When a Good CD or DVD Goes Bad ...........................................................
CD and DVD drives, of whatever specification or manufacturer, are targets of
opportunity for unfortunate accidents — especially when in versions installed
in laptop computers. Here’s why they are susceptible.Arrested development .......................................................................
They have moving parts, including a motor that spins the disc and a stepper
motor to move the read/write heads across the radius of the platter. The tiny
motors have become extremely reliable and will probably live a long and full
life, but any moving part may one day stop its motion.Suggested treatment:Keep all ventilation holes clear, and make sure that
your laptop fan is operating properly; heat is the enemy of many parts of a
laptop, including drive motors. Take care to mount discs carefully and do
not force the drive to work with a misaligned or damaged disc.Twisted logic .......................................................................................
On a laptop, the entire mechanism slides out of the body of the machine on a
lightweight set of rails. Discs have to be mounted carefully to avoid twisting
the mechanism out of alignment. And you really, really, really do not want to
drop your computer with the drive drawer open.Suggested treatment:Use a light hand when you mount a disc; examine the
mechanism to see if you should support the tray with one hand while you
install the disc with the other. Do the same when you remove a disc. Always
make sure that the drive drawer is closed when not in use. And don’t drop
your laptop.Cloudy views .......................................................................................
The lens that focuses the beam of the tiny laser is exposed to the elements
each time the drawer is opened. Dirt or dust that settles on the lens can
cause it to lose its eye for data. It is also possible for the CD or DVD itself to
be dirty or coated with an oil or other substance that makes it impossible for
the LCD to focus on the data layer. If necessary, gently wipe the disc with a
clean cloth dipped in water or a very weak water-alcohol mix; wipe in a circle,
following the tracks around the disc instead of scrubbing across them from
the outside in or the inside out. After cleaning, if you can read the material
from a disc, copy it to your hard drive, throw away the CD or DVD, and rere-
cord it to a fresh, clean disc.Chapter 9: Going Round and Around: CD and DVD Drives 157