How to fix the built-in optical drive in a laptop with your own hands. How to clean DVD. Methods for cleaning laser drives and disks Cleaning the laser head of a DVD drive

A regularly used CD-ROM or DVD drive likes to collect dust and other “unnecessary things”. If you are looking for a way to effectively clean disk reader without having to take your computer apart, here are the instructions.

When the CD-ROM drive needs cleaning

The most obvious signal is when your DVD drive is failing work fine. This can be caused by many things, but disk cleanup may I help.

Another sign is when your computer has Difficulty reading discs. The third signal is strange sound when the drive tries to open the disc or even during extension and retraction.

Another sign is when used the disk twitches(although then it could be the disk's fault). These are just the most common symptoms.

The general conclusion is this: if your CD-ROM/DVD is not working, clean it. If this does not help, try cleaning it again, and if this does not help, the drive is probably faulty and you should replace it with a new one or send the existing one for repair.

What you need to clean the drive

Of course, do not use the blowing method. Your breath contains a lot of moisture, which can cause even more damage, including irreversible destruction of the drive.

How to prepare the drive for cleaning

Turn on the computer and remove the partition holding the disk. Then turn off the computer again, leaving the partition open. Remove the disc from the drive if it was in the computer.

How to clean a DVD drive

Insert the “straw” into the hole of the can of compressed air. If you have a laptop, place it on the edge of the table with the CD-ROM/DVD compartment hanging in the air.

Hold the can of air perpendicular to the floor (i.e. upright) and be careful not to pump it, as the gas it contains may damage your CD-ROM/DVD. Insert the straw into the drive connector and lightly press the air release button from the can.

Repeat the procedure two or three times, and then turn on the computer and see if the drive works.

What to do if this does not lead to the desired result

Some instructional videos or web pages recommend removing the drive completely from the computer. Do not do that. In many cases, performing this operation may cost you the warranty, and even if not, it may damage the drive.

what can you do

Call a specialist maintenance or bring your computer to a service center. You can also contact the manufacturer and ask for advice. If your computer is under warranty, then, of course, you have a phone number written down that you should call in such cases.

A few tips for cleaning the drive

The CD-ROM/DVD drive is a very delicate part of the computer that requires good care. You can clean it before alarm signals appear.

Use compressed air carefully and responsibly to avoid damaging your computer. When you empty the container, do not throw it in the trash. Compressed air cans often contain toxic substances, so we must dispose of them in special waste containers that represent

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 a special software, or installed on your computer using your own means operating system.

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

If your computer has Windows XP or earlier versions of the Windows operating system installed, 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.

Download installation file You can download Nero software for free online and then install it on your PC by following the installer's step-by-step instructions. 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 is successfully formatted, a notification will appear on the monitor screen.

Use built-in disk cleaning programs

OS Windows Vista and Windows 7 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 files on one disk various types It's better to choose LFS. Having asked required 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 disc A:

Although DVDs are already becoming obsolete, they are still available on many computers and laptops. Many have a license Windows system, which is stored on disk and requires a DVD drive (although it can be installed from it). Therefore, I want to consider in this article how you can clean the DVD drive in your computer or laptop yourself, using simple tools.

I have been using the method described below for many years and it has proven to be very effective.

The reason that the DVD drive began to work poorly, does not read discs or does so intermittently, most often is dust getting on the laser lens. This is what we will clean.

Required tools:

  • Philips screwdriver (cross);
  • A regular paperclip (it needs to be bent);
  • Cotton swab or swab.

Tools

How to clean your computer's DVD drive

First, remove the DVD drive from the computer. You don't need to do this on a laptop.

Turn it upside down and unscrew the 4 screws that secure the lid.

Unscrew the screws

Very carefully remove the lid and set aside. We will see a board with electronic components.

Bottom of DVD-ROM

Now we place the drive so that its front panel faces us. We insert our straightened paper clip into the small hole intended for emergency opening of the drive tray. Feel free to press on the paper clip until the tray comes out of its place a little.

We press here with a paper clip

We manually pull out the tray to about half its length. Now remove the front plastic panel. To do this, you can press the side latches with a screwdriver.

Side bezel latches

Removing the panel

Now turn the drive over with the cover down and carefully remove it from there.

We take out the DVD drive from the cover

Now you can see the very laser lens that needs to be cleaned. Look at it carefully. Most likely you will find small hairs or dust on it.

Do not try to remove dirt with your hands. There may be greasy stains that will be difficult to remove.

Take a cotton swab and lightly brush the dirt off the lens. There is no need to polish the lens, just remove dust and hair.

Cleaning the lens with a cotton swab


Many users prefer to buy rewritable discs in order to be able to record information on it several times. But before you clear a dvd rw disc of information, you should choose the most suitable method. This can be done using some disc burning programs, or you can use the operating system installed on your computer.

If not installed programs To burn discs, you need to go to the “My Computer” section and in the window that opens, find the CD/DVD drive icon.

We move the mouse cursor over the drive icon that contains the disk that needs cleaning.

Click on it with the right mouse button.

In the drop-down menu that opens, find the line where it says “Erase this DVD-RW,” and then click on it with the left mouse button.

The “CD Burning Wizard” window will open, in which you need to click “Next”.

All files located on this disk are deleted. This process can take from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the number of files written and the speed of the rewritable disc.

After cleaning the disk is completed, the “CD Burning Wizard” window will display information that the operation was successful and the media is now suitable for burning new files. Here we click the “Finish” button.

If it is not cleared after performing the above steps, the CD/DVD drive may be faulty, or the disc may no longer be suitable for subsequent recording.

You can clean a DVD-RW disc very quickly and easily using UltraISO programs or NeroBurningROM.

To use UltraISO to clean up your disk, you need to: open window program, select the “Tools” menu, and in the drop-down menu with the left mouse button select the line “Burn CD image”.

The “Write image” window will open, in which we click “Erase”.

If the NeroBurningROM program is installed on your computer, then to clean the DVD-RW disc, select “Recorder” in the open program window, and click on the “Erase rewritable disc” line in the drop-down menu.

In the window that will then open (Erase rewritable disk), select the drive, disk cleaning method and erasing speed.

After clicking the “Erase” button, the process of cleaning the rewritable disc will begin.

When cleaning DVD-RW discs, it is worth performing a complete erase of all files. This will help prevent old data from being read in parallel with new recorded information being read.

If the disk was not cleared immediately or not on the first try, you should not use it, as this may lead to the loss of information that will be written to it later.

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. How to clear a DVD disc of existing recordings so that you can produce new entry, not everyone can figure it out. And it's not as simple as it seems. To simplify this task as much as possible, it is better to use special program. and how to do it literally in one click he will tell and do it special application for recording CDs, DVDs and Blu Ray discs - “Disk Studio”.
How it works? Everything is elementary! Now you don't need to be a great professional in computer technology 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 design to your disk. 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.