AUDIO CD problems!

[Sean de Silva]

Hi guys

I didn't know where to start this thread so i'm posting it here. Mods pls relocate if necessary to the relevant section on the forum.

My friend gave me an audio CD which has water droplets on its playing side..when i tried to wipe them off, i then realized that these droplets are embedded into the cd surface. So obviously when i played the disc in my cd player, it skipped , and jumped around and searched in vain for two tracks in the middle and then hung..

tried a hair dryer too but it was futile.
could members enlighten me ? I love this cd ..Toni Braxton and i don't wanna throw it away .
i'm sure theres a way to eliminate the embedded droplets.
thanks in advance

 

[anm]

wash it again with lot of clean water (distilled, or RO) and they may go away.

 

[Sean de Silva]

wash it again with lot of clean water (distilled, or RO) and they may go away.

i'm afraid that won't do it as it was soaking wet in the first place. i dried the front/back covers, and the cd but to no avail..

 

[Shivam]

i'm afraid that won't do it as it was soaking wet in the first place. i dried the front/back covers, and the cd but to no avail..

Can you provide a few photos showing the cd surface with the problem?

 

[Sean de Silva]

sure...i'll take a few shots and post right away

 

[Sean de Silva]

posting a few shots ...sorry for the horrible quality...ive circled the embedded water droplets ! i just hope someone can suggest a sure shot fix to this!

 

[Hiten]

Sean,
that bubble area is too large. Mostly the data is gone. I would suggest make a backup copy of remaining songs. Press the CD between one two pages of newspaper with proper heavy weight and hope for the best.
Regards

 

[Sean de Silva]

Sean,
that bubble area is too large. Mostly the data is gone. I would suggest make a backup copy of remaining songs. Press the CD between one two pages of newspaper with proper heavy weight and hope for the best.
Regards

i hope youre wrong on the data part ! instead of newspaper let me try with blotting paper and heavy weights..i really hope it absorbs the water droplet !i love this toni braxton cd, fantastic recording!

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I was struggling with a badly scratched CD only yesterday --- but I never saw anything like this! Has the water got in between the recording layer and the plastic?

Here's an idea that comes to me as I type... put it in a bowl of uncooked rice. As with dunked electronics, the rice should draw the water out.

Then rescue as much data as you can. cdparanoia is the tool I used (Lnix and MAC); I think EAC (Exact Audio Copy) is the one people use for Windows.

I didn't bother to attempt physically polishing my disk: I think I've been lucky and CD paranoia has recovered all the music without audible glitches. I've only listened to half so far.

As for scratches

 

[hseplak]

Hi
sean, try cleaning with iso propyl alcohol might help,
thanks.

 

[venkatcr]

Folks, as Thad said, this seems to be between recording layer and the plastic. Beats me how water got there. The CD may have been dunked in water for quite some time.

There is no way this will go with surface cleaning. A small amount of heat may do some help, but I would advise against it unless you are ready to lose the CD completely.

Extract the rest of the songs into WAV or FALC format and write them onto a CD -ROM. Then see what you can do with the CD.

Cheers

 

[baijuxavior]

I doubt whether it is water. I have a number of CDs which has this type of bubbles inside the disc. Pressing or washing or drying won't remove the problem. The CD has gone bad. Use some tools like unstop copier to copy as much data you can.

 

[Sean de Silva]

I was struggling with a badly scratched CD only yesterday --- but I never saw anything like this! Has the water got in between the recording layer and the plastic?

Here's an idea that comes to me as I type... put it in a bowl of uncooked rice. As with dunked electronics, the rice should draw the water out.

Then rescue as much data as you can. cdparanoia is the tool I used (Lnix and MAC); I think EAC (Exact Audio Copy) is the one people use for Windows.

I didn't bother to attempt physically polishing my disk: I think I've been lucky and CD paranoia has recovered all the music without audible glitches. I've only listened to half so far.

As for scratches

Thanks but i dont think i want the uncooked rice grains to scratch the already damaged surface.

 

[Sean de Silva]

Hi
sean, try cleaning with iso propyl alcohol might help,
thanks.

yes ive read about isopropyl alcohol being a saviour many times! is isopropyl alcohol understood as isopropyl alcohol at a hardware/chemist?

 

[Sean de Silva]

Folks, as Thad said, this seems to be between recording layer and the plastic. Beats me how water got there. The CD may have been dunked in water for quite some time.

There is no way this will go with surface cleaning. A small amount of heat may do some help, but I would advise against it unless you are ready to lose the CD completely.

Extract the rest of the songs into WAV or FALC format and write them onto a CD -ROM. Then see what you can do with the CD.

Cheers

even the cdwriter wont read the disc. its a deep seated bubble. wont go with surface cleaning.

 

[Sean de Silva]

I doubt whether it is water. I have a number of CDs which has this type of bubbles inside the disc. Pressing or washing or drying won't remove the problem. The CD has gone bad. Use some tools like unstop copier to copy as much data you can.

The disc is unreadable at many locations. so maybe time to just chuck it and get a new one..

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Thanks but i dont think i want the uncooked rice grains to scratch the already damaged surface.

Doubt that they would, but, if it worries you, wrap a tissue around it. Problem is, even with the water out, the layer may not flatten again.

Do it with heavy weight, and you are going to burst that buble... more damage.

Really, this is pretty much a dead CD: it is a bit late to worry about minor scratches, I'm afraid.

yes ive read about isopropyl alcohol being a saviour many times! is isopropyl alcohol understood as isopropyl alcohol at a hardware/chemist?

Rubbing alcohol, I think. never bought any here.

Anyway, cleaning is not going to fix this. The application of yet another liquid is not going to fix this.

 

[hseplak]

yes ive read about isopropyl alcohol being a saviour many times! is isopropyl alcohol understood as isopropyl alcohol at a hardware/chemist?

Hi, sean, As the knowlegdeable people have said on the forum try to extract as much data as possible and then try your luck with iso, iso you may get at khar west stn one ganesh electronics, i always get mine from lamington road.
Thanks.

 

[TaureanBull]

Silica gel is the thing for absorbing moisture. These small bags are found in many electronics and optical equipment packings.

IMHO, the CD is a gone case and try to extract whatever you can. Sorry for being truthful because that would hurt!

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Silica gel is the thing for absorbing moisture.

but, if one doesn't happen to have any fresh, dry silica gel...