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Thread ID: 19870 2002-05-24 10:03:00 cleaning CD-ROM lens? Guest (0) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
50552 2002-05-24 10:03:00 The CD-ROM lens seems to be dirty. It reads audio CD OK but not data or programme CDs. It is a LG CD-ROM CRD_8483B.
Is there any way of cleaning the lens (apart from a head cleaning disc, which appears to be quite useless) ?
Is it worth paying to have the CD-ROM stripped and cleaned or would it be better to buy a new unit, which will presumably be faster?
Many thanks in anticipation.
Guest (0)
50553 2002-05-24 10:56:00 Depending on how old your CD drive is and/or how much use it has had, it may well be dying on you. I have had the same problem where my drive will not read copied disks and no amount of cleaning will do anything to help...the same with my stereo in fact.

If a cleaning disk is not working I would get another one (CD-RW approx $200?) and keep the old one in to use for copying if and when it works. Cost would prohibit getting it cleaned and I wouldn't like to try to do it myself!

Matt
Guest (0)
50554 2002-05-24 23:48:00 Hi -
If you have an old CDROM drive, 8x were about the worst, it may not read the blue CD's and you may need a new unit. CD ROM drives are about less than $100, or as suggested buy a CDRW.
Guest (0)
50555 2002-05-25 03:03:00 I've found the philips cleaning disk (~$25 at DSE) great for getting old drives working again. Including one with a lense covered in grease (I had to chuck the disk when I was done).

Don't bother with cheap cleaners because the bristles come out and get stuck around the lense.
Guest (0)
50556 2002-05-25 04:28:00 Definitley not worth taking anywhere to get cleaned,have a go yourself as you have nothing to lose.
I take the lid off my cdrom & clean the lens using meths & a cotton bud.
I find meths ok because its not too aggressive on the plastic lens & it evaporates.

Cheers steve
Guest (0)
50557 2009-01-27 08:23:00 IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE!!! (yeah, I know this thread is 7 years old)

ALWAYS Always, always, disconnect ALL power and cables from the optical unit before opening it up.

DO NOT attempt to test / restore power to the drive until all covers are back in place... unless you want to go blind!

New drives these days are very inexpensive, so a new one is probably gonna serve you better than a dodgy 'cleaned' one.

From my own experiences trying to open up a CD drive to clean it - it's a difficult job, and you may still struggle to get at the lens. Getting the ribbon cables back onto the head can be fiddly work.
Paul.Cov (425)
50558 2009-01-27 09:01:00 I doubt the OP is still here :p pcuser42 (130)
50559 2009-01-27 09:01:00 Hey Paul, could you stop opening up all the old thread please:p Blam (54)
50560 2009-01-27 21:34:00 Not $200 in N Z, about $60 from one of the advertisers in N Z P C World! PENTIUM (426)
50561 2009-01-27 22:59:00 I'm not blind yet. I have had a few optical drives running with the power on with the cover off.
:)
Trev (427)
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