PC Engine Duo-R "Load Error" message

[losersclub]

Bit of a plea for help and advice from the PCE heads out there please....

I recently sold my DUO-R to another member on here and upon arriving with him it is failing to load CD games, It just comes up with "Please wait a moment" and then "Load Error", the drive does make a noise however - presumably as it's trying to read the disc

I bought this machine from Japan a couple of months back and the seller had advertised it as "Just having a new lens fitted" so my initial thought was that it isn't that UNLESS....

The bloody courier has shook it about and chucked it - i've read about how fragile the laser mechs are on these machines, i just thought having made it all the way from Japan it would be alright making it's way from Scunthorpe to Falkirk but i think we all know how badly packages can be treated (although there are no visible signs of damage on the box)

So i guess what i'm hoping for is for someone to come on here and say it's a quick fix and something simple but i bet it isn't

Can anyone recommend a good place to get it repaired in the UK?

Thanks!

James

[J0e Musashi]

User has the right system card yers?

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

I'd recommend checking the PSU.

[losersclub]

I'd recommend checking the PSU.

Cheers bud, he's tried it with 45, 60 and 100w stepdowns (including the same Maplins model i was using with it) and still no joy

[losersclub]

Could it be something like this maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5FesK-w6h0

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

Possibly. I know my old Duo had that issue and it was the PSU so that's why I mentioned it.

The other option could be a problem with the drive lid closing.

[Colin]

Get him to try an audio CD in it before you do anything else, and see if it plays ok.

[CMcK]

I stuck in an audio CD and it did get to the playback menu. But it was quite slow to get there and when I pressed play it sounded terrible. The music was quite badly distorted.

[Colin]

These are just silly things that often work CMcK, have you tried sliding the lense mechanism all the way to the opposite site from where it's sat (i don't need to tell you not to touch the lense ) Stick the audio CD in and let the lense reset to it's start position and see what happens.

[CMcK]

I had a link from losersclub for a YouTube video describing a similar solution.
Just to be clear does the console need to switched on or off while sliding the lens?

[Colin]

Shouldn't matter, all you're doing is sliding the mechanism, but power it off if you prefer. I used to have a white CD-Rom that needed it doing once in a while. I'm not saying it'll definitely work, but worth a bash.

[CMcK]

I've had a go at moving the laser mechanism and it won't budge. If I have time tonight and I can find my security bit screwdrivers I'll need to open her up for a nosey.

Update: the mech moved fine when I turned the motor spindle by hand.

[CMcK]

Well nothing obvious inside. I had removed the cover for the transport mech and tried it with an audio disc. Seemed OK so I tried it with a game CD and that was working too. Reassembled the system and tried again. No joy.
Removed the transport cover in case it was fouling the mech maybe. No joy. If cleaning the lens doesn't work I'll have a fiddle with the pot. The fact it plays audio CDs, albeit with distortion, makes me think it is something fixable.

Can anyone recommend a good CD laser lens cleaner? Or best just to use a cotton bud dampened with alcohol?

[Colin]

Any joy with this after cleaning the lense CMcK?

[CMcK]

I have cleaned the lens and it has improved music playback a little bit. Still doesn't load games though. I have no idea why it did work one time. I had the case screws all out at that point but cannot see that making much difference.

I'll hopefully have time to try adjusting the potentiometer for the laser one night this week. If that still doesn't cure it I'll sell the system on as is.