Review on 🔧 Revive and Restore CDs and DVDs: SkipDr Manual Disc Repair System, Single by Chris Shepherd

Buying this requires knowing a few things and having realistic expectations. I used this to recover a couple of discs that cracked badly and didn't even play successfully on a computer DVD drive. But it must be approached with realistic expectations and an understanding of how the process works. Firstly, gaps are caused by various things including a faulty laser in a DVD or Blu-Ray, but they are usually caused by DEEP scratches. All those little surface scratches you see don't really damage anything, but deep scratches scatter the laser and cause cracking. They can remove ALL superficial scratches on the surface and leave gaps for DEEP scratches. Depending on how badly he's scratched, he can't be saved. The disc reads circularly, so circular scratches are the worst. Scratches that run from the edge to the center (perpendicular to the path of the laser beam) usually do not cause gaps. Secondly, this product only has a VERY fine-grained surface. It quickly removes small scratches and polishes the disc, but it takes longer to remove (or rather reduce the degree of) deeper scratches. If you have DEEP scratches this remedy will still help, but you may need to add some of your own ingredients, namely toothpaste. Toothpaste is a more aggressive abrasive. Use something like the original Colgate, which has a nice smooth consistency. Simply spray the included liquid onto the disc to wet it, put a SMALL amount of toothpaste on your finger and rub until you get a very thin paste or even finish. Then spray it again to wet it a little more and then run it at least 3 full revolutions in SkipDr. Take out the disc, rinse under running water, dry and try again to make sure it still skips. If it doesn't work, as they say, wash, rinse, repeat. SkipDr will eventually fix deep scratches, or you'll eventually have to admit the drive is too scratched to fix. Third, lubrication is your friend. Spray the disc very well before starting, then spray again about halfway through the first revolution. When the buffing pad is wet, it becomes easier. You don't need a dry drive. It also won't buff and it will take you a lot more effort to get the job done. The spray is nothing but filtered water with some alcohol added, if you run out you can just use plain water. Do not use Windex or other window cleaners. You're not trying to make the disc shine, you're trying to remove or reduce scratches to reduce the chance of laser beam leakage. You don't need ammonia or other cleaning agents that can damage the grinding wheel. Finally, if you have a double-sided DVD, this device can remove some of the writing around the inner ring when you use it to fix the second side. (which is usually the beginning of the DVD). After a while, starting the device becomes a bit painful. If you don't have the patience or stamina, consider buying a motorized version. I chose the manual version. When I get tired of spinning, I let the kids who scratched first take turns. :) You have UNLIMITED energy. If you have a lot of badly scratched discs that are EXPENSIVE to replace, you might want to consider more expensive professional systems like the JFJ Easy Pro. But for a few drives that skip, I think that's the way to go. Hope this works for you too.