On May 31, 5:02*pm, mike wrote:



Did you take apart the drive and clean the lens? *Sometimes stuff gets
stuck under the lens and blocks one led but not the other. *I once found
a string of spider web across a lens that blocked one led but not the other.
Cleaner disc wouldn't dislodge it, but alcohol swab did.

I've been inside many (non-working) optical drives, but I can't
recall thinking that I should be able to clean the opposite side of
the lense assembly - do you have to remove it from the sled to make it
accesible, or just use some kind of special improvised tools?

Are you sure your discs are good? *I've had new discs that developed an
invisible layer of stuff. *Something about outgassing of plastic and the
paint on the other side. *Wouldn't burn in SOME drives unless I cleaned
them with windex first.

I just bought another 100 on sale, I hope they're good; they're Sony
16x
and the first 4 I used were successful - then I started messing around
with both the drives sorta in random order and the problem started.

If you lose the lubrication on the laser carriage slide, you can get some
weird symptoms. *Taking the system apart and disturbing the dust
can push it over the edge. *As can twisting it slightly by
torquing in another drive next to it.

I did lube the rails and alcohol-wipe the lense on the Lite-On drive
before
installing it, haven't been inclined to 'break-in' to the LG one in
the 3 years I've had it, since it's always worked flawlessly.

You've eliminated the obvious stuff. *I'd clean/lubricate the drive
then go back to the EXACT mechanical
and electrical conditions that worked.

Sometimes, stuff just breaks and it's coincidence.

Or sometimes it's just crippled somewhat - sometimes it seems I run a
home for crippled discards.

Thanks for the ideas,
Mikel