On a DVD-R, a recording was unintentionally erased. Is there any chance of recovery?

Question

Before crafting an answer, please read and fully understand ALL of this: 

I have a DVD-R with a perfectly good recording on it that was 
unintentionally erased (both occurred on the same day in 2007)
due to going through the menu choices on a standalone 
DVD recorder (Sony RDR-GX7) at an excessive speed.
Of course, the recorder won't allow reversal of the mistake; 
it has no "undo" option for erasures.

The disc has not been finalized, and nothing else has been 
recorded on it after the undesirable erasure was made.

My konfuzer disc drive plays DVDs, but does not record them,
so I have no convenient way to try any special software myself.

What I want to know is:
Is there ANY method by which to make a DVD recording drive 
recognise the recording on the disc and write a TEMPORARY TOC 
so that the existing recording will be recognised by the original recorder?

It is vitally important that another recording can be added to the exisiting one, 
and that the original machine can be used to finalize the disc so that 
the menu will match those of other discs of similar material. 
In other words, the process of recovery must NOT result in the disc being finalized!


If you can provide useful info, your input will be appreciated.

Single-word answers, spurious remarks, jokes,
and other drivel will be given negative votes.

? · Accepted Answer

Try doing a 1:1 read of the disk, to get the data dump.  It's likely that the DVD recorder simply changed a few bits to say "hey, everything here is worthless, and should be considered blank".  Find, and flip these bits.  This is a truly complicated solution involving reading the standards for DVD encoding, and is something I would likely not do.  It is the only solution I can think of.

Stratifier · Answer

I think the short answer to your question is.... no.  However, there is a computer program named 
ISO Buster which can read unfinalized DVD's, providing there is actual data on the DVD-R.  Whatever data remains on the DVD-R can be extracted and converted to a different type of file which,  in conjunction with other software,  will reconstruct the original video.  As to the Sony being able to read the original DVD-R and add other files to it before being finalized,  it's very doubtful this can be done.
BTW, I own an RDR GX-7, so I'm familiar with this machine.  
AFAIK, there is no temporary toc unless you actually name the recording prior to finalization.
Each brand of DVD recorder writes to DVD using it's own proprietary system,  Sony uses "RM" as the root folder,  which is way different than what you might see on a commercial DVD or computer-based recording.  Maybe you erased the root folder,  but the .vob files are still there.  If you erased the .vob files, then there's no hope whatsoever of accomplishing this task.

? · Answer

DVD-R disc's can not be erased.

to remove data from a -r dvd, you have to physically destroy the dvd.

DVD-R are a one shot affair,
they can not be overwritten nor can they be erased.

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On a DVD-R, a recording was unintentionally erased. Is there any chance of recovery?

3 Answers