Introduction

Recently, my beloved Plextor PX-716SA DVD+-RW drive malfunctioned. Ubuntu couldn't read CDs, and neither could Windows. I was unable to boot from any live CD, burned or pressed. determined to get my drive working again, I set out to fix it.

Background

Windows' Error Logs were of little use to me. It simply complained of a controller error on the drive. However, Linux's /var/log/messages was a lot more verbose. It complained that the drive was failing because of a servo error. This means that the laser was unable to move back and forth or that it was somehow being stopped from moving within its needed range.

Action

I first checked into the warranty for the drive. It was out of warranty by more than a year. So, I produced my trusty screwdriver and opened it up. I had nothing to lose. The drive is probably on its last legs, anyway, as it's seen extensive use and survived a fire extinguisher attack.

I had never opened an optical drive. I had an idea of what things look like, as most CD players are open devices.

The tray sits on top of the unit. When the user presses the eject button, the laser and turntable apparatus retracts and allows the tray to extend. When the user presses the button again, the tray retracts and the apparatus returns to its position, catching the media's hole and spinning it. There's a piece on the top of the casing which holds the CD onto the turntable (that piece is not pictured).

Here's a short clip of the drive internals in action:

In the end, I did get the drive working. With the gunk removed, the servo errors went away and I was able to use it normally.