How to clean a CD drive & should I?

[one]

I have a couple of cd drives that consistently fail when reading data
cd disks. They give 'unable to read' errors deep into an install for
example. I should add that the subject cd disks read fine in other
drives.

Should I just pitch the drives? Or should I try cleaning the drives
before giving up on them? If so, how?

Thanks

One

 

[Ken]

I have a couple of cd drives that consistently fail when reading data
cd disks. They give 'unable to read' errors deep into an install for
example. I should add that the subject cd disks read fine in other
drives.

Should I just pitch the drives? Or should I try cleaning the drives
before giving up on them? If so, how?

Do you smoke near the drives?

 

[one]

Do you smoke near the drives?

I am a non-smoker, as is my houseshold.

One

 

[Tony]

I have a couple of cd drives that consistently fail when reading data
cd disks. They give 'unable to read' errors deep into an install for
example. I should add that the subject cd disks read fine in other
drives.

Should I just pitch the drives? Or should I try cleaning the drives
before giving up on them? If so, how?

Try a CD laser cleaning disc. It has a brush that cleans dust off the
laser. Available from record shops and PC shops. They do help, but in my
experience a CD drive that needs cleaning more than once probably has a low
output laser and will pack up completely before too long.

 

[Mike Walsh]

I have had success cleaning the read assembly lens with a cotton swab and glass cleaner. This will improve the ability to read under difficult circumstances e.g. in my case getting old CD drives to read CDR media. Any drive that is old and dirty could benefit from this procedure. The only caveat is that you should use a cleaner that does not contain ammonia if the lens is plastic.

 

[kony]

I have a couple of cd drives that consistently fail when reading data
cd disks. They give 'unable to read' errors deep into an install for
example. I should add that the subject cd disks read fine in other
drives.

Should I just pitch the drives? Or should I try cleaning the drives
before giving up on them? If so, how?

Thanks

One

Take outer shell off of drive, a can of compressed air to
blow out dust as much as possible, then flush lens clean by
dripping pure alcohol on it and setting drive on it's side
so lens is vertically oriented for it to drip-dry. May not
be worth the trouble though, even CDRW drives have been
quite cheap after rebate for the past year or two, and now
with DVDR drives under $50...

 

[Daniel Barkho]

Take outer shell off of drive, a can of compressed air to
blow out dust as much as possible, then flush lens clean by
dripping pure alcohol on it and setting drive on it's side
so lens is vertically oriented for it to drip-dry. May not
be worth the trouble though, even CDRW drives have been
quite cheap after rebate for the past year or two, and now
with DVDR drives under $50...

Hardly worth the trouble. I'm sure you could pick up new a CDROM for
very little. CDRW are only around the $35 mark now.

 

[Martin]

Do you smoke near the drives?

Is smoking near a pc very likely to contribute to the demise of it's optical
drives?

I've recently returned my LG DVD writer as it was playing up - had the
writer for about 9 months.
I smoke near my pc and wonder whether i shouldn't.

Martin.

 

[George]

Is smoking near a pc very likely to contribute to the demise of it's optical
drives?

Yes, and the rest of the computer too. My SIL is a heavy smoker and the
computer started to do strange stuff like locking up. When I opened the case
the components were actually sticky from the tar and smoke. I had to clean
the memory modules, cpu and sockets with solvent to remove all of the gunk.

It is also not hard to see how smoky contributes to the demise of humans....

 

[Phlexor]

I have a couple of cd drives that consistently fail when reading data
cd disks. They give 'unable to read' errors deep into an install for
example. I should add that the subject cd disks read fine in other
drives.

Should I just pitch the drives? Or should I try cleaning the drives
before giving up on them? If so, how?

One thing a lot of ppl miss is the mechanism in the drive that holds the CD

If you touch the center ring. the oils from your fingers eventually get onto
the the 2 rings that grip the disc. These also need cleaning. I have saved a
lot of old drives that way for ppl who even a cheap new CD-ROM drive was too
expensive (read povertly line and under).

Hope this helps. Ask any questions if you don't understand okay.

 

[Ken]

Is smoking near a pc very likely to contribute to the demise of it's optical
drives?

I've recently returned my LG DVD writer as it was playing up - had the
writer for about 9 months.
I smoke near my pc and wonder whether i shouldn't.

You shouldn't.

 

[Martin]

You shouldn't.

Well i got a replacement DVD writer - an NEC 3500.
I see that part of the 3500's spec is a 'Dust protected enclosure' - don't
know how effective this would be at keeping the smoke out..

I've also rearranged my pc and now have my pc unit on the floor instead of
on my desk right next to my monitor.
So that should take care of any serious smoke related problems too.

Martin.

 

[Grinder]

Well i got a replacement DVD writer - an NEC 3500.
I see that part of the 3500's spec is a 'Dust protected enclosure' - don't
know how effective this would be at keeping the smoke out..

I've also rearranged my pc and now have my pc unit on the floor instead of
on my desk right next to my monitor.
So that should take care of any serious smoke related problems too.

It may help, but you're not out of the woods. A PC case with a fan in
it basically acts like an air filter. Coupled with cigarette smoke's
ability to pervade a room, you are still at a high risk of system failure.

 

[Noozer]

Well i got a replacement DVD writer - an NEC 3500.

I see that part of the 3500's spec is a 'Dust protected enclosure' - don't
know how effective this would be at keeping the smoke out..

It's called a box... it's the metal stuff that the drive in covered in. Dust
can't go through metal so it's a "Dust Protected Enclosure"

I've also rearranged my pc and now have my pc unit on the floor instead of
on my desk right next to my monitor.
So that should take care of any serious smoke related problems too.

Uhm...No. Smoking anywhere in the same room is bad for your PC. I'd just ask
why you don't quit, but I've seen enough butts tossed out of car windows/on
the ground/etc. to know just how ignorant smokers really are.

 

[Martin]

It may help, but you're not out of the woods. A PC case with a fan in
it basically acts like an air filter. Coupled with cigarette smoke's
ability to pervade a room, you are still at a high risk of system failure.

Well i have my pc room's windows open most of the day.
And i'm not a particularly heavy smoker - maybe six ciggies a day in the pc
room.

Martin.

 

[Grinder]

It's called a box... it's the metal stuff that the drive in covered in. Dust
can't go through metal so it's a "Dust Protected Enclosure"




Uhm...No. Smoking anywhere in the same room is bad for your PC. I'd just ask
why you don't quit, but I've seen enough butts tossed out of car windows/on
the ground/etc. to know just how ignorant smokers really are.

I smoked for a number of years and never tossed a butt out of a car
window or onto the ground. Although some smokers do not realize the
pollution that they are generating, others are, and take steps to
contain it.

 

[Forrest]

Uhm...No. Smoking anywhere in the same room is bad for your PC. I'd just

ask
why you don't quit, but I've seen enough butts tossed out of car
windows/on
the ground/etc. to know just how ignorant smokers really are.

Damn gum chewers are the ones that get me ... always tossing the wrappers
all over the place and then spit the gum out in a parking lot ... lots of
fun getting that shit stuck to the bottom of your shoe.

 

[~misfit~]

It's called a box... it's the metal stuff that the drive in covered
in. Dust can't go through metal so it's a "Dust Protected Enclosure"


Uhm...No. Smoking anywhere in the same room is bad for your PC. I'd
just ask why you don't quit, but I've seen enough butts tossed out of
car windows/on the ground/etc. to know just how ignorant smokers
really are.

I bet you hate blacks too. And Jews, why don't they just convert?

Merry Xmas you prejudiced prick.