These are some quick tips and techniques to deal with unfinalized DVDs, damaged DVDs and CDs or DVDs with errors or corrupt data.

Before attacking the disc itself it is a good idea to check for other possible sources of trouble:

• Check to see your CD/DVD burner has the latest firmware by going to the manufacturers website.

• Check to see if the media (brand and type) are compatible with your CD/DVD burner/reader.

• Check to see that the DVD player you are using can play other discs successfully.

You can begin looking at the solutions following once you are certain the DVD or CD disc is the problem.

Scratched CD DVD Discs

A simple visual inspection of the surface of the disc will tell you straight away whether your problem is physical damage to the disc. If you can see a scratch or scratches on the surface then this will need to be addressed first.

At this stage it is advisable to use quality DVD copying software to find out of the disc will simply copy rather than trying something else. Good DVD software will have the ability to read through many minor blemishes on the disc surface.

Now failing that you could go on-line and buy a disc scratch repair machine to correct the disc surface. Or you could go to your local hardware store or even your own garage!

All you will require is some clear or neutral car polish. Turtlewax happens to be the one I use. Get a soft lint free cloth and apply a small amount of polish to the disc surface and gently (note: you are not buffing a car!) buff the disc.

Use straight strokes from the centre of the disc to the outer edge and continue to do this until you can see the scratch either disappear or reduce noticeably. Repeat with a fresh cloth and the same motion until the disc recovers its original shine.

Now using good DVD copying software, try to make another copy. If you are still unsuccessful repeat the process until you can be certain the problem is not coming from a damaged disc surface.

DVD Data Recovery

The easiest DVD recovery software to use is either Nero 9 or Isobuster. A search of Yahoo, Google or your favourite search engine will direct you to the correct sites.

Put the problem disc in the DVD drive of your computer then:

Open Nero SmartStart and choose Nero Express. Select the Copy an Entire Disc function. Select your problem disc and let it run. You will very soon know whether it will work or not.

If that doesn’t work choose Nero Express again and at the bottom of the window choose to Save tracks. Again let it run and you will quickly find out whether or not it will work.

If that fails go back to Nero SmartStart and open Nero Recode. Choose to Recode an Entire DVD to DVD. Make sure the size of the target disc is the same as the source disc and again let it run.

If that doesn’t work return to Nero SmartStart and select to open Nero RescueAgent and follow it’s DVD recovery software strategies.

Still no joy: Isobuster.

Try to make a disc image file and burn to another DVD. Isobuster has three alternate methods of dealing with data corruption.

• It can replace the corrupted area with nothing.

• It can put fake data in place of the corrupted data.

• It can replace the corrupted data with a series of zeros.

Isobuster will not create the disc image file unless it knows it will be successful. If Isobuster has successfully made the file (be sure to remember where you chose to save it!) you will have to re-name the extension to .iso.

Burn a new DVD from the disc image file using DVD burning software.

Still no luck?

1. Start Isobuster and load the disc.
2. When Isobuster has detected the disc run the “Find Missing Files and Folders” option under the “File” menu.
3. You will be able to see in the left side column Files and Folders Found by Their Signature.
4. Select that, then go to “File,” “Files found via their signature” then “Extract files found via their signature.” Choose a place to save and let it start.

Now you will have all the files where you selected them to go.

Unfinalized discs.

If you can try to have the original hardware or software that created the disc to finalize it. If this is not possible or the original device is failing to successfully finalize the disc you may have to resort to the Isobuster routine above.

If you have been left with an otherwise perfectly good disc, but unfinalized do the following.

You will need Nero 9 and it is specifically for unfinalized discs.

Slip the unfinalized DVD disc into your DVD RW. Open Nero 9 StartSmart. At the top of the screen find and click Create and Edit. Click Author, Edit and Capture Video.NeroVision 6 will start. Select the Disc Tools menu and hit Finalize Disc. When the Options dialogue appears select No Menus and start the process. With a little luck you should now have a finalized disc.

Good luck!