# Any way to force a dvd to be read? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-force-a-dvd-to-be-read/396452 "2007-03-18T17:52:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-force-a-dvd-to-be-read/396452/1 "2007-03-18T17:52:22Z")
I’ve been backing up my purchased music by using Nero to burn the files to DVD. I have encountered a DVD that will not read in either computer I try it in. However if I launch Nero and choose disc info it shows 1 session with 1 track that is 4,353,504KB of Data in Mode 1 and the book type is et to DVD-ROM. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-force-a-dvd-to-be-read/396452/2 "2007-03-18T22:47:59Z")
I’ve had some limited sucess with one of those DVD repair tools you are at the checkout line of Best Buy. It works by buffng out scraths on the clear side of the dusk. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-force-a-dvd-to-be-read/396452/3 "2007-03-19T02:23:31Z")
When I’m using my computer to watch DVDs I’ve purchased from America, I like to run the output to my TV as the screen’s larger than the computer’s and the speakers are better than the computer’s. When I try to use InterVideo WinDVD, sometimes it tells me, “STOP! Copy protection detected!” Then I just use Windows Media Player to run the DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-force-a-dvd-to-be-read/396452/4 "2007-03-19T02:42:29Z")
One thing to check. Did you finish or close the DVD after copying the stuff to it? ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-force-a-dvd-to-be-read/396452/5 "2007-03-19T03:51:52Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] One thing to check. Did you finish or close the DVD after copying the stuff to it? [/QUOTE] Yes the session was closed. There are no scratches on the dvd as it was never removed from the dvd tray. I burnt the dvd, then ran my indexing application so I would know what tracks are on the dvd for future restoration. I’ve chalked it up to a glitch for now ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-force-a-dvd-to-be-read/396452/6 "2007-03-19T04:21:53Z")
I’d be careful about using that same spindle of DVDs any more. I ran into this problem myself with a spindle of Sony’s (I usually use Maxell)…they burnt just find but retrieving the data back off them/playing them was hit-or-miss, on all 3 of my DVD drives. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-force-a-dvd-to-be-read/396452/7 "2007-03-19T12:22:12Z")
1 more very basic piece of advice I found on a DCD/CD burning message board - did you use the lowest burn speed? higher speeds, even though your DVD and drive support it and are upmarket, tends to give less reliable disks.