IDVD-RWs, DVD+RWs, and CD-RWs can be frustrating storage devices. It’s easy to accidentally delete and overwrite material that you may really want to keep on a rewritable disc. While they can be handy, they can also be a liability.
If you’ve lost data on a DVD, you may or may not be able to recover it depending on the circumstances of the loss.
Recovering
Deleted Data from a RW
If you’ve deleted data manually, like accidentally hitting the delete key or dragging a file to the recycle bin, you may be in luck. Data doesn’t disappear until new data overwrites it so if you deleted the files and then didn’t add any new data to the disc, your files are waiting for you to find them. They may simply be sitting in the recycle bin, so be sure to check there first.
If not, you’ll need data recovery software designed to recover data from DVDs and CDs. These programs will search your disc for files all files, including ones that are set to be overwritten or are hidden for another reason. You can then tell the software which of the available files to recover and save the files onto your hard drive. From there, you can burn them onto other discs or back them up in some other way (which is strongly recommended).
If you fully formatted the RW or have put new data on the disc, you’re out of luck. Formatting is essentially the act of preparing the disc for use, then allowing you to copy files to it. With both of these options, the data has been completely overwritten and no longer exists. This is different to a standard DVD-R which can only be formatted once and cannot have data removed off it.
Recovering
Data from a Damaged RW
If your DVD-RW has been over-exposed to direct sunlight, scratched, or broken, you are also out of luck. The data on a disc is physically written onto the bottom of it. Although it may appear smooth, it actually isn’t. Put simply, if the disc gets damaged then so does the data. This primarily happens through mishandling, like directly exposing it to sunlight or strong heat. You can prevent this by keeping your DVDs in cases that protect it.
Cases also help prevent scratches. A scratched DVD skips, freezes, or doesn’t run at all because the scratch has damaged the disc and made the data unreadable. Some scratch removal products on the market are effective for shallow scratches. These run between $10 and $40 and offer varying success rates. Deep scratches can’t be removed, but shallow ones can often be buffed away by motorized DVD repair systems. Liquid repair systems exist and can work, but you risk ending up with a haze over the whole disc and making it completely unreadable.
So, to sum up, unless you accidentally deleted something and then didn’t write anything else on the DVD or you have a small scratch, you’re out of luck. If you’re one of the lucky few that can solve this problem then do it quickly and carefully.