Clicking drive on CD ROM

My CDROM has stopped working. Explorer can see the drive but when I put a disc in, it clicks relatively slowly four or five times and then gives up reading the disc

I did have a problem with Easy CD Creator a month or so ago when I had to uninstall the program and it deleted the CD keys from the registry so the whole computer coulndt see any CD drives. Someone with access to the MS knowledge base pointed me to a Microsoft patch which indirectly put the XP CD keys back in the registry so I SUSPECT this is nothing to do with that problem unless anyone knows otherwise (other CD reader/writers arent working at optimum either and none will write at the moment and the internal CD writing function of XP has NEVER worked since, - which might be a problem with SP2?) but this clicking seems to be a symptom of the internal CD ROM drive on my Sony PCG-F590 computer:

Are these symptoms of a dead drive? non-focussing laser? or merely a laser needing cleaning. Are there any serviceable/cleanable parts on a Sony Vaio internal CD drive?

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Carefully clean the drive and lens and then see what happens. If it does not fix it, replace it as they are cheap and you will get a speed improvement in the process.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Shuman

I can't really replace it as it is internal to the notebook, - it isn't one of those drives designed to be switched with a floppy: Can I carefully clean it with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol or MUST I use CCL4? Also, which bits need cleaning apart obviously from what looks like the lens? Is there a bit on the motor I can lubricate with WD40 or wet/dry teflon spray?

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WD-40 is more of a solvent than a lubricant. I sometimes use it on squeaky wheels on the mail carts at work as a temporary fix. I wouldn't go near a laptop with it.

Tom

Reply to
Tom MacIntyre

The top bearing on the turntable motor can be lubed, as can the top bearing on the sled motor. The sled slides and drive gears can be lubed. Use a very light synthetic machine oil for lubing all these points. Sewing machine oil is fine. I use Electrolube " CMO " ( clear mechanical oil ) product.

However, I fear that none of this will help. Unless the click has an obvious mechanical reason, such as the sled being stuck at one end of the track, as sometimes happens, causing the drive pawl to slip, then what you are hearing is almost certainly the laser lens hitting on the bottom of the disc, due to the focus servo not getting any initial lock data from the disc. Very often, this is due to a weak or defective laser diode or pickup diode assembly ( neither serviceable ) in the optical block.

It's worth just checking and remaking all the socketed connections to the deck. Carefully examine the laser flexiprint at any points where it bends a lot ( near the laser / near the opposite end ) for any ' split ' damage.

If you reach the point where you are confident that only replacement is going to effect a repair, you can try turning up the laser A LITTLE. There will be a tiny pot on the laser's pcb. Power up is usually clockwise. Try going up just a FEW degrees. Try a pressed audio CD or data CD rather than a burnt CD as the reflectivity of a factory mastered disc is higher than a MO disc. If the drive can read these, but struggles with MO discs, this is usually indicative of laser trouble.

Use turning up the laser ONLY as a last resort, and only to prove the point. If it does restore drive operation, it won't last ....

Hope this helps

Geoff

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Arfa Daily

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