Can Apple supply replacement DVD drives (IDE) for 2008 Mac Pros?

I have tried to find replacements for two faulty internal Superdrives on-line, with no luck.
Today I went into my local Apple Store and was advised to call with my serial number.
After calling & waiting I was told I needed to be put through to the technical department.
That turned out to be the Applcare line.
My Applecare expired a while ago & the office was closed anyway.
I haven't been able to find out directly from Apple if they can still supply replacement drives, does anyone here know (anyone actually got some)?
Please help me clear the junk of my desk and rid me of tatty plastic Samsung drives....

yeah, I think you nailed it there. technically Apple does still provide service for the 2008 Mac pro's but you'd have to take it in and wait. Your mileage may vary-As you (and I) have found out, it'd be cheaper and easier just to go out, buy a new drive, and install the darn thing yourself. Besides, Optiarc (the original drive makers) aren't in business anymore, and....yeah....you'll probably find E sata DVD drives 97% of the time, so probably go with that. I bought from MCE tech... an Atapi Blu Ray drive, which I had to buy because my superdrive bit the dust, and a new DVD burner would have cost at least 50, so, I figured why not. In a pinch, you can use an ATAPI/IDE dvd burner from a PC with no problem. Just plug 'er right in, and make sure the jumper is set to 'cable select' .. as for Pioneer, I know that OWC has the Pioneer blu-ray drive, but I haven't been able to find any plain Pioneer DVD burners, at least not around here.
So, i guess in answer to your question: technically, yes, but you'd have to bring in your mac pro and pay their prices.

Similar Messages

Replacing Internal optical drives on a 2008 Mac pro

I am looking to replace my internal optical drives on a 2008 Mac pro. I am thinking of purchasing Pioneer BDC-207 - Mac Pro Kit 16X 5.25" Internal Blu-ray Player, DVD.
Does anyone have any experience with this product or recommendations?

<http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BD12XMP INT&Category_Code=STORBD&Product_Count=1>

Replacement CD/DVD Drive for 2008 Mac Pro?

I need to purchase a new optical drive for my 2008 Mac Pro 2.8 GHz Quad-Core desktop computer. I checked OWC, but they're out of stock. I currently have a Samsung SH-S222L, which I absolutely hate–mainly because the heads access the drive every 5 minutes or so. Very, very annoying.
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

Psst ! Here's a little tip for you. The drive used in Mac Pro's isn't exclusive to the mac. It's an Optiarc model
and I believe you can use any cd/dvd burning drive with an ATAPI plug on the back, Pc or Mac, and chances are it'll work fine, I used a Lite-On drive I snagged from a dying PC in my Mac pro 3,1 as my 2nd dvd drive
and it worked fine for a few years. Replacing it isn't that hard either. There are guides on Youtube or other places that show you how to do it. Just remember to remove the little lip on the front of the dvd drawer before you install it. I don't know about specific brands, but Pioneer seems fine, and I'm sure there are others that are fine, too. macsales might help you out. I know what it's like having to haul your Mac pro into your local Mac place--a pain in the butt, right? and then you have to wait...and wait...
I think you can can do this....
good luck
John B

Where can I obtain the AHT on disk for my Mac Pro 4.1?

Where can I obtain a disk (iso) of the AHT for my Mac Pro 4.1 (latest OS X Yosemite) that I am busy upgrading?

If you can fiddle with file permissions without going nuts, the original gray discs or the downloads mentioned (once the .dmg is mounted) provide a roughly 60 to 100 MByte .diagnostics [invisible] directory at:
/Volumes/disc_name/System/Library/CoreServices/.diagnostics
You can see this folder (on the DVD or in the download) with the Finder by looking in CoreServices, using the Find command and specifying name .diagnostics and Visibility [invisible].
Open a second Finder window and navigate to the comparable place in the current Directory structure:
/System/Library/CoreServices
drag and drop the .diagnostics directory from the DVD or the download in one window to the current Core Services folder in the other window. Observe carefully to see that it actually does the copy, as Find-ing it in the current directory structure is quirky.
You may have to authenticate as Admin, or you may already have access --
-- otherwise you can change the permissions of the current CoreServices folder to allow you to Read & Write
-- don't forget to change permissions back if you modified them.
NOW try Restart and hold the D key.

Installing OS and Apps on SSD boot drive on early 2008 Mac Pro while keeping all other data from old iMac on hdd

So I've just got myself a early 2008 Mac Pro with a OCZ RevoDrive 80GB PCIe SSD to replace my old iMac which is slowly but surely giving up on me. I want to put my OS (mavericks) and some/all (whichever is possible/easier) apps, both apple and 3rd party, from my old iMac, onto the SSD but keep all my other data on the 2TB HDD, also from my old iMac, in the mac pro. Can anyone tell me how to do this/if its possible? (not massively tech savvy so simpleish language and steps would be handy!) Thanks!

How to use an SSD with your HDD
If you are going to use an SSD as a boot drive together with your existing HDD as the "data" drive, here's what you can do.
After installing the SSD you will need to partition and format the SSD using Disk Utility. Then, install OS X on the SSD. After OS X has been installed boot from the SSD. Use Startup Disk preferences to set the SSD as the startup volume.
Open Users & Groups preferences. Click on the lock icon and authenticate. CTRL- or RIGHT-click on your user account listing in the sidebar and select Advanced Options from the context menu. You will see a field labeled "Home dir:" At the right end you will see a Change button. Click on it. In the file dialog locate the Home folder now located on the HDD (HDD/Users/account_name/.) Select the folder, click on Open button. Restart the computer as directed.
When the computer boots up it will now be using the Home folder located on the HDD.
Another more technical method involving the Terminal and aliases is discussed in depth here: Using OS X with an SSD plus HDD setup - Matt Gemmell. This is my preferred approach because I can select which of the Home's folders I want on the HDD and which I don't want. For example, I like to keep the Documents and Library folders on the SSD because I access their content frequently.
Be sure you retain the fully bootable system on your HDD in case you ever need it.

Apple's ink preference option, randomly appears 2008 Mac Pro???

Ink or inkwell. Is Apple's own handwriting recognition program It is included in leopard and is only available if your mac detects the presence of a wacom tablet.
I don't have a wacom tablet, nor have I ever used one. Yet the ink icon has just recently began appearing randomly. A small menu icon, appears next to the volume control in the menu bar. It also appears under system preferences between keyboard and mouse and the print and fax preferences.
The ink icon and preference option will just mysteriously also disappear within a few minutes.
I don't have a wireless card in my mac pro. I also double checked to see if all bluetooth options are turn off. I have two hard drives both with separate installations of OS X. This has happened on both installs.
The only thing new is a airport extreme base station. The airport is being used by only two computers my 2008 mac pro and a imac out in the living room. Both are using ethernet no wireless.
At first I suspected the airport was picking up a stray signal from a neighbor using a wacom tablet.
But I think thats unlikely since any wireless tablet would be using bluetooth.
I did also upgrade to ilife 09. Again I don't see how ilife 09 could cause trouble like this.
I have googled to see if anyone else may have experienced anything like this. I have found nothing helpful.
Any one have any ideas To what might cause this?

Anyone?
Just today at the early A.M. my mac pro woke from sleep
May 6 03:23:38 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: Wake reason = UHC3 EHCI
May 6 03:23:38 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: System Wake
May 6 03:23:38 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: Previous Sleep Cause: 5
May 6 03:23:38 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: USB (EHCI):Port 6 on bus 0xfd connected or disconnected: portSC(0x101803)
May 6 03:23:38 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: USB (UHCI):Port 2 on bus 0x5d connected or disconnected
May 6 03:23:38 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: IOBluetoothHCIController::terminateWL .. done
+See how it mentions bluetooth?+
+Here is what a normal wake from sleep looks like for me+
May 6 05:39:51 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: System Sleep
May 6 12:50:54 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: Wake reason = EHCI
May 6 12:50:54 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: System Wake
May 6 12:50:54 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: Previous Sleep Cause: 5
May 6 12:50:54 johns-mac-pro kernel[0]: USB (EHCI):Port 5 on bus 0xfd has remote wakeup from some device
All bluetooth options are turned off. I have no bluetooth devices nor have I ever used one with this mac. I also have wake for ethernet administrator disabled. I also checked to see if their were any scheduled wake events.
Just before this morning on the advice from Apple care I did both a PSM and PRAM reset. To see if that would element the random appearing ink icon. From My first post.
I think Their is a problem with my bluetooth chip receiving signals when is not sopped to. The chip is not turning off?
Ant ideas
Message was edited by: rpaloalto

2nd graphics card for 2008 Mac Pro 3.1

I need to connect a third monitor to my 2008 Mac Pro 3.1 - 2.8/8 core - so I can view and control Logic from my vocal booth. I don't want a monster card. Just the bare minimum. The monitor will only be on when I'm recording by myself. I appreciate suggestions and any warnings of pssible problems.
Thanks for the help.

ATI Radeon 5770
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC742ZM/A
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-ATI-Radeon-5770-MC742ZM/dp/B003Z6QH6M
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/726537-REG/Apple_MC742ZM_A_ATI_Radeon_HD_5 770.html
How To Install and Remove Memory Mac Pro
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT4433
2x2GB FBDIMM DDR2 667MHz @ $32http://www.amazon.com/BUFFERED-PC2-5300-FB-DIMM-APPLE-Memory/dp/B002ORUUAC/
Hardware Monitor
http://www.bresink.com/osx/HardwareMonitor.html

Installing Airport extreme card for 2008 Mac Pro

After some searching I finally found which airport extreme card to get for my 2008 Mac Pro that I just purchased recently . According to the the link below in the Apple archives it is part number MB363Z/A. However the link further down in the thread for the instructions on installing the card doesn't seem to work any more. Anyone know where to find another link for some detailed instructions or pics on installing the card. I haven't found any as of yet. I installed the old extreme card in my G5 pretty easily, but this seems a little more involved in the Mac pro from what I've read so far.
thanks, Craig
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6563623

Ok never mind I found the old link seems to work now with detailed pics and instructions. Sounds like it's a bit of a pain but can be done with patience. Just have to get the card now.
http://meanderingpassage.com/2007/07/18/how-to-installing-an-airport-extreme-car d-in-an-intel-mac-pro/

Mini Display Port connector for 2008 Mac Pro

I have a 2008 Mac Pro (with 2 x DVI connectors). Is there a graphics card with Mini Display Port connector that I can just wack in and use a 27" Apple LED Cinema Display?

Which 27" display? Current Thunderbolt model or previous mini-displayport model?
For mini-displayport connections look at the apple versions of the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and 5780 video cards. Both have two mini-displayports and a dual link dvi port. The 5770 requires one aux poer adapter cable while the 5780 requires two.
At present there is no way to connect the current 27" TB display to mini-displayport. Only to another TB display or the 2011 computer's apple makes.

SSDs for 2008 Mac Pro

I'm thinking about buying an SSD for my Mac Pro (see specs in my signature), any recommendations? I've been a big fan of products from OWC in the past, so I'm considering their Mercury line. On the other hand, Crucial drives are a bit cheaper (especially on Amazon). Question: would there be any point in my getting an M4 from Crucial rather than a V4? My understanding is that the primary difference is the 6gb/s vs. 3gb/s transfer rates, but that my Mac Pro can only handle 3gb/s anyway.
I'm still on Snow Leopard for now, but I'm looking into whether or not Mountain Lion will be a worthwhile upgrade for me--still not sure about compatibility of certain key apps in my workflow.

The main improvement in performance in a Mac Pro is establishing a boot drive with only System, Library, Applications and the hidden Unix files including paging/swap.
The bulk of the performance increase is not from the speed of the Boot Drive, but from what it is NOT doing -- it is not moving the Data Drive heads away from your data files to go "snacking" for system files or Paging in the middle of your production work. At a cost of tens of milliseconds for every access plus that much time again to get back to the Data areas.
ANY separate drive will produce the majority of the improvement.
A faster drive will produce a slight incremental improvement. A low-latency SSD will produce another slight incremental improvement. These incremental improvements will be most perceptible in a very slightly faster boot-up time and very slightly faster Application launch times.
You are concentrating on the absolute LEAST important issues, that will have the smallest, possibly not even perceptible performance impacts.
My Advice: Get a Boot Drive that is cheap and live happily ever after.

ATI Radeon 5770 for 2008 Mac Pro

I just bought this card for my 2008 mac pro. According to the Apple store's Q&A, this card should work fine with my computer. I am curious if this is just a simple swap, or if I need to attach any additional power cable to the mother board.
Also, is it possible to use this card and the ATI Radeon HD2600 simultaneously on my computer? I have a USB card and a black magic HDMI in/out card I use for video already installed. Just want to make sure I won't pull too much power and overheat.
Thanks!

I had basically the same problem with trying to run the Mac 5770 with a Mac/PC 3870 in my 2008 Octo 3.1 MP. I was hoping I could use the component output on the 3870 (using the 9 pin ATI adapter that has component, s-video and composite outputs) for my Sony CRT Pro monitor and using the DVI to run a large screen TV for Netflicks, etc, or another smaller digital monitor. Plus, I was keeping my fingers crossed that Apple's "Color" application wouldn't see the 3850 if I had the AV switcher turning the connections off when not in use while editing in FCP Studio (Color will usually not launch if it "sees" two graphics cards connected to monitors).
Apparently the 5770 firmware has a conflict with other ATI cards: 2600, 3850 and maybe even 4870. I thought they would have a better chance of working together being ATI, but apparently not. Another user posted that he was able to get a NVIDIA GT 120 working fine with the ATI 5770 after having the same issues with the ATI 2600, but whether Color will launch is another question. I suppose I can try some older cheaper NVIDIA's maybe even some with analog outputs that the 3870 had if I could find one? Any suggestions or success stories in running a second card with the 5770?
Finally, I removed the 3870 to see how the 5770 would work by itself: the screen start-up time went from several minutes to seconds. Both monitors are very snappy and working fine with one 23" CD in the DVI port and the other23" CD using the mini-display port adapter (just the single $29 one, not dual DVI $99 type).
I don't play games or do much 3D, so I hope it was worth the upgrade price, as the 3870 had a passive cooler, was rock solid in every aspect and ran Core apps fast, but it didn't have OpenCL, so I'm hoping to see some improvement across the board in my graphics, especially the Adobe CS5 Suite.

Help with new video card for 2008 mac pro

I was looking to upgrade the speed of my 2008 Mac Pro Video
I currently have a nvidea 8800 512mb
Looking for any suggestions?
I need something that will not block the 2nd 2.0 pci slot?
From my understanding my mac has two 2.0 pci slots and one is used by the video card?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Nvidia-GTX-780-3-GB-for-Apple-Mac-Pro-/331071998403?n ma=true&si=TLQfb78DRSdpDaz0cZAp4FFlvP8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p204767 5.l2557
this Nvidia GTX 780 is the best your mac can handle safely, the card can work on 1 slot at around 95% according to another site:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Ivy_Bridge_PCI-Express_Scaling/3.html
this is what i plan to use in my mac pro 3,1

Basic video card for 2008 Mac Pro?

An old question, I suppose, but products change....
The video card in my Early 2008 Mac Pro seems to be flaking out -- hardware crashes and the like. I'm just using it as a server, and don't need a particularly high end (= expensive) replacement. Any suggestions? Thanks!

"PC cards flashed to Mac Firmware do not show a picture until Mac OS X is fully up and running, so debugging, alternate booting, running Utility DVD or Recovery HD are extremely difficult."
Grant is right about many flashed cards. Specifically, flashed 5770 and 5870 cards show no EFI boot screens unless you hapen to use a VGA display connected via lower DVI port. Not very handy.
Many flashed Nvidia cards DO show the boot screens and thus function like a card you bought from Apple store.
There are now flashed GT120 cards available as well. You need to be certain that you are clear on whether your Mac Pro is EFI64 or EFI32. (Mac Pro 1,1 ad 2,1 are 32, all of the newer ones are EFI64)
The EFI64 machines have a much better array of options. If you are unclear, it is always better to ask questions before rather than guess, especially if the ad you are looking at seems ambiguous.
The screens before the desktop shows up are called the "Boot screens" typically and are there due to EFI drivers on card. From desktop on the OSX drivers take over.

3.5" SSD tray for 2008 Mac Pro

I've just bought a new SSD for my 2008 Mac Pro and I need a 2.5" to 3.5" tray for it. I've seen recommendations for the Icy Dock, can someone confirm whether or not this fits the 2008 model? Or, are there other trays I should look at instead? Thanks.

jdredge wrote:
I've just bought a new SSD for my 2008 Mac Pro and I need a 2.5" to 3.5" tray for it. I've seen recommendations for the Icy Dock, can someone confirm whether or not this fits the 2008 model? Or, are there other trays I should look at instead? Thanks.
You might want to check this out: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Sonnet%20Technologies/TP25ST35TA/. OWC also offers a complete sled but only for the 2009 and later Mac Pro's, which use a slightly different sled design from your '08.

USB3 card for 2008 Mac Pro

am considering adding USB 3 capability to my 2008 Mac Pro (which still works great ... I had it overhauled last year...)
I imagine the best way to do this would be a PCI Express card? I still have two unused slots in the back.
Can anyone advise which would be be the best card to get?
I'm currently running Mavericks - currently everything is working, including my four e-SATA ports currently on two PCI-X cards...
w

yes! thank you.
a google search would show lots of options, but for someone like me (who is less savvy than most of the contributors to this discussion board) it's hard to know exactly what card will work with my machine.
Looking at the Sonnet cards, this one seems like a very good bargain -
<https://www.google.com/shopping/product/11936350470791125384?q=Allegro+USB+3.0+P CIe&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.59568121,d.cWc,pv.xjs.s.en_US.1EneOJbgwUk.O&bi w=980&bih=868&tch=1&ech=1&psi=ikrZUv6xAurlsASmpICgCg.1389972106495.5&ei=k0rZUs-N DOKosASy5ICgCg&ved=0CJcEEKYrMAE>
would this work for me? the price is less than I expected for real true USB 3.0
thanks again
will

Can Apple supply replacement DVD drives (IDE) for 2008 Mac Pros?

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