Cleaning Internal DVD drive and Repairing Disc

1. What is the best way to clean and maintain an internal DVD/CD drive?

Periodically, you may want to use a CD/DVD cleaning disc - they have little brushes that are supposed to clean off the lens. If you're having read/write difficulty with a drive, try to clean it with one of these first - otherwise, just replace the drive. They're dirt cheap, so if cleaning doesn't help, it may not be worth the effort to troubleshoot any further since a new drive will run about $30.

2. Do those markers or liquid product that repair scratches in DVD/CDs really work?

I've never used the markers but I have used a plastic polish and a lot of elbow grease to remove scratches in discs. Meguiar's Mirror Glaze is what I've used.

I assume you are referring to this Meguiar's product, no?

Actually, I used this one, but it's pretty similar. That's what I had.

Is it really safe for the CD itself? I hope it will not dissolve the existing coating on the CD. Did you use a chamois?

I've used it on CDs and DVDs that had scratches and wouldn't play without skipping. If I destroyed the disc, it didn't really matter as they weren't playable with the scratches. I haven't seen any adverse effects, though. I'm sure I used some sort of cloth, but probably not a chamois.