Has this ever happened to you: you have decided to sit down in front of your TV and Wii game console and play some games. It's been a week in the waiting. You grab a game, insert it into the Wii and it powers up. You see the main welcome screen, and start your game. It is taking longer than usual, and all of a sudden you are greeted with an "Unable to read the disc" or "Disc could not be read" message. Your stomach sinks.
First things first, you remove the disc to ensure there are no signs of scratches. You check to ensure that you didn't insert any other type of disc, such as a DVD, movie or CD because they will not play on the Wii and will return the same error message.
You try again and go through the same steps. Turn off the Wii, insert the game disc, start the game but the Wii persists in greeting you with the same error.
You check everything again - disc inserted correctly, power is turned on. You try other game discs, and all show you the same message. There is definitely something wrong.
Now what?
You hit the internet to see what could cause this problem, but all your research leads to the same conclusion - there is something wrong with the DVD in the Wii and it will need to be repaired.
You've hit all the do-it-yourself Wii sites but all the technical information is a bit too much, so unfortunately there are not to many options. If you are familiar with the Wii and have access to the types of tools needed to open it up you could change the CD yourself.
The only other option is to send your Wii to Nintendo for an authorized repair, which also provides an additional year of warranty on your Wii component or see if there is someone local who will repair it for you.
One of the main reasons the Wii disc error occurs is due to build up of dirt and dust inside the Wii and on the DVD reader. Most people keep their Wii on the stand, however speaking from personal experience this is not the right way to keep your Wii and the reason for this is because there is very poor air circulation. Because of this the air vents get clogged and you build up dirt and dust inside your console.
The best way to position your game console is on the side, laying flat. This keeps all the air vents open. Also don't put the game console into tight spaces, there needs to be enough air circulation around the Wii so that the fans inside can keep air circulating and blowing out dust.
If your Wii is a place where there is a lot of dust or dirt, then you should regularly blow air into is to clear the vents.
Another suggestion by the folks at Nintendo was to use a CD/DVD cleaner to remove any dirt or dust build-up on the head.
These are just some simple things you need to do to keep your Wii running in good condition, and to prevent the dreaded disc errors.
Find more top games for your Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii game cheats, tips and tricks over at Top Wii Games 2010. We'll show you the best deals on Wii games, and Nintendo Wii accessories. You will also find the Top Wii Fit games to get the most from your Wii Fit and how to keep your Wii running in new condition, giving you fun for years to come!
