|
Chances are extremely high that if cleaning the lens like you are doing, makes the unit work, then it's dirt, rather than a loose wire. I have had success "fixing" failing optical drives by cleaning the lenses too; after a few years, every optical drive can benefit from a cleaning, but I usually take the drive apart to do it (though on a laptop, the ones I have dealt with anyhow, the lens is easily accessible when the drive tray is opened).
The nature of laptop drives, since they open right up and expose the lens, as well as in machines in dusty, oily, or smoky environments, probably makes the need for cleaning more frequent.
However, doing this the way you are, will sooner or later cause very tiny scratches on the lens, and eventually it will not work any more. It is preferable to use a fresh cotton swab rather than a tissue (tissue = paper = wood = abrasive) as well as a decent lens cleaning solution, or denatured alcohol.
Cheers!
Sasha
|
