Cleaning the DVD laser head. How to fix the built-in optical drive in a laptop with your own hands

You often come across the fact that a previously perfectly playable disc suddenly stops loading or the files loaded on it simply do not open, although the drive seems to have detected their presence. What happened in this situation? Is the drive broken or is it time to throw this disc in the trash? There are several ways to try to solve this problem yourself without drastic measures to replace the drive or remove the disk itself from use.

1. To determine whether the drive is the cause or not, you need to try playing several discs using it. And if he doesn’t read only a specific version, then it’s not his fault. If the situation repeats when discs stop reading or are problematic to play, then this is a problem with the drive.
2. In the case of a problem disk, you must first clean it of dirt. There are many means for cleaning them, but from experience we can say that there is no point in spending money on any liquids - discs can be easily treated in warm water and soap. After this procedure, they must be blotted with a well-absorbing towel and allowed to dry before placing them in the drive again.
3. In the case of a dirty laser read head of the drive, you can get by with purchasing a special “cleaning disk”. Or you can remove the drive from the computer and disconnect the protective cover by moving it backwards and upwards. Then you need to use something thin but strong, for example, a pin on the front panel through the hole, to press the latch and open the tray that blocks access to the lens by pressing on it. It is necessary to blow off large dust from the surface of the lens using a can of compressed air or even an ordinary blower, but in no case with your mouth. The pear must be without talc inside, otherwise everything will become even worse. Using a brush and lens cleaning liquid, you need to rinse the lens thoroughly, making light movements that do not press on it at all. After this, the lens should dry, and to prevent dust from getting on it again, it is better to cover it with something during the drying period. If plaque forms after drying, it must be removed with a dry soft brush. After this comes the process of assembling the drive.

The disc itself may not only be dirty, but also heavily scratched, which also affects the ease of playback. It is possible to restore its surface by polishing. With large and deep scratches, it is unlikely that anything will work out, but if there are a lot of thread-like damage on it, this option can be “cured.”

The simplest method requires clean rags and goyim paste. The disc must be well wetted with water and a little paste applied to it, which must be spread evenly over the entire surface of the disc. Then, using a rag, you need to polish from the center of the disk to the edges until the paste simply disappears. The number of such processes will depend on the state of the disk after each stage. As soon as the disappearance of the most conspicuous scratches is noted, the disc can be considered to be polished. After polishing, the disc should be rinsed thoroughly, blotted and allowed to dry. After this, you can try to play back the recording.

And at the end, a little advice. If you need to download a driver for your printer, scanner, modem or laptop, you can always do it on the website

Burning files to disk is a proven way to store important information in a safe place. True, there is one “but”: not always and everyone has a “blank” suitable for recording at hand. And if you are now faced with such a problem, do not rush to get upset ahead of time! After all, you can use absolutely any old scratch disk that you have to record data.

“Disk Studio” is a multifunctional one that will help you capture the folders you need from your computer and individual files onto any media, or erase unnecessary information from already full disks. Read the article and you will learn how to clean up the disk in this application.

Step #1. Download the program from the website

To get started, visit the special page on our website where you need. Once the download is complete, run the installation file and follow the instructions. Select the location where you want to place the program and wait until the archive is unpacked. Then start working with the application by double-clicking on the software icon.

Step #2. Launch the program and specify the desired option

The main menu of “Disk Studio” will open in front of you, where you need to select and specify the operations that the program should perform. The application allows you to work with both CDs and DVDs. You can quickly figure out how to clear a DVD disc of old files, and then burn songs, videos or any other data onto the selected media. To delete information from the disk, click on the “Copy and erase” tab and select “Erase disk”.

Step #3. Clear your disk of unnecessary files

A mini-menu will appear on the screen in which the program will prompt you to determine the working drive. This should not be a problem, because, as a rule, in most cases there is no choice: in computers and laptops there is only one, if no external device is connected to the equipment. Click the "Open Drive" button and insert the disk, then click "Erase Disk" and wait for the erase to finish.

Step #4. Rewriting an old disc

Unfortunately, there are some discs that cannot be cleaned. But they can be rewritten! In any recording option, specify for the program the files that you want to commit to disk. Knowing about this and movies, you will free yourself from unnecessary spending.

To rewrite an old disk, configure additional parameters: speed, the name that needs to be assigned to the disk, if necessary, request its verification and turn off the PC after recording is complete. Don't forget to insert the disc into the drive. When the program asks for confirmation to overwrite and delete files, click Yes.

Now you know how to clean your disk from unnecessary files. As you have already understood from the article, “Disk Studio” is a convenient software for working with disks. You can quickly write absolutely any information to external media or rewrite old disks, filling them with new and useful data.

As I have written before in other articles, the biggest problem for a computer is dust. It gets packed in everywhere possible in such quantities that sometimes you are simply amazed. The DVD optical drive is no exception.

Dust, if the device is not cleaned, affects the operation of the drive tray, reduces the accuracy of the laser mechanism and affects the quality of the clamping mechanics. In general, your DVD drive should be cleaned at least once a year. Optimally - once every six months.

To clean and maintain the DVD drive, you will need lubricant, cotton swabs and alcohol. After removing the DVD drive from the system unit, you need to remove its front panel. The first step is to pull out the drive tray. This is done using any long and thin object (a needle, a paper clip, a piece of wire 3 cm long).

There is a small hole on the front panel of any DVD drive (item 2 in the bottom photo). Behind it (on the inside of the panel) is a mechanism for manually opening the tray. You need to press this mechanism through the hole with a little force and the tray will extend 1-2 centimeters, after which it can be pulled out all the way manually.

Next, you need to remove the dust cover from the tray. To do this, you need to turn the drive over and, bending the cover with your fingers, pull it down. On the lid, as a rule, there are two latches (item 1 in the bottom photo) and two guides on which the lid is held. It comes off without much effort.

Next, you need to recess the front panel latches. As a rule, there are four of them (two on the bottom, two on the sides) or five (two on the sides, three on the bottom). After removing the front panel, unscrew the bolts (4 or 5 pieces) on the bottom cover of the DVD drive and remove the cover.

Then you need to take the DVD drive by the top cover and shake it slightly. The plastic drive mechanism will fall out of the top cover (see photo below). After removing the covers, the optical drive tray itself is removed. It extends all the way, then the latches located on the back of the tray in the corners are bent (see photo below) and the tray is removed.

All unnecessary parts have been removed from the DVD drive, you can start cleaning. The main body of the DVD drive has many notches, grooves and indentations. They must be thoroughly blown to remove any accumulated dust. Even a small amount of it at the back wall or in the grooves of the tray can cause the tray to stop opening (closing).

The tray is driven by a motor, which communicates with the mechanics by a rubber strap (passenger). You need to remove the belt carefully so as not to stretch it. The mechanical operation of the drive tray depends on the condition of the belt. By the way, problems often arise with the tray after long-term (more than two years) operation without maintenance. First, dust accumulates in the guides and the tray does not get into the extreme position because of this, and then the belt stretches due to the fact that the drive mechanism cannot open the tray due to the incorrect position of the tray.

Following the belt, remove the mechanical control board (1 or 2 latches). Care should also be taken not to damage the motor control cable coming from the main board. On inexpensive models, the cables may well be fragile or poorly soldered. We remove dust from the mechanics with a soft brush or air from both sides (top and bottom). Ideally, it is advisable to go over the entire DVD drive first with a brush and then blow it with air (for example, using a rubber blower, which is sold in any pharmacy).

After all the dust has been removed from the drive housing, the rubber parts are degreased with alcohol and the old grease is removed from the guides (usually by the time of maintenance there is a mixture of fine dust and dirt with a small amount of remaining grease).

Finally, the moving rubbing mechanical parts are lubricated with a small (tiny) amount of lubricant, just to form a film (no longer desirable). There should be no visible accumulation of grease.

The final touch is to blow through (only with a rubber bulb) the lenses of the laser mechanism (under no circumstances should they be wiped) and the drive is put back together.

A broken DVD or CD drive in laptops is the most common defect in devices that have been in use for more than 2-3 years. Dust, which will definitely settle on the focusing lens after many years of operation, will certainly, if it does not lead to a complete failure of the disk drive, then make its operation less reliable and fast. The reason for a complete refusal to perceive or record information from a computer onto optical media may lie in both a hardware and software malfunction of the system. Remember: the optical drive in laptops may refuse to read information from DVDs for many reasons.

Firstly, it is necessary to 100% eliminate the possibility of a software failure in the operating system. You can simply insert a disk into the drive that can be used as a boot disk. Either an installation distribution with Windows or some kind of service disk designed to work with a hard drive, as well as for treating viruses, banners, preparing the system for installing an operating system from scratch, etc. will be suitable. The main thing is to set in the BIOS that the DVD drive is the first one to boot, i.e. It is from it, and not from the hard drive, that you need to boot. Probably, many who independently installed the operating system either from a disk or from a flash drive know what we are talking about. If loading such a disk is quite successful, then the problem should be looked for in the installed operating system, namely: in drivers, as well as in software products that can in one way or another change the system configuration of virtual and physical optical drives. Remove all dubious software for burning and copying DVDs, and also check in the device manager whether your drive is detected correctly or not. Of course, it is almost impossible to describe all software malfunctions in one article, but we can give universal advice: perform a system restore.

Secondly, if the drive refuses to accept the boot disk, then most likely there is a hardware problem. Often the solution to the problem comes down to cleaning the focusing lens. Dust falling on this lens prevents the beam of the laser head from normally transmitting the signal reflected from the DVD disc. If at any stage of operation this led to read or write errors, then one “fine” day the drive may simply refuse to read a completely clean and new disk. The most correct way to solve this problem is to clean the focusing lens.

Nowadays, so-called cleaning disks have become widespread. The idea behind such discs is certainly good, but the technical execution is not always acceptable. Some samples can, instead of being useful, simply “finish off” the sensitive mechanisms and optics of the laser head. Also, incorrect use of cleaning discs can lead to the user simply completely destroying the drive. The instructions for such disks are often written in either English or Chinese, which makes understanding the principle of operation, purpose and use of such a disk simply inaccessible to a Russian-speaking person. The main mistake users make is incorrectly applying the cleaning liquid. As a rule, it needs to be applied only to certain cleaning bumps, and very little at that, placing the disk at approximately an angle of 45 degrees relative to the horizon line. Excessive amounts of this liquid simply flood the laser head, making reading information virtually impossible.

If we talk about Chinese cleaning discs in the 100-150 ruble category, then their purchase will not be justified from both a practical and economic point of view. And if your problem is not in the lens, then this is money thrown away. To protect the reputation of cleaning discs, we note that new contactless cleaning discs are now appearing. Their main difference is that they work like wind turbines, that is, they blow air through the laser head without direct contact. We recommend purchasing these cleaning discs without fear of harming the sensitive elements of the optical drive.

How to clean a DVD drive without a cleaning disc

Many repairmen, although they themselves sometimes recommend using cleaning discs, never use them. The cleaning disc is a solution for novice users and housewives. You can clean the disk drive much more professionally and efficiently only when you remove it from the laptop and disassemble it. To disassemble the drive, no complex equipment or conditions are needed. All you need is a table, a set of screwdrivers, a paper clip, a needle, a syringe, ear sticks, and isopropyl alcohol.

How to remove a disk drive

First, you need to turn off the power to the laptop. Turn it face down and remove the battery.

No matter how funny and unreliable this may seem, the fact remains: on all modern laptops, the entire drive is secured to the laptop using one screw. We take a thin Phillips screwdriver and remove it.

You can also use this method when you urgently need to remove the disk, but the electricity is turned off and the battery is low. After inserting a needle or paper clip into the technological hole, the disk drive will obediently open, and you can pull it out completely by pulling the disk tray.

How to disassemble a disk drive

With the optical drive open and facing down, you'll notice the rear panel cover, which hides many of the important parts of the laser system.

Remove the 4 retaining screws and the cover will obediently come off without the slightest effort on your part. After removing the cover of the rear panel of the laser drive, we have access to the back of the laser diode, as well as the optical system.

Then you can put on the cover and tighten the 4 mounting screws.

How to clean a focusing lens

The lens is very sensitive to touch, so it is better not to touch it again with your hands or tools. To begin with, you can try to limit yourself to blowing from a can of compressed air.

If this does not help, we recommend using an ear stick pre-moistened in 90% isopropyl alcohol to wipe the lens. Use the other dry and clean end of the stick to remove the remaining alcohol. Remember that using cologne, moonshine, or vodka for these purposes is simply unacceptable. You will only do harm. Isopropyl alcohol evaporates quickly, is relatively non-toxic, and also does not leave marks on glass and lenses, which is very important for the technical task at hand. Then you need to dry everything again using a can of compressed air. All that remains is to assemble everything, insert the drive and screw in the fastening screw. Assembly is simple and intuitive.

Finally, we note that in some cases, the breakdown still cannot be eliminated, since it may lie in a burnt-out LED laser, worn-out mechanics, burnt-out driver microcircuits, etc. Therefore, the last repair option is to completely replace the DVD drive.

If your DVD disc cannot be read on a computer or DVD player, then most likely the electronic media just needs to be cleaned. There are several ways to remove traces of dirt that are interfering with playback, all of which require extreme care.

Instructions

To clean a DVD from dust, wipe it with a soft cloth made from natural materials. At the same time, direct your movement from the center of the disk to the edge along the radius, and not in the opposite order. It is not recommended to wipe the surface of the disc in a circle, since circular damage is much more difficult to get rid of.

Try blowing off dust from the surface of the electronic media using a special can, sold for this purpose in computer stores. Direct the air stream from the can parallel to the surface of the disc and wait until there is no trace of dust left.

To remove fingerprints from the surface of a DVD disc or any other contaminants, moisten a piece of soft cloth with ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, then wipe the electronic media dry with radial movements.

To clean your DVD disc more thoroughly, wet its surface with water, lather your hands and gently apply soap suds to the shiny side, then rinse carefully with water and blot with a cloth that easily absorbs moisture, such as a soft terry towel. Do not dry the disc with a hairdryer, as this may damage it.

Use glass cleaning liquid by applying it to a soft cloth and wiping the surface of the disc in a radial direction. Or dip the DVD media in such a solution and leave it in it for 5-7 minutes, and then wipe the disc dry with a piece of soft cloth made of natural material.

Please note that solvents such as acetone, gasoline, kerosene, and other mixtures that contain petroleum products are absolutely not suitable for cleaning discs. They can cloud the surface of a DVD disc, making the electronic media unsuitable for further use. Only alcohol-based solvents should be used.

Tip added February 16, 2012 Tip 2: How to clean a CD CDs are used, in particular, for long-term storage and transfer of computer files. The more actively CD media are used, the more urgent the task of periodic surface cleaning becomes. To solve it, you can use both special industrial kits and improvised means. In addition, cleaning disks does not always mean their surface; sometimes we are talking about their contents.

Instructions

Buy a special optical disc care kit that includes the necessary components to clean the surface of CD/DVD media. As a rule, the package contains a bottle with a special liquid and a sponge or a set of disposable wipes. In addition to them, the set may also include a can, which allows, in the most literal sense of the expression, to “blow away specks of dust” from the tracks of an optical disc. Moreover, the basis of some kits is an automatic device into which you need to fill the supplied consumables and place an optical disc, and the device will carry out the cleaning procedure without your participation. The simplest of the kits contains a certain amount of disposable napkins soaked in a special liquid.

Find a soft, lint-free cotton napkin if purchasing a special set is not possible. You can use ordinary water as a cleaning liquid. Glass cleaner will also work.

If the kit is intended for manual cleaning of optical discs, do it with movements from the center to the edge - the likelihood of causing mechanical damage with circular movements is much higher. After completing the procedure, the CD should be dry. If you used special materials from the purchased set, the liquid will evaporate from the surface on its own. Otherwise, use a dry cotton cloth to wipe the disc using the same radial movements.

Use an optical disc burning application if it is not the surface of the CD that needs cleaning, but its contents. But first you should find out whether such an operation is possible in principle. A prerequisite is that your computer has a CD/DVD burner drive. In addition, the CD itself must be reusable. If the CD marking contains the letter W, then this condition is met. Another possible obstacle is that if during the previous recording of data to the disk it was “finalized” (the corresponding mark was set in the recording settings), then no changes to its contents are now possible.

If you have one of the latest operating systems installed (for example, Windows 7 or Windows Vista), use its own components to clean up the disk directory. Load the CD into the drive, launch Explorer and right-click the optical drive icon. In the context menu, select the “Format” line and a window with disk cleanup settings will appear on the screen. It is not necessary to change anything in the default settings; click the “Start” button and the CD formatting process will start.

Sources

• how to free a cd

How to Clean a CD - Printable Version