If your disc has been scratched, here are the steps you should follow.

Step 1: Clean it. Your first step should be to wash the disc gently under warm water.

Step 2: Try playing the disc. Try to play it in your normal player. If that doesn’t work, try a different drive.

Step 3: Burn a new copy of your disc. Unless your disc now plays perfectly in all drives, you should burn it to a new disc

Step 4: Find the scratch. If nothing’s working so far, inspect the disc and find the scratch.

Step 5: Polish the CD. Apply baking soda toothpaste to a lint-free cloth-an old T-shirt or an eyeglass cloth-and then rub it onto the disc. When rubbing, start at the centre of the disc and rub out to the edge.

Step 6: Wash the disc. If you’re using toothpaste, rinse the disk under warm water and then let it air dry.

Step 7: Try to play the disc. If it works, good. If it doesn’t work, inspect your disc again-there may be another scratch that you didn’t polish the first time.

Step 8: Wax the disc. You can use Vaseline or a neutral-colored shoe polish. Coat the playing surface, then follow the manufacturer’s directions for removing the wax.

Step 9: Play the disc again. If it works this time, copy the disc.

Step 10: Go to a store that sells used. A used CD or DVD store will have a machine that can remove scratches.

You may take great care of your discs, but you will probably have a scratched disc at some point. Follow these steps, and a scratch won’t be a cause for alarm.

G Pearce works for Magellan Duplication the Hampshire based CD and DVD replication and duplication company serving the needs of artists, record companies and business. For more info on CD replication and duplication services visit http://www.magellanduplication.com/cd-replication.htm