IsoBuster[1] supports all CD / DVD / BD / HD DVD formats and all common file-systems ... Rescue lost files from a bad or trashed CD or DVD disc, save important documents, precious pictures, video from the family, your only system backup, this free utility will allow you extract any usable information on the CD (or DVD) to your hard drive. It works by bypassing Windows and talking directly to the hardware. As an added bonus it can read old sessions, decode multiple image file formats, recover data from quick formatted DVDs and a host of other useful data recovery features.

You can use most of the functions in ISOBuster for free but it will cost you $29.95 to enable some of the advanced functions such as support for BD and HD DVD file systems.

An alternative to ISOBuster is CDCheck [2] this can scan most CDs in a few minutes to tell you if the data is OK - this way, you don't have to find out the hard way that there is a problem. Plus you can use the time it takes for a scan to complete as indicator of the CD or DVDs overall health - even though files may not be recorded as damaged, slower results normally indicate a CD that is on the way out (expect longer times if there are more files on the CD).

If a CD or DVD is showing files with damage or you can no longer read a file in a drive, CDCheck can be switched to recovery mode and make a full sweep of the CD or DVD, recovering lost files along the way. When parts of a file can't be fully recovered, the program will still recover any salvageable fragments.

[1] IsoBuster
Website: http://www.smart-projects.net/isobuster/
Author:
Date: 02/18/2008
Version: 2.3
Download File size: 2.2MB
License: Registration appreciated
Operating systems supported: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista
64 Bit Capable: yes
Portable version available: no
Other languages supported: no
Additional Software Required: no

[2] CDCheck 3.1
Website: http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/cd-recovery.html
Author: eipros
Date: 02/18/2008
Version: 3.1
Download File size: 1.5MB
License: Free
Operating systems supported: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista
64 Bit Capable: n/a
Portable version available: no
Other languages supported: no
Additional Software Required: no