Blockbuster Security Sticker Ruined My DC Game Disc

[tz101]

I bought a Dreamcast game at GW for cheap and it came from a Blockbuster store complete with some kind of magnetic security sticker attached to the game disc. My first idea, and one that has worked successfully many times before, was to use a razor window scraper on the painted disc surface to remove the offending sticker. Bad idea. I proceeded to peel away a section of the foil backing for the data portion of the disc. Suffice it to say that this game is now essentially trash.

[Video]

That sucks. I never understood the need for labels on the discs, it's not like it stops them from being ghost rented or anything It just serves to uglyfie the disc, lower it's resale value (which the rental place will do at some point in the future) and destableize the disc (potentially damaging the disc, and the system)

 

So there's no real purpose for it. At least the full CD label that has the name on it makes some sense, but they are impossible to get off and I wont' bother getting a game with that on them.

[ovalbugmann]

Magnetic security sticker - those are heavy duty and not meant to be removed. Well dude,... that's what happens when you try to take stickers off a cd or in this case a GD-Rom - which is built the same way generally. You should have known the potential for damage and weighed it against the want to have a clean looking disc. Smart choice is not to attempt removal, what you did is just stupid man. Not trying to be a dick here. So in the future if you get a cd type disc with stickers, just don't try to take 'em off.

 

You can try to remove stickers from dvds without fear of messing up the dvds reflective layer(s) though. Don't bend any discs too much, that's really not good for them.

 

BTW, sticker labels on a CD are not good, the glue can dry up and cure over a number of years and mess up the reflective surface that way too.

Edited April 15, 2010 by ovalbugmann

[jferio]

This is why I will never, ever buy a disc game again with a label applied to it like that. Too much chance of the monkeys having used permanent labels for me to risk my hard earned money.

 

Thankfully, the one time it's happened, they replaced the disc, but I would prefer not to go through that a second time.

[mbd30]

Related:

 

The other week I bought a PSX "Crash Bandicoot" from GameXchange that won't work due to serious scratches. I wonder if they'd take it back for store credit. At least it was only around $8. That should teach me for purchasing a used disc without checking it first... The stores themselves should make sure all their stuff works.

[tz101]

Not trying to be a dick here.

 

Hmmm....Coulda fooled me.

 

I have successfully taken all sorts of stickers off all types of discs, GD, CD, and DVD. This one was almost embedded into the painted orioginal label and covered half the disc surface. My concern was that it could throw my GD spindle off balance and damage it. THAT IS WHY I ALWAYS REMOVE STICKERS! Sort of like driving your car with unbalanced tires. IT WILL DO DAMAGE TO YOUR STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS.

 

Only thing I could have done better would have been to apply heat via a heat gun. Next time that will be my preferred technique.

[+wood_jl]

I know that heating and cooling of discs contributes heavily to "CD ROT" but I have removed almost every sticker there is with a hair dryer. The glue always softens and you can frequently pull it right off with your fingers. Residual sticky glue wipes away with Coleman fuel and a paper towel. Ditto for almost any kind of tape.

[The_Laird]

I did the same with my Toshinden: URL for the Saturn

[ovalbugmann]

My concern was that it could throw my GD spindle off balance and damage it. THAT IS WHY I ALWAYS REMOVE STICKERS! Sort of like driving your car with unbalanced tires. IT WILL DO DAMAGE TO YOUR STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS.

 

Only thing I could have done better would have been to apply heat via a heat gun. Next time that will be my preferred technique.

 

Maybe your concern should have been, if your going to damage the disc, while taking a sticker off, now you won't be playing $#1T.

 

There's bearings in the cd motor, the weight of a sticker isn't going to put extra wear on the bearings. I have a ton of Dreamcast games that have Blockbuster stickers all over them and I am still using my original '00 unit with no balancing issues. A car is a lot different and is a poor analogy, and a sticker won't effect the DC, there is no room for movement when the disc is secured. Hey, I trip out on stuff like that too, but only things that I know can really happen. I have never heard of a disc spindle getting off balance, I don't feel it's a real legitimate concern. DC drives do just plain wear out eventually though.

 

If you don't want someone to say I told you so, when you do something stupid - then don't come here and whine about a used cd that had a sticker on it that became your priority -even over protecting and keeping the correct functioning of the disc!

 

car with unbalanced tires. IT WILL DO DAMAGE TO YOUR STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS.

 

That's true for a car, but is not true for a disc drive. It's the individual tires that become slightly unbalanced and require a counterweight -the rubber tires, not the wheel spindle and bearings. A cars bearings have to be replaced, every so often as they wear.

 

My concern was that it could throw my GD spindle off balance and damage it.

 

There is no reason to think a sticker will throw a disc drive into unbalance, Haven't you taken electric motors apart before? The shaft isn't going anywhere.

 

BTW- Heat is bad for CDs/DVDs -especially recordable ones - you can drastically shorten their data storage life like that.(the dye layer can be damaged) Pressed discs are tougher and may be able to take a blow dryer/heat gun but it's not something I would do. So it has a sticker on it - so friking what? Accept it - I did. Yeah it sux, but I am much more concerned with the data retrieval of my DC GD-ROMs and I leave well enough alone. I'm maticulous too, and clean my used game gear of dirt/grease but I don't mess with the actual discs - everytime I try to clean a spot on them I end up putting scratches or marks on 'em.

 

Main thing is: "Don't FRACK with it if it ain't broke!" But people messing with working things and this thread is the reason why that phrase came into being.

Edited April 16, 2010 by ovalbugmann

[Shawn]

Related:

 

The other week I bought a PSX "Crash Bandicoot" from GameXchange that won't work due to serious scratches. I wonder if they'd take it back for store credit. At least it was only around $8. That should teach me for purchasing a used disc without checking it first... The stores themselves should make sure all their stuff works.

 

 

Try getting it resurfaced. Odds are it will work as the data is actually closer to the label side of the disc than the reflective side and in most cases a good buffing gets them back in order.

[4Ks]

My concern was that it could throw my GD spindle off balance and damage it. THAT IS WHY I ALWAYS REMOVE STICKERS! Sort of like driving your car with unbalanced tires. IT WILL DO DAMAGE TO YOUR STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS.

 

Only thing I could have done better would have been to apply heat via a heat gun. Next time that will be my preferred technique.

 

Maybe your concern should have been, if your going to damage the disc, while taking a sticker off, now you won't be playing $#1T.

 

There's bearings in the cd motor, the weight of a sticker isn't going to put extra wear on the bearings. I have a ton of Dreamcast games that have Blockbuster stickers all over them and I am still using my original '00 unit with no balancing issues. A car is a lot different and is a poor analogy, and a sticker won't effect the DC, there is no room for movement when the disc is secured. Hey, I trip out on stuff like that too, but only things that I know can really happen. I have never heard of a disc spindle getting off balance, I don't feel it's a real legitimate concern. DC drives do just plain wear out eventually though.

 

If you don't want someone to say I told you so, when you do something stupid - then don't come here and whine about a used cd that had a sticker on it that became your priority -even over protecting and keeping the correct functioning of the disc!

 

car with unbalanced tires. IT WILL DO DAMAGE TO YOUR STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS.

 

That's true for a car, but is not true for a disc drive. It's the individual tires that become slightly unbalanced and require a counterweight -the rubber tires, not the wheel spindle and bearings. A cars bearings have to be replaced, every so often as they wear.

 

My concern was that it could throw my GD spindle off balance and damage it.

 

There is no reason to think a sticker will throw a disc drive into unbalance, Haven't you taken electric motors apart before? The shaft isn't going anywhere.

 

BTW- Heat is bad for CDs/DVDs -especially recordable ones - you can drastically shorten their data storage life like that.(the dye layer can be damaged) Pressed discs are tougher and may be able to take a blow dryer/heat gun but it's not something I would do. So it has a sticker on it - so friking what? Accept it - I did. Yeah it sux, but I am much more concerned with the data retrieval of my DC GD-ROMs and I leave well enough alone. I'm maticulous too, and clean my used game gear of dirt/grease but I don't mess with the actual discs - everytime I try to clean a spot on them I end up putting scratches or marks on 'em.

 

Main thing is: "Don't FRACK with it if it ain't broke!" But people messing with working things and this thread is the reason why that phrase came into being.

 

 

Exactly. If stickers could really break a CD drive, they would all be broken because the CD label itself is a sticker. Really, it's not like the CD is going to come flying out of the drive and cut your ear off because of a Blockbuster sticker.

[+wood_jl]

I should have said that if the sticker is paper-based, then you can just soak it a little in the Coleman fuel and the fuel will penetrate the paper and start to dissolve the sticky glue. If it's plastic-based, then of course the fuel can't get through so the hair dryer is the only option. Heat gun is too hot and not necessary. Soap and water to get the fuel residue off and you're ok.

 

You don't have to douse the disc to "soak" the sticker, just hold a damp/wet (with Coleman fuel) to the sticker and rub for a few minutes.

Edited April 16, 2010 by wood_jl