Reading problems.

[harmless_abuse]

Hi this is my first post here. I searched through a few threads, but did not find an answer to my problem.
Basically, in the last two weeks, my CD drive is not able to read my data discs. I recorded data onto DVD-R's and its worked fine for about a year and a half and all of a sudden it has problems reading it. It tries to read but stops. Once in a while after a number of tries it reads the disc. I've tried regular DVDs in the drive and they play fine. I looked in the device manager and the hardware is working properly and no driver updates are available.
So if any of you have a solution please let me know. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[StrangleHold]

Could try poping a CD/DVD cleaner in it. Lens could be alittle bit drity. Retail DVDs are easier to read then R/RWs

 

[harmless_abuse]

hmm. never thought about that. whats a cd/dvd cleaner?

 

[StrangleHold]

You can get them even at Wal-Mart I guess, Circuit City-Best Buy- Office Depo or Office Max. They just look like a CD/DVD.

 

[harmless_abuse]

alright. i shall get it tomorrow. thanks for your help.

 

[harmless_abuse]

So i bought the CD/DVD Laser Lens Cleaner, followed the instructions, but it did not make a difference. I ran it three times, but the computer is still not able to read any of my data discs. (DVD-R). A regular DVD can be read, but the drive keeps making sounds when I put in a DVD-R, attempting to read it. As always, your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[voyagerfan99]

The drive itself may be starting to die.

 

[harmless_abuse]

I have had the computer for about 11 months. Bought it new. Is that possible? My regular DVDs are being read fine.

 

[tremmor]

his suggestion may be right. ive had issues before very similar.
heres some others to try.

1) the color of the dye. make a data with the same color dye you can read with.
Maybe its just sensitive to the color. (red, blue, gray or silver, green).

2) a can of static free air comes in handy. Open the tray and blow very lightly.
across the laser head. ya need a can anyway. blow the computer out maybe
6 or 12 mo intervals.

then again my experiece there is a difference in quality. I always like plextor but
as suggested it is expensive. (lite-on) works very will with my duplicator.
if there is a diffirence its usually associated with the quality of the mechanism
and laser head.

 

[harmless_abuse]

Thanks for the reply. I have used compressed air to clean my CPU. I do it every month. What I cannot comprehend is why this has happened all of a sudden. These discs have worked on the computer before and until very recently. So it cannot be a problem with the disc. The laser is pretty clean. Maybe the drive is just dying as suggested above.