Scratched Game

[Ammer]

I figured this thread could apply to all consoles, so here we go!

I've been playing Super Mario Galaxy (Love it!) and I made it all the way to the end. I was getting ready to watch one of the final sequences which would lead me to the eventual fight against Bowser, and towards the middle of the "mini movie", the Wii console popped up the following message,

Error: Unable to read disc

I was shocked, because the game works PERFECTLY aside from that one part. When I tried re-inserting the game, it would play for a couple of seconds and than freeze with the warning popping up.

I think it's because of a scratch, but I don't see how the ENTIRE game could work perfect whereas the ending scene screws up.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do?

I was thinking on saving the game to my Wii SD chip thingy and than renting "Super Mario Galaxy" thus continuing where I left off. But I was debating if that was even a plausible action?

Another course of action was fixing the disc itself. I've heard theories about rubbing alcohol and toothpaste but I've been too scared to actually try them.

Anyone have any suggestions?!

[Mongrel]

I did a little bit of research, and if the scratch is toward the edge of the disk and running more tangentially(following the circle) than radially(from the center to the outside) then it makes sense for only a small part of the game to be affected.
The internet research says this:
Make sure that your Wii console doesn't have dust inside that's interfering with play and that the error occurs when the console isn't hot, i.e. you haven't had it on for very long. (You probably knew that but I'm mentioning it just in case.)
If the trouble is definitely with the disk, you can try cleaning it:

If the disc is unique and unreadable, then a new draft Standard, ISO/DIS 12024, suggests cleaning using a soft, lintfree cloth and soapy water. The cloth must not contain any particles or hard fibers that could scratch the disc. The cleaning agent must be soap, such as Ivory Liquid; do not use detergents or solvents such as alcohol. Distilled water is best, since tap water may contain impurities that could remain on the disc. Gently wipe the wet cloth in a radial direction, being careful to avoid any pressure on the label surface. Then dry the disc. Do not allow water to remain on the disc.

From the sound of it, trying to repair the scratch yourself is a crap shoot. Practically all of the disc repair guides post a warning about how they're not responsible if you damage your disc even more. There are machines out there that repair disc scratches, and some video game stores have them. You might try calling around to stores in your area to see if they have them and what it costs to get a game restored.
If you decide to go ahead and take the DIY route, this guide looks pretty good.

[Helena]

Here's a good wikiHow guide for fixing scratched discs.

[Ammer]

Well, thanks a lot for your help guys

I tried various methods (running it under hot water, detergent, soap, cloth) and nothing worked. I'm currently trying to put it under the lamp, but we'll see what happens.

One thing I did do was call EB Games and ask them what was up. The clerk pretty much told me that if I bought the console closer to the release date, that it would have a problem reading Double Layered Discs, which Super Mario Galaxy is. The question I have is, is Mario Party 8 double layered because it works fine on my Wii. If Mario Party 8 isn't double layered, than I can ask Nintendo to replace my Wii.

One option I wanted to ask was regarding the SD Disk/Chip. Can I copy my saved Super Mario Galaxy game to the SD Chip/Disk, than rent a copy of Super Mario Galaxy and continue where I left off?