Dreamcast Care & Repair: Fixing Disk Read Error

This is a guide on how to fix the disk read error on the dreamcast this if for people with a dreamcast that no longer reads disks
(wow over 11,000 views thanks guys)

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Dreamcast
• Care
• Repair
• Disk
• Error

[jeremie14loo]

so is this permanent?

[arranmc182]

@jeremie14loo No it is not if you are having to do this then the laser is getting weak and might stop working at any time

[LurchenGamer]

Okay my DC plays one game (Sonic Adventure) but does not play Jet Grind Radio (Not a lot of scratches) Whats wrong with it?

[arranmc182]

@LurchenGamer Could be a bad pressed game as a lot of early Dreamcast games had bad presses nothing that can be done its just pot luck its something sega did fix early on do later games are fine, I have a brand new Chu Chu rocked that was sealed and the disk had no scratches on but wouldn't boot in 3 Dreamcasts I tested it with.

[calico1997]

@roosteemon I found the real problem. The flimsy lid switch fails on all these machines. Your machine is thinking the lid is open or semi-open. It happens while loading a disk and the load fails. I found keeping the lids open 100% of the time while not in use relaxes the pressure on the switch so it keeps working. Or you can open up your DC and bypass the lid switch.

[lovelorn8888]

@arranmc182 hmmm this is late lol but do u mean like the game it self just isnt stuck to the disc right?

[fjkdfrefneklrj]

@roosteemon do u know if the part where the laser is,is suppose to be up normally?

[roosteemon]

ok heres what my dreamcast does. evry once in a while it just stops reading disks and if i just open it up blow on the laser and move it all the way up it works perfectly agian and somtimes just removing the modem will make it somewhat work like it will work but the load times are twice as long as normal and it will randomly freeze for a few seconds

ps i havnt moded my dreamcast in any way shape or form

[medwardl]

If it didn't work for you your laser is shot and needs to be replaced.

[tunkunrunk]

this fix doesn't work at all

[medwardl]

Thanks worked great!

[ParanoiaGentlman]

hey my dreamcast is only reading music not games BUT ! when im in the music player it plays the audio from the official discs? what wrong?

[2345godfather]

thanks a bunch dude dc FOR LIFE

[tehNach0]

@tehNach0 Or could it be that the laser's almost dead and can only read CD-ROM and not GD-ROM? I wish I had a clean new game to test it with.