So... to some people that still use 5.25" optical drives every now and then, you've probably experienced the tray being stuck closed at one point or another. Well, here's the most common cause and my fix.
Most desktop optical drives' tray mechanism is operated by a tiny DC motor with a belt+pulley system. As the drive gets old, the rubber belt would lose some of its grip and as you press the eject button, more often, nothing happens because the motor just ends up slipping.
To administer this fix, you'll need to have access to the belt. To do so, you will have to open the stuck tray, one way or another. This can be done by poking the manual eject hole with a straightened out paper clip. Once open, just pull out the tray to as far as it can go and you'll see the belt.
The only materials you need is a piece of cotton bud and a few drops of Coke/Pepsi. Wet the tip of the cotton bud with soda and dab it on the the rubber belt. Try to coat the whole length of the belt's inner surface as best as you can. There's no need to overdo it.
The soda instantly dries up and immediately, you'll see the tray working 100%. I've already done this on a couple of drives at home.
Alternatively, I would think that dabbing it with a tiny bit of automotive belt dressing should work quite as well but I haven't tried it.
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Most desktop optical drives' tray mechanism is operated by a tiny DC motor with a belt+pulley system. As the drive gets old, the rubber belt would lose some of its grip and as you press the eject button, more often, nothing happens because the motor just ends up slipping.
To administer this fix, you'll need to have access to the belt. To do so, you will have to open the stuck tray, one way or another. This can be done by poking the manual eject hole with a straightened out paper clip. Once open, just pull out the tray to as far as it can go and you'll see the belt.
The only materials you need is a piece of cotton bud and a few drops of Coke/Pepsi. Wet the tip of the cotton bud with soda and dab it on the the rubber belt. Try to coat the whole length of the belt's inner surface as best as you can. There's no need to overdo it.
The soda instantly dries up and immediately, you'll see the tray working 100%. I've already done this on a couple of drives at home.
Alternatively, I would think that dabbing it with a tiny bit of automotive belt dressing should work quite as well but I haven't tried it.
