Dealing w/ PlayStation 2 Disc Read Errors?

Habitual submits this tidbit: "Ars Technica has a guide on how to essentially re-align your busted PS2 laser. The fix is meant to eliminate the Disc Read Error that tends to appear as our beloved PS2s age. The procedure isn't for the faint of heart, but it does work."

Comments

Major Problem?

[Gothic_Walrus]

From what I've heard, PS2 machines are very unreliable. I've had more than a few friends complain about their PS2s not working properly, and I've heard tales of machines that have been sent back to Sony four or five times without any resolution to the problem. Supposedly, the systems have a high return rate because they just don't work like they should. This sounds like a design issue to me.

My suggestion: get the XBox or Cube as they seem to be much more durable than the PS2. And if all else fails...

...get the only current system that physically can't have a disc read error: the Game Boy Advance.

Interesting article

[xQuarkDS9x]

This was a very informative article which just proves that PS2's are lacking in decent quality control, to the point you have to go to steps such as this to fix the machine.

Although I wouldn't recommend the Q-Tip + Rubbing Alcohol trick on the lens, a guy at my work did this once on his Gamecube lens, and from the way he told me, his gamecube stopped working after that, period. Maybe he drowned his Cube lens with it or something. :p

Basically if you must clean the lens, don't use canned air, just find a cheapy plastic bottle with a narrow tip (IE bottles that come with hair die or what not), clean it out really good, and just use that to gently blow small amounts of air on the lens.

I do this every so often to ensure my Gamecube lens is dust free since my place does tend to get dusty fairly easily and it shows after awhile.