On Saturday 12 January 2008, Claude Jones wrote: >On Saturday January 12 2008 1:22:21 pm Dave Stevens wrote: >> I have downloaded and burned it ok and it booted and ran fine. >> I always suspect dirt in the optical drive first. Has it been >> cleaned recently? or ever? > >You raise a flag. I have often thought dust was the #1 cause of >CD/DVD optical drive demise. It just makes sense. The units >aren't sealed, and you have fans inside the computer pulling air >in through every crack and crevice it can find - over time, dust >builds up, and light doesn't penetrate dust. So, my question... >Have you found a technique that actually works to clean them? >I've tried gently application of air and those cleaning discs, >but, I've never had much luck with either. > I've had fair luck by pulling the sheet metal rad covers (with it out of the machine and powerless) to gain access, and using an alcohol dampened Sheperds Medical q-tip to very gently clean the face of the lens. Emphasis on the gentle, they are very easily mount damaged as the servo can only move so much weight at 10 khz to track a wobbly disk at 52x, so every grain of extra weight has been designed out of it and the suspension. I have probably damaged as many trying as I have fixed, and I can have a very gentle touch when indicated. And that is dampened with paint thinner alcohol, isopropil, even the 90% stuff has too much water in it and will do a poorer job of dissolving the cigarette smoke & airborne cooking grease etc that collects on this stuff, and which may become pretty well baked on when the controller turns up the laser trying to see through it. Good luck :) >-- >Claude Jones >Brunswick, MD, USA -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) All power corrupts, but we need electricity.
