Whay are optical drives so sensitive?

[warchief]

I have never come across a drive that works properly.

They all make funny noises and dont spin properly. Sometimes locking up the rest of the computer.

Sure they work good sometimes but more often than not they don't.

We need a new method of storage. Optical is just too unreliable.

[adoniscik]

There's flash memory. It is still two orders of magnitude behind optical technology, but still..

[warchief]

I have never had any problems with retail CD/DVD in a standalone DVD/CD player. What is it about recordable optical media and writers?

[chef]

I have never come across a drive that works properly.

And you never thought that it could be a problem from other peripheral in your computer...?!

[Quakester2000]

Possibly your Power Supply, as locking up when using a CD/DVD writer can happen if you have too much in your computer and your PSU cant handle it. What make is your PSU and what wattage?