How to rescue .wav files on the scratched music CD.

[satimis]

Hi all,

I found several music CDs having scratches on them. They can neither be detected nor be mounted. Then I clean them with toothpaste. Now they can be detected on DVD-Writer and mounted. On File-manager all music tracks, .wav format, are displayed but I could nether play them on VLC media player nor copy them to the storage drive.

On Google search cdda2wav and cdparanoia are suggested as the tool for recovering tracks on audio CD.

On Terminal;
$ apt policy cdda2wav

cdda2wav:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:

$ apt policy cdparanoia

cdparanoia:
  Installed: 3.10.2+debian-14build2
  Candidate: 3.10.2+debian-14build2
  Version table:
 *** 3.10.2+debian-14build2 500
        500 http://hk.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

cdparanoia is already installed but I have no knowledge running it.

Please shed me some lights. Alternatively other suggestions are also welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

[Dennis N]

If you have .wav files stored on a CD, then it has a file system and isn't an audio CD (which doesn't). So utilities that read audio CDs will not help here. My guess is that you probably have to use other data recovery tools that are used to recover data on HDDs or SDDs. I haven't used any myself, so someone who is familiar with these tools hopefully will suggest what to use.

[The Cog]

If you have .wav files stored on a CD, then it has a file system and isn't an audio CD

But a file manager can sure make it look like .wav files. I just tried (I admit I'm on Mint not Ubuntu right now) a real CD (Smashie and Nicey's Lets Rock) and clicked it in Nemo file manager. It showed up looking full of .wav files. Double-clicking a track played in in my default audio player, and drag-dropping a track to the desktop dropped a .wav file. The conversion seemed to be performed by a gvfs-cdda process which was high in cpu usage while "copying" the file, and exited when I ejected the disk.

I gather from distant memory that cdparanoia is best at reading scratched CDs, with a wide range of retry options. I don't remember the details many years later, but that's the one I suggest you read up on.

[satimis]

But a file manager can sure make it look like .wav files. I just tried (I admit I'm on Mint not Ubuntu right now) a real CD (Smashie and Nicey's Lets Rock) and clicked it in Nemo file manager. It showed up looking full of .wav files. Double-clicking a track played in in my default audio player, and drag-dropping a track to the desktop dropped a .wav file. The conversion seemed to be performed by a gvfs-cdda process which was high in cpu usage while "copying" the file, and exited when I ejected the disk.

I gather from distant memory that cdparanoia is best at reading scratched CDs, with a wide range of retry options. I don't remember the details many years later, but that's the one I suggest you read up on.

Thanks for your advice.

What you said is correct if the music CD is without problem.

I'm now copying/duplicating all my music CDs to hard-drive. Please see my another posting below;

About ripping music CD to mp3 files
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2496103

I found 4 music CD disks having problem unable to play on my Onkyo CD Deck. They are also unable to work on my DVD-writer.

Regards

[Dennis N]

OK, you got my attention.

I looked at this just now with a retail audio CD. When inserted in a DVD drive, a lot of reading goes on and "Audio disc" appears in "Places" menu. When I selected that, Files opens and shows .wav files which surprised me. I copied one .wav to my main drive, and it plays in my Linux music player.

I looked at mount to see if the cd is mounted, and the gvfs thing is being used.

[dmn@Sydney gvfs]$ ls
'cdda:host=sr0'

I'm pretty sure that years ago this would not work. It raises the question, why do we need a ripper application if we can just read and copy the tracks with the file manager? (the ripper would find the titles in the cddb, though - Files does not do that.)

Also noticed, Disks does not show any partitions or file system on the audio cd, but sees it as "Media: audio cd rom disk"

Many years ago, we backed up files by making a "data CD" which required a disc burner to create. I put a known data CD of miscellaneous files made with Win XP in 2003. Still fine after 20 years! It shows in Disks as "Media: CD-R disc" and mounts under /media/<user-name> like any other removable drive, but according to Disks, this disc has a file system of type Isofs, Brasero still has the option for "Data CD" project.

Interesting stuff.

Good luck with your data rescue!

[TheFu]

Sometimes badly scratched CDs cannot be read. That's the hard truth. I have a few. Usually, it isn't the whole disc IME, but I certainly need a new copy of Van Halen II. ;( There must be 2 files that skip on that disc and I've never gotten a copy off.

[satimis]

Hi all,

Up to now I have duplicated/copied 62 Music CDs on the storage hard drive without problem. Only those 4 music CDs with scratches have problem.

Steps performed;
1. Play the music CD on Onkyo CD deck. If no problem
2. Mount the Music CD on DVD-Writer of computer with;
- Insert the Music CD
- Mount the music CD with;
- Right-click Audio Disc icon -> select "New Window"
- After a while File Manager will pop-up, displaying all tracks on the music CD

Track 1.wav
Track 2.wav
Track 3.wav
Track 4.wav
...
...
etc

- select all tracks with mouse-pointer and drag->paste them to the storage folder

It works without failure except having scratches on the music CD.

The copied tracks can be played on VLC media player seamlessly.

Now I have to search a new CD disk and burn the tracks for checking. If I can't find new CD disk on shelves, can I use a Re-Write CD for testing?

Another question where is the mount point of the Audio CD?

Regards

[Dennis N]

cdparanoia is already installed but I have no knowledge running it.

Look at the man page of cdparanoia. That has all the options and what they do.
Or look at cdparanoia --help

[satimis]

Look at the man page of cdparanoia. That has all the options and what they do.
Or look at cdparanoia --help

Thanks. I'll check it later.

Do you know where is the mount point of the CD disk/DVD-Writer if mount GUI (via its icon) ?

I found following discovery is very useful in editing the .txt file showing the contents of all CDs tracks. If typing them manually it'll take lengthy time to finish.

There are many "image to text" online websites. Take a photo of those information on the printed box of the CD with mobile phone. Upload the photo to their websites to convert the photo/image to text. Then copy&paste the text to the .txt file

Regards

[TheFu]

To see mount points, use either the lsblk command or df -Th.
Beware that some "fake" mounts will be shown and sometimes gio/gvfs mounts don't get shown at all - i.e. fake.