How to Fix My CD Burner on My Computer

CD burners can be finicky beasts. Even the smallest amount of dust or other small problems can cause a CD burner to burn discs improperly, slow down or even stop working altogether. Luckily, CD burners rarely just "die" and become unusable. Most problems that you are experience can more than likely be solved by trying just a few simple steps.

Instructions

1. Clean the CD laser lens with a CD specially designed for that purpose. These devices look like standard CDs but are designed to clean dust and dirt off of a CD burner's laser lens. They insert into a CD burner just as a regular disc would, but once the tray is closed they spin around and dislodge any dust or other particles that may be causing problems with the device. They can be purchased at any major electronics retailer (or online) for as little as around $15.

2. Open up your computer's case and make sure the CD burner hasn't become unplugged. If you've recently moved your computer from one location to another and the burner has stopped working, this could be the problem. There should be two plugs on the back of the CD burner--one running to the motherboard and the other running to the computer's power source. Make sure both of these plugs are securely in place.

3. Make sure the discs themselves are clean. If there is any dirt, dust or scratches on the data side of the CDs you are trying to read or burn, this could cause the CD burner to stop functioning properly. The burner's laser lens will not be able to penetrate the layer of dust or the scratches to properly work with the disc. Make sure all discs you are trying to use are clean before putting them in your CD burner's disc tray.

4. Make sure you are using the right kind of media. Most newer CD burners can burn all types of writable CD media, including CD-R, CD+R, CD-RW and CD+RW discs. However, older burners may only be able to handle "+" discs or "-" discs. Consult your CD burner's user manual and look at the technical specifications of the device. Double-check to see that your CD burner can read from and write to the type of discs you are trying to use.

5. Make sure you have the latest drivers installed for your CD burner. A driver is a small computer program designed to ensure that your CD burner and your operating system can interact with each other. Periodically device manufacturers will release driver updates to fix known problems with devices. Go to the website of your CD burner's manufacturer to download and install any available driver updates.

References

• ABCs to a Clean Audio CD Burn

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish