Restoring an "iffy" DVD

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phide

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Unfortunately, due to the garbage that is Nero, I wrote a backup DVD and have since come to discover that it's essentially unusable. There are no physical scratches on the medium, nor are there any other marks that would inhibit perfect reading. However, the disc is basically unreadable, and I fully blame Nero for it (and myself for not checking it).

I'd like to try to salvage some of the files however, of which, some are quite large 300MB+. I've attempted to bypass Windows' insistence on giving up on transfers with a CRC error by copying via the command prompt, but the end result is the same. It will copy files partially, which, for videos, would be acceptable, but throws a CRC flag and immediately deletes the file. I've also tried to use Nero to create a single image of the drive, but it inevitably slows to an absolute crawl (<0.1x) at the offending "area".

So...my question. Is there any way to transfer single files for as long as possible and bypass the Windows CRC errors? I can't save the entire disc, but I think I can manage to save some of the larger files one at a time - I just have no idea how. Or can I construct partial or segmented ISOs?

Sub-question, is there any possible way to "rebuild" the disc? Are CRC errors due to the files themselves or, more typically, the volume/disc header being damaged? It's not a DVD-R/W, just a DVD-R, so I'm sure that'll inhibit what I can do with it.

For clarification, I'm using a Lite On DVD-R/W with RiData discs. This disc marks the first coaster I've ever experienced with a LiteOn drive.
 
Just a thought but have you tried on of those FIle recovery programs like Recover My Files?
I've used them to recover pictures of memory card that got all messed up by the camera.
The card was unreadabe, and i mean all of it. The software found all the pictures and re-wrote them to my HDD.


 
I have never used ISOBuster, but it looks like it might do what you need it to do. It is not free, however, and I am almost positive you can't actually recover data with the demo. I guess it depends on whether it's worth $30 to recover the data.

Somebody know of a similar but free program?
 
phide said:
Unfortunately, due to the garbage that is Nero, I wrote a backup DVD and have since come to discover that it's essentially unusable. There are no physical scratches on the medium, nor are there any other marks that would inhibit perfect reading. However, the disc is basically unreadable, and I fully blame Nero for it (and myself for not checking it).

I'd like to try to salvage some of the files however, of which, some are quite large 300MB+. I've attempted to bypass Windows' insistence on giving up on transfers with a CRC error by copying via the command prompt, but the end result is the same. It will copy files partially, which, for videos, would be acceptable, but throws a CRC flag and immediately deletes the file. I've also tried to use Nero to create a single image of the drive, but it inevitably slows to an absolute crawl (<0.1x) at the offending "area".

So...my question. Is there any way to transfer single files for as long as possible and bypass the Windows CRC errors? I can't save the entire disc, but I think I can manage to save some of the larger files one at a time - I just have no idea how. Or can I construct partial or segmented ISOs?

Sub-question, is there any possible way to "rebuild" the disc? Are CRC errors due to the files themselves or, more typically, the volume/disc header being damaged? It's not a DVD-R/W, just a DVD-R, so I'm sure that'll inhibit what I can do with it.

For clarification, I'm using a Lite On DVD-R/W with RiData discs. This disc marks the first coaster I've ever experienced with a LiteOn drive.
Click to expand...
Just an aside.. blame the Ridata discs, not Nero. Ridata = crap. Stick with TY, Verbatim or Sony..
 
Well, I just tried a couple freebie restoring programs, but the situation is bleak indeed. If I had eight hours per file to devote to the process, I might be able to make it happen, but I'm not interested in spinning a disc for that long a period of time. Yikes.

You could be right about the discs, but like I said, this is the first coaster out of possibly 30 Ridata discs I've used over the years, all made using the standard Explorer burning app. I decide to give Nero a try for a couple rounds, and I get nailed, so I just figured it was Nero making a mockery of things.

Thanks for the help, gentlemen.
 
I blame your Ridata discs mre than nero, also when burning with nero, always select the box that verifys the burn afterwards, then you will know if nero fuked up while burning, but since you said you are using RiData discs, then I blame them and anyone who has ever heard anything about Ridata would also blame them, as they are pure shit, go back 2 years you could buy a tub of 50 and maybe 1 or 2 would be ok, 48 would be shite.
 
when using Nero, i recommend using the data verification feature. it'll almost double the time it takes to burn a disc, but it will save you a lot of grief down the road.
 
Like has been said before, CRC errors usually come from bad discs, not from the writing software. Sometime they also can come from burning the dvd at a rate faster than the media can handle, even if it's rated at X speed.

99 percent sure, like everyone else, it's a media, not a software issue.
 
Definitely noted.

I wonder if I rang Ridata, would they blame their own discs? :)
 
Ridata is crap?

I remember in 2003 when that's the ONLY kind of disc Playstation2 "archivers" would use.

All of my discs from that era still work.
 
I had a friend that had problems with one of those little DVD-R's, she couldn't get it to work, also because of CRC errors. I found a program called CD DVD Data Recovery that managed to pull almost all of the disc off just fine.

http://www.008soft.com/index.htm

Should be on that page, beware though, the trial only recovers 99% of the lost file, so you'll need to prob. buy a copy.
 
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