We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. While physical media isn't as popular as it once was, most people own at least a few discs, whether they're old music CDs they grew up loving ...

Clean the disc: cotton, alcohol, and… toothpaste? Start by cleaning the disc with a soft cotton cloth dampened in alcohol or a window-cleaning solution. Be sure to wipe the disc gently from the center ...

It’s important to note that the methods outlined below will not work with Blu-rays. Those discs use a harder coating that’s more difficult to scratch and damage, which is good, but the downside to ...

Scratches on discs can feel like the end of a video game or movie. With the wear and tear of time, physical means of owning media feel as if they are going to disappear with time as technology breaks ...

This article was taken from the February 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands ...