We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. While physical media isn't as popular as it once was, most people own at least a few discs, whether they're old music CDs they grew up loving ...

Clean the disc: cotton, alcohol, and… toothpaste? Start by cleaning the disc with a soft cotton cloth dampened in alcohol or a window-cleaning solution. Be sure to wipe the disc gently from the center ...

August 15, 2016 Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google If you have a CD or DVD that won’t play because it’s covered in dust and scratches, a little forehead grease ...

You need to resurface the disc. No software will read through scratched plastic. Go get some brasso and rub it on the disc in small circular motions with a cloth. Use a clean piece of cloth to wipe ...

This article was taken from the February 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands ...