Need to remove scratches from software disk.

[Deleted User]

I am aware there are various products on the market for doing this, and companies offering to do it for as little as £1 per disk but....

does it work?

I have a software disk worth over £300 and do not want to send it away to have it repaired in case it goes astray. The scratches are mainly very light but there are quite a few of them.

I have heard about using furniture polish on the disk.

There are also various gadgets about such as

http://www.thegadgetstore.com/TemplatePages/Product.asp?CatID=49&ProdID=13&RootID=2&spmc=TGSPPCK48

but do they work?

Greensprout

If you do own the original why not make a backup if you have a cd writer.

Rex_Mundi

I bought a CD scratch removal kit from Asda (can't remember how much now......around a fiver I think). This has worked for me on a few CDs.

I have also heard that toothpaste will work.

intel

Brasso... as like in ipod scratch remover, then some car wax afterwards.

This has saved numerous discs of mine...

[Deleted User]

Greensprout wrote:

If you do own the original why not make a backup if you have a cd writer.

I had not really thought of that! It's a Microsoft product. Can it be copied and used just like that? Will the scratches in the original disk affect the copy?

intel

Deleted_User wrote:

I had not really thought of that! It's a Microsoft product. Can it be copied and used just like that? Will the scratches in the original disk affect the copy?

MS Usually have an encryption in there new software so It may not work
and being a copied bit of software will be a grey area in legal circles.

I would suggest you try removing the scratch first.

Greensprout

Deleted_User wrote:

I had not really thought of that! It's a Microsoft product. Can it be copied and used just like that? Will the scratches in the original disk affect the copy?

The scratches in an original disk when copied will not affect the 'new' cd.

I have done it in the past with scratched music cd's that continuously jumped or got stuck on tracks.
When you make a 'backup' copy of the original the fault is no longer there.

As for MS having encription in their software to prevent you making copies, there are ways around it, do some google searching.

mr_fishbulb

What do they use so you can't copy the disk? Usrely if you ISO it then there is nothing around that.

About the legality - as long as you own a license to use it and don't install it on more than one machine then I guess there shouldn't be a problem.

Hunnymonster

intel wrote:

being a copied bit of software will be a grey area in legal circles.

Not if you own and continue to own the original.

Personally I've never encountered a problem with any 'serious' MS software with disc protection (I worked in server support for 10 years and rarely used an original disc out in the field, too high a risk of damage) - With consumer level products like games it happens all the time.

Remember that MS software has (for example) serial numbers, product keys and online activation for their protection... they can't tell whether it was installed from an original CD or a copy of an original CD.

intel

Hunnymonster wrote:

Not if you own and continue to own the original.

Personally I've never encountered a problem with any 'serious' MS software with disc protection (I worked in server support for 10 years and rarely used an original disc out in the field, too high a risk of damage) - With consumer level products like games it happens all the time.

Remember that MS software has (for example) serial numbers, product keys and online activation for their protection... they can't tell whether it was installed from an original CD or a copy of an original CD.

All im saying is unless a MS lawyer gets on this thread explaining litigation
I would count it as a grey area... they are too powerful to mess with.

And they can tell wether its leagal or not on installation because
they can tell how many discs are out there and thats why they had an amnesty not that long ago, try doing it with frontpage and you get told
that this version is already on another computer, I know as when my old PC
was completely knackered I had to re-register it to my new PC.

Hunnymonster

Yes - but if you own and continue to own the original and haven't given any copies away (what sort of prat gives away stuff that they've paid for and will get traced back to them) - in your case all you have to prove is that you only have the one copy installed....

I've been through numerous professional software audits in the UK and wider EU - and the auditors were not interested in whether it was installed from a server, an original CD, a copied CD, by act of god, etc - all they care about (to the tune of £2k penalty plus rectification per instance - I can tell you that it's a cure for constipation waiting for the report lol, even when you know you're all ok) is whether you have a licence for the software.

Also they're not really interested in you with your one possible illegal installation - they're far more interested in the large scale pirates selling their wares at car boot sales, computer fairs etc.