You have arrived at the right place place for information, tips and techniques on:
DVD Disc Repair
How to Repair Scratched DVDs
DVD Repair Software
DVD Copying Software
DVD Conversion Software
How to Merge DVDs
Unfinalized DVDs
DVD Burning Software
What is DVD?
DVD Software Reviews
There are many DVD Disc Error situations and DVD error messages you may get at any time when trying to play, copy, burn or convert a DVD. None of them really seem to make any sense and very few will guide you to deal with the problem.
One of my favorites is the “no disc” error when I know damn well there is a disc because I put it in there myself!
What I have attempted here is to give you a start to the DVD troubleshooting process and as much as possible, give you some steps in order to see if we can handle your problem.
I can’t “see” your computer setup, your DVD recorder, the DVD itself or your DVD camcorder or whatever so it may take a little time to get to the exact point we need to get to so your problem is solved. So good luck and keep reading!
DVD Error
Invalid File Structure
Invalid DVD Navigation Menu
No Disc
Disc Error
The first step with the above messages is to take the DVD disc out of the device and check it for dust, scratches, scuff marks or dirt of any kind. If there are obvious scratches, scuff marks, dust, dirt, greasy finger prints or worse on the disc, go to the link below for instructions on cleaning and scratch removal.
If you have done all that and still have the error or disc surface problems do not apply then…
Check the color of the DVD data side of the disc to see that the dye coloring is the same all across the disc.
If you can see patchy areas or places where the dye is not completely even then the disc may have real problems.
To handle this you will need special software that can read through these problem areas to recover the data. For those instructions go to this link below.
If your check of the disc has shown that all seems to be well with the surface and dye of the disc we can safely assume now that the disc itself is not the problem… maybe!
This is a short checklist of things that could be causing the problem:
The disc is not compatible with the device you are using. Check to see that your DVD playback/reading/recording device is rated to handle that particular type of disc. (-R/+R/-RW/+RW etc.)
Will the disc play in other devices? Check for incompatibility with either the type of disc (-R/+R etc) or the brand of disc. Don’t be surprised about the “brand” thing. A study was done on DVD compatibility and it was found that just because your device says it handles, for example, -R that doesn’t mean it will handle ALL -Rs! It has a lot to do with the relationship your media company has with your device company…or lack thereof!
Check the manufacturers website of the DVD playback/reading device for firmware updates. Often these are necessary for the the device to recognize and handle new brands of DVD media.
Have you had the playback device for some time and has the laser been cleaned? You can purchase laser cleaning discs cheaply at electronics stores. Smokers! This one is important!
Will the DVD disc play in other DVD devices? Go into either your computer’s device manager to see the drive is showing properly or check the drive’s manufacturer for any updates or troubleshooting tips.
Are specific DVD error messages explained in the device manual? Some of you may not be familiar with the manual! You know it is sometimes just full of fascinating information!
Is the DVD drive or device playing other DVDs? If not you probably do not have a DVD disc error but a device error that needs to be corrected by servicing.
If the disc came from a DVD camcorder or a DVD recorder. Has the disc been finalized? If yes, well ok! If not, finalize the disc in the original DVD recording device. If the disc has encountered a problem during finalization or the original DVD device is now refusing to finalize the disc then go to the Unfinalized DVDs page.
Ok! So if you are still here and you have found no outside problem with the disc and no problem you can see with the playback device you are using then it is likely you have some kind of internal DVD structure problem or corruption.
To handle this we are going to have to use special software to see if we can get the data off the disc. Just click the link below and we can get started!
If you came here for how to choose the best DVD copying software, DVD burning software or general DVD software then just click the links below and you can read all about it.
For how to fix or handle an unfinalized DVD just click here.
How to merge or combine two or three mini DVDs or full DVDs on to one full sized DVD keeping the same quality and the original menus click here.
For what is a DVD is and how it is put together you can go here.
Finally if you are having any trouble with a DVD disc repair that is not covered on this site please feel free to click the Contact button and ask your question and will be sure to get back to you as soon as I can.
