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Best Mac software for recovery of corrupted CD-R

Nick_G

Nick_G

pfm Member
Are there any Mac experts that can help with a problematic CD-R? The CD-R was created using a CD recorder connected to the home hi-fi system. Occasionally when I hit record the recorder will spit the CD-R out with a 'Record error' message. This happened to the CD-R that I'm trying to read. It happened after the first track, but I carried on and filled the rest of the CD-R up. It finalised with no problems on the CD recorder, but the Liteon CD/DVD drive connected to the iMac cannot read the CD-R and it spits the disc out. This is obviously related to the error I got using the CD recorder. I checked and the CD recorder has no problems reading and playing the disc.

I have an evaluation version of AppleXsoft File Recovery but I can't get this to see the CD-R either. Would paying for the full version solve this problem, or is this an indication that this software can't help? I read that Roxio Toast can recover data from corrupted or damaged discs too.

Can anyone suggest a solution to recover the files so I can copy them over to the Mac? I remember that AppleXsoft File Recovery did manage to do this on a previous occasion when a badly-pressed CD-R corrupted the TOC and the audio at the beginning of the first track. This problem may be different and therefore require a different solution. Unfortunately the CD recorder has no USB input so I cannot connect it to a computer.

Any help with this much appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Whats the age of the CDR firstly, this may well determine the likleyhood of getting anything from it?
 
First off, is this Data or Audio? It's unclear from your description.

From what you're describing, this isn't something that software can help with: either the drive can read the disc or it cannot. Your Mac is asking the drive to read the filesystem root information from the disc, and if it can't do that, you're goosed. Software only comes in to play once the drive has extracted that information off the disc.

My first approach would always be to try a different drive. Older CDR drives that do not support DVD may work better than those that do, due to the different laser wavelengths. If you've got an older Mac with a built-in drive, try that: they used to put pretty good mechanisms into them.
 
The CD-R is data and it's new, bought earlier this year and it's CMC Pro, using Taiyo Yuden dye, made in Taiwan. I always try to buy T-Y discs but last time I couldn't find the JVC-branded made in Japan discs, so these were the next best thing. My CD recorder is a Tascam one so I'm not restricted to the 'Music' CD-Rs.

When I had a problem before using Verbatim media, the discs were obviously a poor batch as one of them failed to finalise. However, in this case the AppleXsoft File Recovery software was able to read the disc and so I could transfer the files over. The first track had bad distortion in the first 5-10 seconds, so I presume this was a bad pressing that had corrupted the TOC and beginning of track 1.

I may have to see if I can find an older CD-R drive and see if that works. As I said, the CD recorder has no problems with the disc.
 
An update: my wife's old portable CD player/radio has no problems reading the disc either, so maybe I do need a new optical drive hooked up to the Mac.
 
Not trying to be unkind but why keep a CD as your only copy of data? A DVD will hold roughly 6 times as much but far better and cheaper is to get a large external hard drive and use that.

I appreciate the CD isn't coming from data on your Mac though. Does the unit that made it have its own internal hard drive, or a disc copy function?
 
deebster said:
Not trying to be unkind but why keep a CD as your only copy of data? A DVD will hold roughly 6 times as much but far better and cheaper is to get a large external hard drive and use that.

I appreciate the CD isn't coming from data on your Mac though. Does the unit that made it have its own internal hard drive, or a disc copy function?
Click to expand...

Well, I've always been partial to recording things from the radio, and I bought a CD recorder for that purpose, as it works very much like a tape deck. I'm also into long-distance radio reception and usually record interesting catches with the CD recorder which I then convert to MP3 using Audacity and store in the cloud. I did try a Denon professional USB/SD recorder for the same purpose (a hi-fi separate type) but, hooked up exactly the same was as the CD recorder, I could never get it to record anything from the radio except silence. Maybe it expects a digital input? I'm really not sure. Next longer-term step may be trying a portable Tascam digital recorder and hooking that up to the hi-fi using RCA cables.

So this is where I am at the moment. I think in the short-term trying a different optical drive is going to be the easiest solution, as the disc seems fine in typical domestic use.
 
I have seen this behaviour with a DVD and a 2010 Mac Mini. Insert the original DVD from Apple into the DVD drive and it boots however insert a Windows installation DVD and after a bit of spinning the Mac spits it out. The Apple OS is looking for something that's Apple compatible.

Next plug a USB DVD drive into the Mac and the Windows installation boots from this drive and can then be installed.

So try using an external USB optical drive with the Mac.

Cheers,

DV
 
Darth Vader said:
I have seen this behaviour with a DVD and a 2010 Mac Mini. Insert the original DVD from Apple into the DVD drive and it boots however insert a Windows installation DVD and after a bit of spinning the Mac spits it out. The Apple OS is looking for something that's Apple compatible.

Next plug a USB DVD drive into the Mac and the Windows installation boots from this drive and can then be installed.

So try using an external USB optical drive with the Mac.

Cheers,

DV
Click to expand...

Hi DV. This is an external USB optical drive that's refusing to read the disc. It's a Liteon eBAU108. Normally it's fine with these CD-Rs that I create but whatever caused the 'Rec Error' when I was making it has made it not want to speak to the optical drive.
 
Hi Nick, anything stopping you from recording straight into Audacity on your Mac?

As for the messed up disc, perhaps use your wife's CD player and hook it up to the your Mac, record the audio in real time and then chuck the CD.
 
farfromthesun said:
Hi Nick, anything stopping you from recording straight into Audacity on your Mac?

As for the messed up disc, perhaps use your wife's CD player and hook it up to the your Mac, record the audio in real time and then chuck the CD.
Click to expand...

The CD recorder is with the hi-fi system which is at the opposite end of the house to the computer, so recording directly into Audacity a good suggestion, but at the moment not practical. When I've got a job sorted out I may either get a cheap laptop which I will have by the hi-fi or get a portable Tascam digital recorder for the job.
 
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