Fix a PS2 that will not read discs

A PS2 that spins a disc but never loads is the most common fault these machines have. The laser and its parts wear out. Before you toss it, try these fixes in order, cheapest first. First, clean. Dust on the laser lens blocks the beam. A soft cotton bud with a little cleaning alcohol, wiped gently across the lens, fixes more PS2s than anything else. Let it dry fully before powering on. Second, the gears. Inside is a worm gear and a sled that carry the laser along a rail. Old grease turns to glue and the laser cannot move smoothly, so it fails to focus. People clean off the old grease and add fresh plastic-safe grease. Some also find the gear teeth worn and realign or replace them. This is fiddly but needs no special tools beyond a screwdriver. Third, the laser pot. Pot is short for a tiny adjustment dial on the laser that sets its power. Turning it a hair can wake a weak laser. Warning: this is a last resort. Too much power burns the laser out for good, and there is no undo. If you try it, mark the start position first and move it in the smallest steps you can. Many people say skip the pot and just fit a new laser assembly instead. A fresh laser is cheap and removes the guesswork. Search for a PS2 laser replacement that matches your model, because early fat models, later fat models, and the slim all differ. One odd fact: PlayStation games for this era came on both silver and blue discs. Blue discs are the PS1 games it can also play. If only blue discs fail, or only silver, that points at which laser is weak, since the machine uses two beams. Check your exact model on its spec sheet in the library before ordering a laser.