Who doesn’t remember PC games such as Maniac Mansion, the King’s Quest series and the dubious adventures of Leisure Suit ...

Optical drives are still practical for many users, whether to play old CDs and DVDs, install software, or create backups—especially with modern laptops, which are usually supplied without a drive.

I have an Alienware PC which is still going strong after eight years, but I'm beginning to have nagging doubts about the integrity of the DVD drive. I've googled all over for diagnostic software, but ...