP will not even acknowledge that a cd is loaded so nothing I have found yet will touch it.

Take a look at this picture.  The surface is see-thru where you can see the squiggley damage. What the heck did that.

I always keep cd's in a case at all times.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My turn at guessing.

Could it be DDH?

Digital Data Herpes?

[Thetyim]

What do you mean 'guessed right'?

I'll have you know, everyone here is a techno-expert, with years of knowledge, training and expertise. We never guess.  

Just because we may occassionally be confused by an incomplete question, doesn't mean we didn't have the answer right at our fingertips.

cheers

Errr.... yes that what I was saying.......grovel.....grovel

You have accurately managed to guess the question and of course it goes without saying that your answer was completely correct.

[penzman]

I was able to recover all of my picture files somehow today (same pc, same drive) from all of my damaged Primco CDs. No software was used. I compared Primcos and other brand by looking at a light through them, the reflective surface on Primcos is at least 50% thinner than Imations, Maxells and others I have.