Damaged DVD's can mean a loss of investment for you and the loss of the use of that DVD. Even if you are able to repair the damaged DVD, you will want to make a backup copy and use it instead of the original to avoid damaging your DVD player or drive. Knowing how to recover data from a damaged DVD will allow you to make that copy.

• For more heavily damaged DVD's such as cracked DVD's use a very slow DVD player

• Use the same DVD writer that was used to create the disk

• Use great quality media for your copy

• When you make or buy a new DVD make a copy to prevent loss of data in the case of damage

Many people think you have to be technically savvy to recover data from a damaged DVD. While it does take specific knowledge, it is not a hard task, and is easily learned in a short time. There are programs to assist you in recovering your data, which speed the process up and make it a fairly simple operation.

To recover the data you will need the following: Damaged DVD Recovery Software DVD Writer Computer

Allow several hours for this process as you may have to perform it more than once with different software. Patience can pay off in this case.

Some damaged DVD's are a lost cause, and some can be repaired. Before you spend time or money to recover data determine the amount of damage the disk actually has.

• Scratched: Try to recover data, if it does not work, attempt repair then copy data. (See How to Fix a Scratched DVD)
• Warped: Attempt repair then attempt to recover data. (See How to Repair a Warped DVD)
• Cracked: Depending on the severity of the crack, attempt repair then use a very slow speed DVD player to record from. (See How to Fix a Cracked or Broken DVD)
• Broken: See How to Fix a Cracked or Broken DVD. It is unlikely that you will be able to recover data from a broken DVD. There could be exceptions, depending on the severity of the break. If you are able to repair it, then use a very slow speed DVD player to record from.

All programs are not created equal and you may need to try more than one. There are several on the market, and you need to make sure that the version you use is compatible with your computer. Minimum requirements and what operating system is needed should be clearly stated where you find the software.

Examples of Recovery Software: Roadkil’s Unstoppable Copier CD Recovery Toolbox IsoBuster DVD X Copy ddrescue (Linux OS only)

This is not a complete list, nor are any of these recommended above the others. What works in one case may not in another.

Follow the directions for the software you have decided to use. Some of the ISO programs attempt recovery by placing zeroes in the file wherever data is corrupted. For small damaged areas, this will not affect many files, however for large files the data may be too corrupted to recover.http://www.computing.net/answers/hardware/broken-cd/31004.html

If the first program you try does not work, try another. There are a number of variables that can affect the recovery process. Using the same drive that was used to create the disk sometimes gives better results.http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-repair-and-recover-data-from-damaged-cds-or-dvds/ Using a DVD writer rather than a DVD player can also give better results.http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-repair-and-recover-data-from-damaged-cds-or-dvds/

Making a second copy of the data makes sense. You don't want to have to repeat this process if anything goes wrong with the recovered data. Keep the original DVD and a copy of the recovered data as insurance against further damage. Do not use the damaged DVD anymore. Burn a new DVD for use.