Fixing Scratched Video Games

Fixing Scratched Video Games the Cranking Way

If you see light scratches (or smudges, fingerprints, or dirt), you should use something simple. The light scratches may just be from a speck of dirt that didn't get removed. The cleaning machine at Digital Innovations will clean the disc thoroughly while covering up very light scratches. That's one way of fixing scratched video games.

Now if you see some scratches that seem unrepairable, you should probably get a SkipDr. This device works similarly to the above machine, just better at repairing deeper scratches. With most of these types of repairers, you get a solution or special liquid of some sort to spread on the scratch. The solution redistributes the discs protective layer so that it realigns with the data layer. While the SkipDr Premier is motorized, you can get a hand-cranked SkipDr Classic that works almost as well. The one downside to the crank is that you need to guess when to stop because over-repairing a disc could actually harm it worse.

Usually, machines like these have a limited maximum usage, like 50 discs or so. Sometimes you can repair the same discs multiple times, but if the scratch ends up in the same spot, then the protective layer will get thinner and thinner until there is no more layer to spread around.

Manually Removing Scratches

If using machines isn't your style, then fixing scratched video games with some elbow grease might be the way to go. Most retail stores carry a package or two of disc repair solution and a rag (like Maxell's CD-ROM/CD Scratch Repair Kit) to act as a crank repairing machine…only your hand is the repair mechanism.

The same basic steps are used to repair discs, whether they are music CDs, DVDs, or game discs:

1. Apply a dab to the scratched area.
2. Use the supplied rag/towel to spread the solution so it covers the entire scratch.
3. Wait a few minutes for the solution to settle.
4. In an outward motion from the center to the edge, gently wipe the disc until the solution cannot be seen.
5. Using the opposite side of the towel, wipe the disc clean.
6. Spray the cleaning solution on the disc and wipe that clean. Make sure you use the towel that came with the solution because it is soft and won't additionally scratch the disc.
7. If the scratch is still there or wasn't completely repaired, then repeat all the steps.

Your Local Video Store

Totally desperate to get that old copy of Phantasmagoria fixed but you've tried everything? Then as a last resort, you may want to go to your local video store. Since the popularity of DVDs skyrocketed years ago and video rental places saw a surge in DVD rentals, most stores have invested in a commercial grade DVD/CD repair machine. Because of the volume of DVDs that go out and the stress and negative atmosphere they are sometimes put under, a commercial grade machine is superb at fixing scratched video games. There is special solution used that is a higher grade than store-purchased liquids and the disc rotates at an extreme speed so that the entire disc is repaired and cleaned. All you have to do is ask. The worst they could say is no, or charge you a small fee. Offer them a couple of bucks... or beg.