Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

How to open rogue CD

Aug 30, 2017 12:45AM PDT

I have been given 3 CDs by a relative who's son has recently died. They belonged to him and she needs to know if there is anything important on them. I have looked at two and they are just holiday photos. When I put the third one in the laptop it won't open. The computer doesn't recognize it and my mouse changes to a buffering circle so I can't click on anything. The disc is rotating but then settles down to just a soft, continual, whirring sound. There is nothing wrong with my computer. Do you think the disc is faulty or is there any way of opening the disc with some different software? Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Clarification Request
Is your drive CD only?
Aug 30, 2017 3:24AM PDT

Could this not be a CD but a DVD disc?

- Collapse -
Answer
Try
Aug 30, 2017 2:44AM PDT

Try vlc player....use google

If that does not work put a boot able copy of linux on a usb stick and boot it up.
Let it have a look at this disc.

- Collapse -
Answer
UDF likely. Knowing age of disc could help
Aug 30, 2017 2:58AM PDT

The standard disc is Joliet method, if bootable Torito method, but there was/is another method of creating such a disc using UDF. Unfortunately there are several methods of doing that. The disc could also be a windows UDF type. That's where a disc was written to just like it was an hard drive. Also a disc can be multi-session, or left unclosed, which can interfere with some disc reading programs. You need to use a program that can view all of those. In Linux I use K3b, which is available on any KDE based Linux distro, they are free. Some older windows programs would be Nero, CD Creator, Roxio and maybe could read using CDBURNERXP, free on internet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Disk_Format

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Torito_(CD-ROM_standard)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joliet_(file_system)

- Collapse -
Reply to all.
Aug 30, 2017 3:43AM PDT

1. I have 3 CDs and 2 of them open fine. They are 80 minute CD-Rs.

2. I have downloaded VLC but it doesn't see the CD. I have opened the other ones successfully on VLC with no problem but it just doesn't see the third one.

3. I am using Windows 10.

- Collapse -
Reply
Aug 30, 2017 3:56AM PDT

Clean the disc carefully. Look for any scratches on it. If it has some, there are repair kits for that. Sometimes just a clear silicon wax over the surface and dried is enough to make readable again. Scratches distort the laser and reader enough to make it unreadable. You should also try a different CD/DVD drive to read the disc on. Some drives fail to read certain CD-R, but I'm assuming all these are of the same make. Are you sure the CD-R even has data on it?

- Collapse -
Reply
Aug 30, 2017 5:48AM PDT

No scratches that I can see. No date. The problem one is No.3 so I'm assuming Nos 1 & 2 are older and No. 3 is the most recent but no idea how recent. He was the kind of man who took care of things though. I could try it on a friends computer but can't understand why I can open 2 but not the third.

- Collapse -
Answer
Nod to ISOBUSTER
Aug 30, 2017 8:17AM PDT

Since the CD doesn't show up, it could be one of those discs with a non-closed session. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THAT SESSION since doing so with the wrong app will remove any possibility of recovery.

Research ISOBUSTER and its use. It's cheaper than say drivesavers.com.

- Collapse -
Solved
Aug 30, 2017 10:05AM PDT

Thank you, I think you have solved the puzzle. I have downloaded Isobuster and it has picked up the 'DVD RW Drive' but says it is empty. So he has obviously set the disc up for photos but hasn't loaded any. Mystery solved. Thank you very much.

- Collapse -
Ahh, He had a Sony Mavica Camera?
Aug 30, 2017 10:40AM PDT

that would explain it.

- Collapse -
Thanks for the report.
Aug 30, 2017 10:41AM PDT

ISOBUSTER is one of the tools you only need to know about for situations like this. The need doesn't come up often but when it does, hopefully someone remembers.

Here's to Pepperidge Farms.

"Pepperidge Farms Remembers"

- Collapse -
Thanks.
Aug 30, 2017 11:27AM PDT

Thank you all for your input. It's much appreciated.