How to fix the built-in optical drive in a laptop with your own hands. How do I erase data from a DVD to prepare it for new recording? How to clean a laser disc caught by hand

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 discs 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 swab 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 chips, etc. Therefore, the last repair option is to completely replace the DVD drive.

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 completely 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.

How to clean a DVD disc

Computers are an integral part of our work, everyday life, and leisure. However, with this widespread use and distribution of computer technology, ordinary users have certain difficulties with its operation. In particular, with regard to working with disks. Not everyone can figure out how to clear a DVD from an existing recording so that a new recording can be made. And it's not as simple as it seems. To simplify this task as much as possible, it is better to use a special program. and literally in one click he will tell you how to do this and create a special application for burning CDs, DVDs and Blu Ray discs - “Disc Studio”.
How it works? Everything is elementary! Now you don't need to be a big computer professional to complete this task. Actually, like a number of others, now the problem will not be the question of how to clean a DVD disc, nor how to record a new one on it - music or video.

So, cleaning the media is a separate function in the program: select the desired drive with a disk and press the “Clean up disk” button. If necessary, you can now overwrite and clear again an infinite number of times.

Even more - the program opens up a whole range of new possibilities: creating beautiful designs for your disc. For example, if you are compiling a home archive or preparing promotional materials for a presentation or handouts. You can choose a disk image or use graphics. Everything that might be necessary and everything that might come to mind is now easy, accessible and simple!

An important nuance is that working with the Disk Studio program, which can be downloaded, helps save all valuable data from loss or unintentional destruction.

“Disk Studio” is a good solution for those who want not only to simplify their communication with technology as much as possible, but also to simply “keep up the brand” in everything. Order in your own archives and easy work will be ensured.

To be able to rewrite data on a DVD, you must have a DVD writer (DVD+RW format) installed on your computer. In modern laptops and computers of the latest configuration, as a rule, such DVD-roms are already included in the equipment package.

There are two types of DVD discs - rewritable (RW) and non-rewritable (R). In the first case, you can use the drive several times, deleting and writing new data to it again; in the second option, information can be written to the disk only once. In our case, we need DVD RW. Before writing new information to a disk with data already on it, you must delete the old data (format the disk). This can be done using special software, or using the operating system installed on your computer using your own means.

How to delete information from a disc - DVD+RW or CD+RW

If Windows XP or earlier versions of the Windows operating system are installed on your computer, then it is best to use special programs to format DVDs. For example, which is one of the most popular among PC users. It allows you not only to clear the disk of old information, but also to write new data to it. The program is especially popular because, in addition to stable operation, it also has a very convenient and visual interface.

You can download the Nero installation file for free on the Internet and then install it on your PC, following the installer's instructions step by step. After this, it is best to restart your computer, then insert the desired disc into the DVD drive and use the desktop shortcut to launch Nero Start Smart.

In the main menu of the program window that opens, find the “Advanced” function and click on it. In response to this, a dialog box will open in which you need to click on "Erase DVD", thereby activating the “Program Operation Wizard”. The wizard will display prompts on the screen, using which you can clear the disk of unnecessary information. Once the disk has been successfully formatted, a notification will appear on the monitor screen.

Use built-in disk cleaning programs

The Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems have intuitive and stable built-in capabilities for formatting DVDs. After the system independently detects the disk installed in the drive, a dialog box will appear on the monitor screen in which you need to click on the “Burn files to disk” function. In the new window that opens, you need to select the disk name, then click on “Show formatting options” to set the parameters for future recording to the disk. If the new information will consist of files of the same type (for example, movies or music), then you need to select the Mastered option so that the disc can be read well by the equipment that plays these files. To collect different types of files on one disk, it is better to choose LFS. Having specified the desired parameter, click on the “Next” button. In response to this, the formatting process will automatically start, after which a corresponding message will appear on the monitor screen.

Useful video

We have prepared a video especially for you on how to clear data from a CD/DVD disk:

Hi all. Besides cleaning CDs with soap and water, there are many other effective methods. This article will tell you how and with what to clean compact discs (CDs and DVDs).

Often, many people have a situation when they put a disc into the drive of a computer or player, but it freezes and “doesn’t want” to play, or plays, but “in fits and starts.” What causes this? First of all, due to improper handling of the disk or the fact that the disk has been in use for a very long time. If there are scratches on the surface of the disc, then there is a high probability that it will not play correctly. In such cases, cleaning may help, although the success of this will largely depend on the extent of damage to the disc's coating. There are many “folk” ways to clean CDs and DVDs, some of which can surprise even seasoned and experienced users with their creativity.

How to clean a CD or DVD?

Use water and a soft cloth.
First of all, rinse the CD thoroughly. This is done in order to remove dust, adhered particles and greasy stains from the surface. Immerse the CD or DVD in warm water, keep it there for a while, then take a soft, lint-free cloth and wipe the surface of the CD. Do not scrub the surface too thoroughly or harshly. In order not to damage the data on the disk, there is a certain “pattern” of cleaning actions. When cleaning, you need to start from the center of the disc and move towards the edge. Never use towels, toilet paper, paper towels, or any other materials or items that may cause fine scratches on the surface of the disc. Let the disk dry completely, and then check whether data is read from it correctly and whether it works without failures or pauses.

Cleaning the disc surface... banana.
Most users don't even realize that...a banana can be used to clean a scratched disk. Take a fresh banana and cut it into two parts. Wipe the surface of the CD/DVD disc with it in a circular motion. The next step is to clean the surface of the disc with a soft cotton cloth. Before you start playing a disc, it will be better if you use a cleaning spray and then wipe the disc with a dry and soft cloth.

Using toothpaste or Vaseline.
The surface of the disc can also be cleaned using some household items, such as toothpaste or petroleum jelly. However, this method can be used if the scratches are not too deep. Place an appropriate amount of any of these products on the surface of the disc and wipe it gently with a soft cloth. Afterwards, for final cleaning, use a cleaning spray, wipe the disc dry and try to play it.

Use polish or a special wheel cleaner.
If the above remedies are powerless, you can use a metal polish or a set of wheel cleaners. After wiping the disc with a cloth with polish applied to it, then wipe the disc with a soft, clean cloth, let it dry, and then try to play it. If it still does not work properly, try the last option, use specialized disk cleaning fluids.

These are just a few tools that can effectively clean the surface of CD/DVD discs. There are other methods, for example, using alcohol, soda, etc. as a cleaning agent.