My DVD writer drive has worked hard and perfectly in its 20-month lifetime. But now it generates discs with errors. At what point does a drive become unreliable?
Antonio Brunacci, via e-mail
Senior Associate Editor Melissa J. Perenson responds: Optical drive vendors tell me that the expected point of failure for a DVDRW burner is about 50,000 to 75,000 hours of operation--whether the PC is active, or simply drawing power in standby mode. Although a drive failure can occur after just a few months of vigorous use, the best drives can last five years or even more. Heat is your drive's greatest enemy; you can avoid premature failure by ensuring your PC has good internal air circulation.
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