How to Clean Disk Drives

Clean disk drives whenever you begin having problems with your drive reading CDs and DVDs. A dirty disk drive is often the culprit when your disk drive no longer recognizes the disks you insert or gives you an error message. If the disks you insert are clean, but skips or glitches still occur when viewing or listening to files, the disk drive more than likely needs to be cleaned. Cleaning a disk drive takes less than ten minutes and only a few tools.

Things You'll Need

• Laser disk cleaner kit
• Compressed air

Instructions

1. Turn on your computer.

2. Press the "Eject" button on your disk drive.

3. Blow short bursts of compressed air into the tray and the drive slot. Keep the can at least five inches away from the disk drive to prevent any damage to the drive.

4. Insert the disk provided with the laser disk cleaner kit.

5. Press "Play," "Start" or "Begin" from the menu that appears. The exact phrase may vary based on the brand of laser disk cleaner you purchase.

6. Allow the cleaner disk to run. This will clean the lens in your disk drive.

Tips & Warnings

• If your laser disk cleaner kit came with any tools beside the disk, consult the instructions with the kit. Some kits come with CD and DVD cleaner as well.

• If you have any stuck on food or drink on the drive tray, use a damp cloth to remove the substance. Do not spray any chemicals into the drive.

• Always store the cleaner disk in its case after using. If the disk is damaged, it will not clean your drive properly.

References

• Computer Dust.com -- Computer Cleaning CD-ROM Drive