DVD drive damaged?

[Guest]

Hi,
My DVD drive will mostly read/play the DVD's I play. But sometimes it won't
start reading it, you can hear it skipping and spinning up.
Is it the software or can it be a physical damage?

Drive: Liteon DVD-rom LTD163

Preciate any help

Cheers,

 

[V Green]

Hi,
My DVD drive will mostly read/play the DVD's I play. But sometimes it won't
start reading it, you can hear it skipping and spinning up.
Is it the software or can it be a physical damage?

Drive: Liteon DVD-rom LTD163

Preciate any help

Cheers,

Unfortunately, in the "race to the bottom" to see how
cheap everyone can build optical drives, quality & longevity
have gone out the window. I pretty much assume I'll be replacing
DVD/CD drives every two years now, they're such crap.

The only drives that seem to last these days are the Plextor
DVD +/- RW drives, all the "read-only" drives are garbage
of the lowest quality.

 

[Bob S.]

I won't argue with the statement about the "race to the bottom" but have you
tried simply cleaning the drive and the disc? There are discs they sell
that have small brushes attached that clean the lens inside the DVD and kits
for cleaning the discs. Warm water and some dish cleaning detergent will
also work - rinse and dry. You'll be amazed at what a cleaning will do
sometimes.

Another point to consider is the labels on some of the discs (paper or
direct print on disc) can cause the disc to be off balance when it spins
up - causing it to wobble and making reading it impossible. The high speeds
used on these discs can cause them to distort while spinning and even to
self-destruct.

Bob S.

 

[V Green]

I won't argue with the statement about the "race to the bottom" but have you
tried simply cleaning the drive and the disc? There are discs they sell
that have small brushes attached that clean the lens inside the DVD and kits
for cleaning the discs. Warm water and some dish cleaning detergent will
also work - rinse and dry. You'll be amazed at what a cleaning will do
sometimes.

Yeah, I even do it the correct way-take the drive apart and clean
the laser lens directly (those "brush disc" things may void any warranty
you may have and often make things worse).

What usually renders optical drives inoperable are the cheesy
plastic gears driving the laser pickup positioning mechanism. They
used to often be made of Delrin or some variant of nylon , now quality of
the plastic used resembles that of recycled grocery bags.

I used to be able to get a couple months' more life out of a failing
drive by carefully lubricating the rails on which the laser positioning
carriage slides, but have since given that up since it is just postponing
the inevitable.

Another point to consider is the labels on some of the discs (paper or
direct print on disc) can cause the disc to be off balance when it spins
up - causing it to wobble and making reading it impossible. The high speeds
used on these discs can cause them to distort while spinning and even to
self-destruct.

True enough, although I have not experienced this personally.

 

[Bob S.]

Let's see if I have this right. Using a cleaning disc that is sold
commercially and even endorsed by several manf - may void the warranty and
do damage to the drive? Haven't heard of a single case of that since CD's
came out and these cleaning discs became available. Perhaps you have some
reference to that from a manf ?

In case you doubt that statement - check out what Dell has to say -
http://service.dell.com/dell/step/1,,33732+26+35994+34538+25487+18594,00.html

There are a few sites and forums that show how to take a drive apart and
clean it but I would hesitate to tell anyone that except an experienced
individual. If the drive is still under warranty - make a claim to the
manufacturer. And when you do, they'll ask if you cleaned it yet. If it's
out of warranty - then it's a moot point and go ahead and take it apart if
that's what you want to do.

Those little brushes on the discs are good for getting rid of the dust
bunnies that get trapped near the lens holder - they don't actually clean
the lens surface as you would using 99% IPA and a lens cloth. Be aware that
on the latest (dual-layer) DVD's, any misalignment of the lens will render
the unit useless. So taking the lens mechanism apart may be just enough to
knock it out of alignment - and then you do own a boat anchor.....

Bob S.

 

[V Green]

Let's see if I have this right. Using a cleaning disc that is sold
commercially and even endorsed by several manf - may void the warranty and
do damage to the drive? Haven't heard of a single case of that since CD's
came out and these cleaning discs became available. Perhaps you have some
reference to that from a manf ?

In case you doubt that statement - check out what Dell has to say -
http://service.dell.com/dell/step/1,,33732+26+35994+34538+25487+18594,00.html

There are a few sites and forums that show how to take a drive apart and
clean it but I would hesitate to tell anyone that except an experienced
individual. If the drive is still under warranty - make a claim to the
manufacturer. And when you do, they'll ask if you cleaned it yet. If it's
out of warranty - then it's a moot point and go ahead and take it apart if
that's what you want to do.

Agreed. It's not necessarily for everybody.

Those little brushes on the discs are good for getting rid of the dust
bunnies that get trapped near the lens holder - they don't actually clean
the lens surface as you would using 99% IPA and a lens cloth. Be aware that
on the latest (dual-layer) DVD's, any misalignment of the lens will render
the unit useless. So taking the lens mechanism apart may be just enough to
knock it out of alignment - and then you do own a boat anchor.....

But these devices are like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic-
the dust is still in the drive. Don't you think it would be better if it
wasn't?

My main concern about these is a physical one-the bump-bump-bump
of the brushes bashing the laser pickup. I guess pickups are more robust
than they used to be-they must be if, as you say, drive mgfrs. have OK'd
their use. My info. is likely out of date.

As for me, I will still continue to take them apart and get the dust
OUTTA there.

 

[Bob S.]

Yes, I agree that getting rid of the dust "is nice" but getting it off the
lens is what really counts and the cleaning disc will do that - quickly and
effectively. Taking it apart and gently cleaning it with canned air, some
cotton swabs and 99% IPA is costly (if you're charging for your time) and as
long as you realize that the heads can be easily knocked out of alignment
and you have no way to re-align it.

Consider that you're dealing with a reader that reads tracks on a disc that
are micron's in size - not much room for any mis-alignment. Add the
rotational speed of the disc, any distortion of the disc as it spins (cheap
discs) and any wear and tear of the mechanical head mechanisms over time -
and what are you really gaining be taking it apart and getting all the dust
out?

Each drive is slightly different and although they are delicate mechanisms -
they are robust enough to withstand a gentle and careful cleaning if that's
what you want to do but note that no manf I know of supports that - not even
for authorized repair shops. When you look at it from a cost-effectiveness
perspective, if the cleaning disc doesn't get it going again - trash it and
install a new drive - it's most likely not going to be fixed by any
cleaning.

The hour you'll waste (and charge the customer for) is only justified if a
replacement drive costs at least twice what you're charging for the repair.
Would you pay someone $50 to $75 to clean a CD/DVD reader ? Put a $10 disc
cleaner in it, test it and then sell him the cleaning kit plus your min shop
time. He's happy and you didn't waste anytime - and if the dust problem
returns - he has the cleaning disc.

As for the lens - on the ones I've taken apart they have a prism which is
above a small glass cover and that protects the optics. Yes, it can be
scratched - especially if a cheap disc decides to self-destruct inside the
player but soft bristles won't harm it. A cleaning is a short-term event
and the bristles are soft enough not to hurt anything and they barely touch
the lens.

Your quest for the dust is honorable one....

Bob S.