How To Clean Slim Slot-In DVD Laser From Dust

When a slot-in DVD drive stops recognizing inserted DVD or CD media, the first thing to do is to try cleaning the laser lens with a lens-cleaning DVD. Sometimes that doesn't help and that's when most people trash their old drive and look for a new one. Slim and especially slot-in DVD drives are quite rare and expensive, but the good news is that you can repair it yourself in a matter of fifteen minutes.

In most cases, the problem is caused by dust that gets inside the space between the lens and the laser diode, and can be easily fixed by opening the drive and blowing the dust off using a can of compressed air.

This video shows you how to repair a slim slot-in DVD drive from a Mac Mini, by blowing off the dust from the laser.

CAUTION: The mechanism within is very sensitive - be careful not to break or bend anything. In some models (as in the one here) there is also a flat cable that goes through the back plate, preventing the mechanism to be fully removed from the case. You can either carefully ajar the mechanism from the case just enough to access the lens, or you can remove the transparent plastic foil that is covering the cable and disconnect the cable to free the mechanism. When you're done, just reconnect the cable and put the foil back.

DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational purposes only. Anything you do with your hardware is at your own risk, and opening it will certainly void the warranty. I CAN NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG.