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Microstock Photography Forum - General => Software => Software - General => Topic started by: microstockphoto.co.uk on January 05, 2011, 12:24

Title: Scary! My CD/DVD drive damages discs
Post by: microstockphoto.co.uk on January 05, 2011, 12:24

Since a few days my CD/DVD drive damages CDs while simply reading them - not even while burning.

After reading a cd (both audio and data), a burned circle is clearly visible at about 3 mm (1/8") from disc centre and cd becomes unreadable. Luckily I didn't lose any data since I have multiple backups, but it's scary anyway.
Nothing similar ever happened to me in my 20+ years pc experience.

Anyone has had a similar experience? I can't tell which is the reason:
- damaged hardware?
or
- can a software problem (damaged drivers or firmware) cause a hardware problem?
or
- can a virus force hardware to write again to an already written sector on a closed-session cd?
(although I am quite careful, and have an antivirus, antispyware and firewall...)

Title: Re: Scary! My CD/DVD drive damages discs
Post by: donding on January 05, 2011, 21:58

It looks like there may be a piece of dirt or something small that is hard within the cd/dvd player. You might try using one of those air sprays to blow it out. You can try anyway otherwise you probably need to replace the drive.

Title: Re: Scary! My CD/DVD drive damages discs
Post by: click_click on January 05, 2011, 23:43

Quote from: donding on January 05, 2011, 21:58

It looks like there may be a piece of dirt or something small that is hard within the cd/dvd player. You might try using one of those air sprays to blow it out. You can try anyway otherwise you probably need to replace the drive.

+1

Doesn't sound/look like a software issue. Also, I'm quite sure that the laser couldn't leave such visible marks on the CD.

Either some part came loose in the drive or a foreign object got into it.

Drives are so cheap, I wouldn't bother and just get a new one.

Title: Re: Scary! My CD/DVD drive damages discs
Post by: microstockphoto.co.uk on January 06, 2011, 06:32

Thanks for your answers! I thought it could be a software problem because the mark - however strange - doesn't look at all as a scratch but more like burned by laser (100% crop below)

I will replace the drive.

And then of course I will smash the old drive with a hammer and shoot it for stock :)

I'm still scared about data storage risks: I kept a DVD or CD copy - besides 2 external hard disks - of all my pictures because I thought an optical media is safer, but it's not.

Title: Re: Scary! My CD/DVD drive damages discs
Post by: jbarber873 on January 06, 2011, 08:48

With any computer equipment, It's not a question of if it will fail, but when it will fail.
backup, backup , backup ;D