CD-ROM or other disc drive cleaning

Why? A dirty CD-ROM drive or other disc drive can cause read errors with CD discs. These read errors could cause software installation issues or issues while running the program.



Procedure: To clean the CD-ROM drive we recommend purchasing a CD-ROM cleaner from your local retailer such as a local Radio Shack. Using a CD-ROM cleaner should sufficiently clean the CD-ROM laser from dust, dirt, and hair.



In addition to cleaning the drive with a special disc designed to clean drives users can also use a cloth dampened with water to clean the tray that ejects from the drive. Make sure however that after the tray has been cleaned that it completely dry before putting the tray back into the drive.



Also see our CD cleaning recommendation for steps on cleaning each of your CDs.



Additional help: CD-ROM Page

CD / DVD cleaning

Why? Dirty CDs can cause read errors and/or cause CDs to not work at all.



Procedure: Cleaning CDs and DVDs should be done with a cleaning kit but can also be done with a normal clean cotton cloth or shirt. When doing this with a clean cotton cloth or shirt, wipe against the tracks, starting from the middle of the CD or DVD and wiping towards the outer side as shown in the below picture. Never wipe with the tracks; doing so may put more scratches on the disc.