Do CD burners ever die?

[beansbaxter]

The problem lies with an internal IDE CD-R/RW burner...the burner has been working fine for as long as I can remember. However, now it wont burn media any longer, yet it does read CD's just fine.

Experience has told me that the life of a burner averages approximately three years, for after that the laser (in regards to burning) then fizzles. That is why I always seem to purchase a new burner every three years.

But if the laser can read a CD just fine, and if there is just one laser, or "eye", then why isnt it working in regards to burning.

Any help here is greatly appreciated.

 

[johnjkr1]

Oh, they die all the time. I have one or two here with the same problem. The cd portion and the writing poriton use different lasers, one can die and the other can still work.

 

[Bassyhead]

optical drives seem to die on me more often than any other computer hardware

 

[jadinolf]

My HP 7200i died after 8 years. (POS)

 

[snidy1]

Originally posted by: Bassyhead
optical drives seem to die on me more often than any other computer hardware

I second that

 

[Slikkster]

I believe the expression is "they just fade away".