Signs Of Optical Drive Pending Failure?

[mwheelerk]

My Mac Mini 2010 has served me well and continues to do so except for one concern, the optical drive. And frankly I don't even know if it is a problem or I am just imaging things.

 

My "problem" is that my rips seem to be taking quite a bit longer and I have had an increasing frequency of NG results on tracks and even as far as an entire CD resulting in a NG from XLD. I can't hardly ever remember getting a NG result in the past. It doesn't seem to be related, the best I can tell, to CD condition.

 

Regrading the time it takes it just "seems" slower but I also notice that the extracting times appear slower such as 1.9x or 2.7x rather than 4x or 5x or more that is use to be.

 

Do you think I could be facing an optical drive failure? I have probably ripped a thousand CDs with this drive over the three plus years I have had it. Would there be any benefit or any harm in just getting an external optical drive? I think the Apple one is only $79 or so.

[kumakuma]

Have you tried cleaning the lens? I had a drive in an old Mac that started acting up so I used one of the lens cleaning kits. Good as new after that.

[mwheelerk]

Have you tried cleaning the lens? I had a drive in an old Mac that started acting up so I used one of the lens cleaning kits. Good as new after that.

 

Are they like the old disc with brushes used on CD players? I don't know what else could be used on a slot loading system like this. I will take a look. It's not a bad idea.

[kumakuma]

Are they like the old disc with brushes used on CD players? I don't know what else could be used on a slot loading system like this. I will take a look. It's not a bad idea.

 

The one I have looks actually like a CD with two little brushes on the underside. According to the instructions, you put it in and play track 11 on a Mac.