Reconstruction

If you discover a defective optical disc when performing the check, you can easily recover the disc data thanks to the error correction data created by Dvdisaster. If the medium includes the error correction data in addition to the payload data, then go the Image tab in the Preferences dialog and select the ECC/RS02 option in the Image size section. You also need to enable the Adaptive (for defective media) option as the Reading strategy in the Image creation section.

In the Read attempts tab, start by checking the "Read and analyze raw sectors option. If too many errors occur on reading, you can adjust the minimum and maximum number of read attempts per sector using the matching slide controls. Do not adjust the Skip <n> sectors after read error option to less than 128 sectors for the time being. If too many read errors still occur during the next read attempt, change the skip option from 128 to a lower value and increase the number of read attempts per sector at the same time.

Before reading the data carrier, you also need to state where the matching error correction file resides. To do so, enter the path in the dialog at the top right in the program window. If the defective medium has already been extended to include error correction data, you can leave this field empty. After completing the settings, press the Read button.

If an excessive number of read errors occurs, the program will simply quit reading. In this case, you can give up on the medium. However, if the number of read errors is manageable and if Dvdisaster successfully completes the read action, you can press Fix to create an error-free ISO image, which you can then write to a new disc.

Conclusions

Dvdisaster is a complete and professional solution for maintaining important data on optical storage media. The software is stable, supports intuitive use, and provides all the functions you need to restore safely worn and partially unreadable data media that have suffered damage over the years.

Verification runs let you check to see whether the images are complete and whether your media still meet your requirements.

The option of creating extended images with error correction data lets you integrate error correction into an image, with no need to keep separate ECC files. Dvdisaster is thus recommended for any user who needs to archive large volumes of data on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray media.