Cleaning scratches with toothpaste, any success?

[Ando85]

So after buying Ratchet and Clank Up Your Arsenal about 6 years ago, I finally decided I would play it. I got about 7 hours into the game with no technical problems. Then I get to a point where it will fail to load. Thinking it was a fluke I reset it and sadly it freezes at the same exact point every time.

I looked at the disc and it was covered in small hairline scratches. After many attempts to clean the disc and confirming it was the disc's problem not my PS2 it still didn't work. Heard about cleaning it with toothpaste, so I did. Now I examine the disc and the scratches aren't visible. Sadly, now the disc isn't even recognizable. Perhaps I will go back and try to clean the toothpaste off better but I'm not holding my breath.

So, I was wondering if anyone has ever had any success with toothpaste to clean discs.

 

[Lanithro]

Lots!

Whenever I have a disk that doesn't quite read properly, I give it a soak in a sink filled with shower gel, then cover the disk completely in toothpaste then wipe off, and its always improved the disk

For example, Bioshock 2's museum level, where you listen to the display cabinets telling you how Rapture was born, the audio skipped like mad to start with, but after cleaning the disk it was fine.

More recently, Dark Souls would freeze on the loading screen at random intervals...a quick soak sorted that out too

 

[Exterminas]

You guys know that they have special gels for this kind of thing and that gamers do no longer have to experiment with every remotely goo-like substance to repair slightly damaged disks?

Toothpaste for example is designed to be rough and to scratch off dirt. That is precisely the kind of stuff that, if anything, will only make it worse.

 

[Ando85]

Lots!

Whenever I have a disk that doesn't quite read properly, I give it a soak in a sink filled with shower gel, then cover the disk completely in toothpaste then wipe off, and its always improved the disk

For example, Bioshock 2's museum level, where you listen to the display cabinets telling you how Rapture was born, the audio skipped like mad to start with, but after cleaning the disk it was fine.

More recently, Dark Souls would freeze on the loading screen at random intervals...a quick soak sorted that out too

What did you use to wipe off the toothpaste? I just wiped the disc off a bit more and now the game is actually loading like it was originally , but it still freezes at the same point.

 

[Signa]

If the disk look mostly fine, then you might have a bad pressing. My original copy of Metal Gear Solid has something permanently wrong with it. No amount of scratch repairing can work on it. It always locked up right at the start of the climax too.

 

[Ando85]

You guys know that they have special gels for this kind of thing and that gamers do no longer have to experiment with every remotely goo-like substance to repair slightly damaged disks?

Toothpaste for example is designed to be rough and to scratch off dirt. That is precisely the kind of stuff that, if anything, will only make it worse.

Yeah I figured that. I thought if the game was freezing I had nothing to lose so I tried it. I thought I had done more harm than good as the disc wouldn't even be recognized. I just cleaned it a bit more and now the game will load, but still freezes at the same exact point.

 

[tharglet]

Toothpaste for example is designed to be rough and to scratch off dirt. That is precisely the kind of stuff that, if anything, will only make it worse.

Actually, no. The idea with most methods is to scratch off the bottom layer of the *plastic* with the scratches in it, and make the disc smooth again.
As long as you don't damage the metal bit with the data on, the disc is fine.

 

[Ando85]

I might have to give up. The disc looks prestine. The game still freezes at the exact same point. Luckily it isn't some rare obscure title. Old Ratchet and Clank titles go for like 2 bucks on amazon.

 

[Craorach]

You guys know that they have special gels for this kind of thing and that gamers do no longer have to experiment with every remotely goo-like substance to repair slightly damaged disks?

Toothpaste for example is designed to be rough and to scratch off dirt. That is precisely the kind of stuff that, if anything, will only make it worse.

While I agree that people should be careful with any methods of "fixing" discs... just because its not a special gel doesn't make it any worse.

Many "specially designed" products that are used for whole ranges of purposes are actually just refined, or outright copied, from traditional and experimental methods that have been used for years. Just look at cleaning products and how many are basically vinegar.

 

[Googenstien]

Ahh... another reason why I love the PS3 - BluRays are hard to scratch and ive yet to have any unreadable ones in 3.5 years.. plus they hold alot more data.

Back on topic.. I have saved some old Xbox games this way, but its usually only short lived. Scratches where the laser reads on DVD/CDs are almost impossible to overcome. I read one guy had a system with light grain sandpaper and dish soap.. but any scratch on the data screws up the disc for good.

 

[MercurySteam]

It always locked up right at the start of the climax too.

Sounds like my genitals

OP: When my Borderlands disk got scratched I took it to my local GAME and they repaired it after two goes. I suggest you take it to someone with one of those machines.

(BTW, I was kidding about that whole genitals thing)

Ahh... another reason why I love the PS3 - BluRays are hard to scratch and ive yet to have any unreadable ones in 3.5 years.. plus they hold alot more data

I don't suppose you're finished gloating yet? The man needs some advice and I don't think the whole 'Blu Ray FTW!!!!1" is helping him.

 

[IamSofaKingRaw]

Nope, fucked up my copy of BFBC even more....

 

[Vault101]

toothpaste?

......... o_0 righto then

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

I bought one of those spinning wheel sandpaper things that supposed to remove scratches from discs. It works very very well, but often leaves the disc brittle. I have found that digitally backing up the copy onto my hard drive is the best route. Then you store the real disc some place safe. AKA not in my room.