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Topic: Commercial CD that won't play or Rip (Read 4847 times) previous topic - next topic
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Commercial CD that won't play or Rip

I have a commercial CD that won't play or rip.

Decca MCPS 411 720-2 Hogwood/Mozart K.525

Not a very important recording, but I hate to toss it without trying something.

I tried it in my home player (Oppo), and on my PC and my Mac.

It doesn't "look" bad. Is there any hope that this can be played if I keep trying players? I tried cleaning the surface with soap and water.

Are there any techniques to try to aggressively rip a disk? Any lower-level command that can be issued to the drive?

The computer doesn't even recognize a disk is inserted, and this is the machine I rip all my CDs on....

Commercial CD that won't play or Rip

Reply #1 –
Quote from: thrillscience on
Are there any techniques to try to aggressively rip a disk? Any lower-level command that can be issued to the drive?

Unless it is copy-protected, no and no.  If it is copy protected, our rules prohibit people from helping with that.

My advice is to keep trying different drives.
 

Commercial CD that won't play or Rip

Reply #4 –
If it won't even play, I don't have much hope...    Usually players are more forgiving than rippers, and players (and player-software) will often skip-over (and often hide) errors. 

In case you don't know, the data-layer is on the top (label side) and it's read from the bottom through the full-thickness of the polycarbonate.  So it can be damaged from  either side, but the top side is more easily damaged, and the damage on the top is harder to see and impossible to repair.  (DVDs are a sandwich with the data-layer in the middle and you can sandpaper the top without functionally damaging it.)

You can try polishing the (bottom) surface.   You can search the forum (or the Web) for information & suggestions.  Some people use a cloth & toothpaste, or the there are plastic-polishing compounds, etc.    I have a little battery operated polishing machine that looks like a portable CD player, but I've never had any luck restoring CDs with it. 

There are also a few polishing services, and they claim to get good results (maybe even a guarantee).  But, for the price of shipping & polishing one CD, and considering the risk of failure, it would make more sense to buy a new (or used) CD, or download the MP3 or AAC (assuming you can find it).

Commercial CD that won't play or Rip

Reply #5 –
Quote from: DVDdoug on
You can try polishing the (bottom) surface.   You can search the forum (or the Web) for information & suggestions.  Some people use a cloth & toothpaste, or the there are plastic-polishing compounds, etc.    I have a little battery operated polishing machine that looks like a portable CD player, but I've never had any luck restoring CDs with it.


Thanks! I polished it with toothpaste and a microfiber cloth, and I was able to play and rip it on the oldest CD drive I was able to find in my office, probably about 10 years old. (It still wouldn't read on the reader I use for most of my ripping.)

I was surprised this worked because I've hears stories of CD rot (and have seen it on old Laserdisks). But I guess there was just dirt or a scratch in a particular unfortunate spot so the players couldn't get started on it.

It's not even a very good CD. An early 80s all digital recording....


Commercial CD that won't play or Rip

Reply #6 –
From my own experience, be careful which toothpaste you use.