The Spam Thread!

[huckleberrypie]

Not much happening this week so far. The most exciting thing is using a CD/DVD recovery tool on Daffodil. Attempting to recover video off a scratched up DVD-R disc. The software i'm using is "Recovery Toolbox for CD Free". It reads the disc at a very low speed (1x likely) to attempt to recover the data. Because it's 1x, it takes a very long time, and I imagine if the disc can be saved, I may have to run it non-stop for another day or two. It may be hard on the DVD-ROM drive as well, but I have spare drives laying around anyway.

It would've probably helped if you buffed the disc using rubbing compound or some other automotive-grade polish to get at least some of the scratches out.

[cpd2009]

Not much happening this week so far. The most exciting thing is using a CD/DVD recovery tool on Daffodil. Attempting to recover video off a scratched up DVD-R disc. The software i'm using is "Recovery Toolbox for CD Free". It reads the disc at a very low speed (1x likely) to attempt to recover the data. Because it's 1x, it takes a very long time, and I imagine if the disc can be saved, I may have to run it non-stop for another day or two. It may be hard on the DVD-ROM drive as well, but I have spare drives laying around anyway.

It would've probably helped if you buffed the disc using rubbing compound or some other automotive-grade polish to get at least some of the scratches out.

True, but I don't have such materials on hand, and I lack knowledge on how to do so myself. Normally if I need a disc buffed, I usually take it to a used movie/game store I know where they charge $10 or so. Can't remember if it's cost per disc or entire lot.

I hear there are kits that can also remove scratches as well. I could look into those too...

[huckleberrypie]

Not much happening this week so far. The most exciting thing is using a CD/DVD recovery tool on Daffodil. Attempting to recover video off a scratched up DVD-R disc. The software i'm using is "Recovery Toolbox for CD Free". It reads the disc at a very low speed (1x likely) to attempt to recover the data. Because it's 1x, it takes a very long time, and I imagine if the disc can be saved, I may have to run it non-stop for another day or two. It may be hard on the DVD-ROM drive as well, but I have spare drives laying around anyway.

It would've probably helped if you buffed the disc using rubbing compound or some other automotive-grade polish to get at least some of the scratches out.

True, but I don't have such materials on hand, and I lack knowledge on how to do so myself. Normally if I need a disc buffed, I usually take it to a used movie/game store I know where they charge $10 or so. Can't remember if it's cost per disc or entire lot.

I hear there are kits that can also remove scratches as well. I could look into those too...

Can't vouch for those kits' effectiveness though, but as for the polish I mentioned, iirc it's just the matter of buying them off Amazon or some automotive supply store and buffing the read surface with a microfibre cloth.

[cpd2009]

I went ahead and found a disc that was just about as scratched up but didn't really need anymore, and tested out two different methods that go around on the interwebs. There are claims that you can use either a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or plain white toothpaste to help smooth out some scratches on the surface of the disc.

I tried both methods, and nope. Neither option worked, and it appeared to actually make more scratches on the disc.

Guess I'll have to either try that automotive oil stuff, or see if the local PC store does disc resurfacing for a fee.

[huckleberrypie]

I went ahead and found a disc that was just about as scratched up but didn't really need anymore, and tested out two different methods that go around on the interwebs. There are claims that you can use either a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or plain white toothpaste to help smooth out some scratches on the surface of the disc.

I tried both methods, and nope. Neither option worked, and it appeared to actually make more scratches on the disc.

Guess I'll have to either try that automotive oil stuff, or see if the local PC store does disc resurfacing for a fee.

You mean automotive-grade rubbing compound or polish?

I think you could try buffing up the disc with some fine-grit sandpaper then rub some compound onto it vigorously until the surface is shiny. I tried it on a scratched up Tamiya cowl and it worked like a charm.

[cpd2009]

I think I will wait and get to that used video game store to get that disc and a few others resurfaced. I used them in the past for some PS1 games that looked very rough, but after they put them through their resurface machine, the discs looked brand new. I'm a bit worried my attempts at home disc repair may result in the disc getting worse, or I may be too hard or too soft when applying the solution.

I'm also going to swap Daffodil and Rusty's spots. I'm using Periwinkle (iMac) and Rusty the most, and with Rusty being in the living room, it's a bit of a chore having to go back and forth from the living room to the bedroom while I'm either doing encoding jobs on Rusty or transferring the files between the two.

[huckleberrypie]

I think I will wait and get to that used video game store to get that disc and a few others resurfaced. I used them in the past for some PS1 games that looked very rough, but after they put them through their resurface machine, the discs looked brand new. I'm a bit worried my attempts at home disc repair may result in the disc getting worse, or I may be too hard or too soft when applying the solution.

Good call, especially if the discs in question are valuable.

[cpd2009]

To make room for Rusty's speaker setup, I placed the monitor on top of the main unit. The main receiver doesn't get too warm during normal use, so this arrangement should pose no problems. It also increases the height of Rusty's monitor. Some people tend to raise their monitors or AIO computers on little stands, as it's more comfortable to look at the screen that way. Now I just need to find a soft foam wrist pad to make up for the hard edge of the makeshift "desk".

I'm also a GOG user. I wanted to give Jazz Jackrabbit a try without having to find a used CD-ROM copy and manually setting up DosBox. GOG has a pre-packaged official rerelease for just $9.99 USD. I barely remember hearing about Jazz Jackrabbit from back in the day, but didn't know it was a PC game, mistakenly thinking it was a Genesis or SNES game I never played.

Thank LGR for bringing the game back to my attention and showing off some gameplay.

[huckleberrypie]

Another day, another LeapFrog Epic system update I have to deal with.

[cpd2009]

I'm patiently waiting for the Windows 10 May 2020 update to go live. Once it appears in the MCT, I shall upgrade Greta and Rusty.

I may be about to receive another government stimulus check. Our congress is currently debating a second stimulus bill which would mean all taxpayers would get a second check in the mail, with individuals receiving $1,200. Seeing as how I have yet to start getting my unemployment benefits and still can't find a decent job, I may not be able to spend that $1,200 on things I want. I may have to be more careful this time around.

But here's the thing. Because of the previous stimulus bill, the CARES Act, people who are eligible for unemployment will get $600 a week in addition to their usual state unemployment benefits. This means that even if all your bills and costs-of-living are taken care of, you will likely still have leftover funds because $600 per week is far more than you'd earn working a normal job. And you will also have no restrictions on how to use the money either.

I'm a bit conflicted about this. For one, it's nice to have this extra lifeline from the US government since finding a job is very difficult right now, and the extra money can help me save up for things I want. But I also have to remember this won't last forever. Jobs will start becoming available again and I will have to go back to work with regular two-week pay. And this money is counted as taxable income as well, so you will have to file a tax return and also see your income-based rent go up too.

If it does come to pass that I end up being on unemployment most of the summer, I will use the extra funds to pay off some bills faster, and also try to save up for a new MacBook Pro to replace old Greta. May as well, since most Windows laptops are starting to become just as locked down anyway. I could go with an iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard, but iOS is far more limited than macOS.