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How to Copy a Broken CD

If your CD becomes damaged in any way, whether it's scratched, cracked or soiled, it can greatly affect its playability. If the CD is one of your favorite albums or it holds important data, then it is essential that you fix it. However, fixing damaged CDs at home does not guarantee that the problem will be fixed permanently. Therefore, the best you can hope for is to fix the CD temporarily so you have time to burn its contents to your computer, and then make a new copy.

Things You'll Need

  • Bottled or distilled water
  • Dishwashing liquid
  • Lint-free cloth
  • Toothpaste
  • CD-burning software
  • Blank CD-R (writable)
  • CD label
  • Scratch remover fluid
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Instructions

  1. Repair a Scratched CD with Homemade Scratch Remover Fluid

    • 1

      Buy a bottle of water, or distill your tap water using a water filter.

    • 2

      Add about 4 cups of water to a bowl. Squeeze a drop of dishwashing liquid into the bowl and mix.

    • 3

      Dampen a lint-free cloth with the liquid, and gently wipe the readable side of your CD -- from the inner hole to outer edge -- in a linear motion.

    Repair a Scratched CD With Toothpaste

    • 4

      Hold the readable side of your CD up to a light source and locate the scratches.

    • 5

      Apply a bit of toothpaste to a lint-free cloth. Rub the paste into the scratches gently.

    • 6

      Hold the readable side of the disc under warm running water. Dry with a clean, lint-free cloth.

    Fix a Cracked CD

    • 7

      Flatten the CD and gently align the cracked edges. Put a paper towel, or lint-free cloth, on a flat surface and lay the CD, readable side down, on to it.

    • 8

      Peel off a CD label -- available at your local print store or over the Internet -- and remove the backing so the adhesive is exposed. Carefully align the label with the nonreadable side of the CD, and stick it on, smoothing as you go to ensure it sticks properly.

    • 9

      Apply some scratch remover fluid to a clean, lint-free cloth and wipe the readable side of the CD. Pay particular attention to the cracked area. Dry with a clean, lint-free cloth.

    Copy the Repaired CD

    • 10

      Insert your fixed CD into your computer's disk drive. Open your disk-burning software, such as iTunes or Windows Media Player.

    • 11

      Click "Import" in your software program, and your CD will copy to the program.

    • 12

      Click "File" and then "New Playlist." Type in a name for your playlist. Click and drag your imported CD into the new playlist.

    • 13

      Insert a blank CD-R into your computer's disk drive. Click "Burn." The data will be written onto the new CD-R.

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