on 02.06.2003 06:56, Bill Spencer at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hi there: Occasionally, maybe 15% of the time, the CD drive in my C500 > running 8.6 refuses to read one specific CD, saying the disc is unreadable, > do I want to initialize it (!). If I choose Eject and then put pretty much > any other CD in it reads it fine; if I then remove the second CD and put > back the first one everything's normal again. What gives?
Hi Bill, It's most likely a mechanical problem with the CD reader. It could be as simple as the laser lens being dirty, which would limit the range of acceptable CDs. A *gentle* blast of air to remove any loose dust in there might fix it. If the blockage is more like a film on the lens, you might consider very carefully taking the unit apart and gently cleaning the lens with a swab and ammonia water--alchohol and other solvents can destroy important cements and lubricants; distilled water will not evaporate quickly enough and just leave spots. Avoid the CD cleaning discs, since these can very easily tear the pickup/lens assembly right out of its track. If the laser or its power supply is losing power, it's time to look for another drive. This really can't be repaired and calibrated without some serious lab equipment. To some extent, CD drives need to recalibrate, within limits, dynamically, to adjust to a range of media; it could explain why an already "borderline" CD is at first rejected, but then accepted after a CD that is more "centered" causes the drive to adjust to one of the other conditions. HTH, paul -- Paul F. Henegan [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- SuperMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | Service & Replacement Parts [EMAIL PROTECTED] | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> SuperMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/supermacs/list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/supermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
