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At one time or another we’ve all had to deal with the annoyance of a skipping disc or record. It’s darn frustrating to hear your favorite song reduced to a few endlessly repeating syllables, and it’s even worse when you attempt to install new software or load a document only to get an error message that says the disc cannot be read. If your optical drive is giving you fits, here are a few things you can try to improve its performance. One of the best pieces of advice we can offer you about optical drive maintenance is something you’ve probably heard your entire life: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There are many computer users out there who make cleaning a ritual they have to follow at a certain interval; many of us dust inside our cases once a week, whether they need it or not. That’s fine for cleaning cases and other such tasks, but if your optical drive is working well for you, don’t try to clean it.
 Check The Disc First
A major reason the lens in an optical drive gathers dirt or dust is because the media you put in the drive is dirty. Before you put a disc in your CD/DVD drive, make sure it doesn’t have any dirt or smudges on it. If it does, clean the disc with a soft cotton cloth to remove the surface dirt. When cleaning a disc, don’t wipe it in a circular motion, but instead start at the center of the disk and wipe outward to the edge. And don’t forget to keep your discs in protective cases to keep them from getting dirty in the first place. |
A well-placed shot of compressed air can blow the dust off of your optical drive’s lens. |
Directions To A Clean Drive
There isn’t a whole lot you can do to clean an optical drive itself short of taking it apart and this isn’t recommended unless you know you can put it back together. (And keep in mind that taking a drive apart may void its warranty.) Before you grab a bucket of cleaning products, consult your drive’s manual or the FAQ section on the manufacturer’s Web site. One or both of these should give you helpful maintenance tips geared toward your specific drive.
One of the most effective tools you can use to clean an optical drive is a can of compressed air. Open your drive tray and then give the inside a quick blast or two of air. This should blow away any dust that might’ve settled on the lens of the drive. If you have a laptop that has the lens built into the disc tray (the part of the drive that slides out when you push the eject button) wipe it clean with a Q-tip dampened with isopropyl alcohol. Be very careful that you clean only the lens and that the alcohol doesn’t run off into the drive. |
If you have an optical drive that has its lens on the tray, dampen the end of a Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol and gently rub the lens to remove contaminants. |
Though using a can of compressed air or a Q-tip should remove the dust from your lens and improve performance, there are some cleaning products you should stay away from. It’s tempting to use an audio CD player cleaner for your optical drive, but don’t. Typically, these devices work by running a small brush or felt pad over the lens of your optical drive. Instead of wiping the drive clean, these brushes and pads have actually been known to scratch the lenses of optical drives and hinder, rather than help performance.
Update Your Firmware
Another simple option is to make sure you have the latest firmware updates. Firmware refers to a program that is stored in a device’s circuitry at all times. It tells the device how to respond to certain commands. The latest firmware includes the newest fixes for any inherent drive issues and provides support for newly released software.
Open Up Your Case
If you aren’t afraid to open your computer’s case, the next time you do so, take a few seconds to wipe the dust off of your optical drive. Generally, an optical drive won’t produce that much heat, but it’s still a good idea to remove all the dust you can to create a computing environment that is clean and which promotes airflow through the case; this keeps all of your components as cool as possible.
While you have your drive visible, check to make sure that both ends of the cable that connects your optical drive to your motherboard are securely in place. If you move your computer often, this cable can work its way loose and cause your drive to act up.
Sometimes An Upgrade Is The Best Move
If everything checks out and you're still having problems with your drive, don't hesitate to contact the drive manufacturer. If your drive is still under warranty, you can probably return it to the manufacturer or drop it off at a service center to be repaired. If it isn't, you can still go the repair route, but with high-quality DVD burners available for under $40, you may just want to consider upgrading.
by Sam Evans
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