Macbookpro refuses to read dvd's

I posted earlier about my macbookpro ejecting dvd's, well it is not reading ANY dvd's, it just spits them back out. i've tried 3 different dvd's now.
Unsure what to do, send back to apple?

Either take a trip to the Apple Store or call Apple Care. Either way sounds like you need a new drive.

Similar Messages

External DVD player refuses to read DVDs

I've searched high and low on the internet and I can't find any solutions to this problem or anyone with this exact same problem. Yesterday I bought a region 2 internal DVD player (LG GH22LP20) as well as a USB enclosure (my Macbook Pro is set to region 1). I thought it would be as simple as plug and play, but it's not.
In both OSX and Windows XP the drive was easily installed and seems to be in working order, but when I put a DVD two things happen: if I try to autoplay it with VLC Media Player, the system will hang until I turn off the DVD player, at which point everything returns immediately back to normal. Secondly, if I try to navigate to the DVD or the VIDEO_TS folder directly through VLC, VLC will flash a black screen (the screen gets big for a fraction of a second and then minimizes again) and nothing else will happen.
I've tried DVDs from different regions, looked for driver updates, scoured messageboards looking for help, and nothing works. Is there some software compatibility issue with the Macbook Pro and the player? Or is either the player or the external housing to blame?

failed when I really needed it at the meeting
Isn't that just typical!
Maybe a disk error, but equally likely is that the DVD needed a clean.
A single fingerprint is enough to stop it playing.
You should also consider having the free VLC Player from http://www.videolan.org/ in your armory, as this plays almost anything that DVD Player might not.

New MacBook refuses to read install DVDs

I just got a new MacBook 2.2,
But it refuses to read the installation DVDs - it spits them out after some seconds of trying.
It does however, read a CD, and a single Layer DVD.
Does apple not know, that Dual Layer DVDs are still not widely used besides Movie DVDs ?
Message title was edited by: Host

I know, that DL-DVDs are common,
but they are not widely used as OS install media.
I even think, this is the first time a company did it.
DL DVDs are harder to read for the drives then single layer Discs.
Most likely this is a firmware problem (of course this is a guess).
Also, when drives get older, they chance that they will not read DL-DVDs is rising.
See this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1206824&tstart=210
Of course, I will return the Machine.

Not Reading DVDs

I purchased my Mini in May '06. Overall, I have been pretty pleased as this is my first Mac. However, I have experienced sporatic episodes where it will stop reading commercial DVDs.
For the past three days, every time I put in a DVD, it is opened in the Finder and is read as a DVD-R. The DVD player application cannot read the disc and notes that it is unsupported media.
I have tried several (8 different) movies and a whole season of Friends, which I was watching the day before. The only system change since this most recent episode of not reading DVDs was an update to MS Office. I have also tried several restarts, including unplugging everything.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Also, it is worth noting that this is not the first time that the disc drive has refused to read a DVD. This is the longest amount of time that it has not worked though. Overall, it seems a little unreliable.
Mini Mac OS X (10.4.8)

There are a number of other things you might find useful to know of course. Some such are:
Cache files: MacOS, like Windows, uses caching technology a great deal to help the operating system run quickly and smoothly. basically it saves commonly used pieces of code or data in temporary cache files so it can quickly fetch them as needed, in rather the same way that a web browser will store temporary caches to help 'accelerate' browsing.
As long as the cache files work correctly, the system will run well - but sometimes for a variety of reasons one or more of these files will get damaged, and as a result, the system will behave oddly or crash. Sometimes the system will continue to run, but seem to run slower and slower. The solution is to purge the cache file(s) concerned, though since there's no easy way to tell which cache file is which, it's generally easier to remove them all in one go with an application such as OnyX or YASU (my favourite to recommend is the latter of those two because it doesn't give inexperienced users the option to do things that might otherwise cause more problems than they solve).
Prebinding: In MacOS, applications can be very complex things - the 'executable' part of the software often being only part of what makes the application run. Others are 'library' files (.dlls to our Windows brothers and sisters) which and liked to the application. The process by which the application itself and it's linked libraries know each other and connect together is called 'prebinding' - sort of like a map that shows MacOS which bits connect to what. Prebinding is done automatically when your system is first set up and when every major install or update is done. If you see a message saying 'optimizing system' when installing something, that's the system prebinding. Installing software and updates can cause prebinding to go wrong however, and when it does, the system will run OK, except that applications will generally seem sluggish and may pause for lengthy periods for no apparent reason (caused by having to search for the correct linked libraries). If you experience such a think, you can update prebinding manually, again using such software as YASU.
Cron Scripts: MacOS is built on a UNIX core, and like all UNIX flavours, it is designed as 'server environment'. As such, it was really designed and anticipated that it would run 24/7. Because of this, there are some routine maintenance tasks that are designed to run overnight, once a day, once a week and once a month. These are not at all critical tasks, and really only involve trimming old log file entries and the like, but without the maintenance tasks running every now and then, the log files can get large and slow the system down as entries are tagged onto the end. You can manually run the cron scripts that perform these routine maintenance tasks, again using a utility such as YASU.
Plists: MacOS uses a series of 'property list' files, linked to applications and the core elements of MacOS itself to set preferences, configurations and the manner in which things operate and run. You'll find many of these in places such as your user/library. There are circumstances where oner or more of these can get corrupted, and the application, or part of MacOS concerned, will misbehave. You can check for bad plist files using a utility called Preferential Treatment. This examines plists that relate to your account only, and also to the system as a whole, and can tell you which, if any, are faulty and remove them so the system automatically can then create a new one.
Misbehaving systems: MacOS is generally well behaved, but when it does go wrong, it can be a problem to find out how and why. Activity Monitor (in applications/utilities) can often show you what the system is actually doing, but it can be difficult to watch because there's so much information. A neat utility called MenuMeters allows you to put simple indicators of system activity on the menu bar up by the clock. Network and hard drive activity, memory use, 'paging' (the reading and writing of temporary data to the hard drive), and CPU load are all visible, so you can see at a glance what, if anything, your Mac is doing when it seems not to be working as expected.
It is really not necessary to run any routine maintenance on your Mac do do any of the above - or not at all frequently, but a copy of a utility such as YASU, and Preferential Treatment, and a simple monitoring tool such as MenuMeters can be invaluable in dealing with, or at least analyzing, issues as they arise.
All the above can be downloaded from www.versiontracker.com if you wish.

Anyone provide accurate info on why after 1 yr, after guarantee period expiry the DVD player on our I mac running Intel core duo processor with OS 10.6.8 refuses to run DVDs? CDs run

Can anyone provide accurate info on why after 1 yr, ( just after guarantee period expiry) the DVD player on our I mac running Intel core duo processor with OS 10.6.8 refuses to run DVDs?
CDs run without problem and until recently the DVD we have (all original no pirated copies) ran; we have used a CD cleaner disc to no avail.

Welcome to the Apple boards:
I suggest an erase and install and use your backup for any important files you have.
Did you perform a disk check/repair and permissions repair and a PRAM zap before updating? While not required, they are usually necessary to avoid issues.
There are so many reasons for a bad install, that it is impossible to list them all.
Out-of-date software, drivers, etc, haxies, and other software can cause problems.
My three updates were without incident, so it is possible for a perfect update, but unless you supply us with details about your previous system, programs, apps, drivers, etc., it is not possible to figure out what happened.
Again, whenever installing an update to an OS, a clone or other full backup is absolutely necessary, as reading the posts on this board indicate.

My DVD drive has stopped reading DVD's. Help?

I have owned my Pavilion S5165-uk for merely a few months now, and now my DVD Drive is refusing to read any DVD's. CD's are fine, but when you're a student such as myself, there's no better way of spending time that you're meant to be spending doing private study other than playing The Sims 3. I have tried multiple DVD's yet my drive is refusing to pick up anything other than CD's. I have tried every solution the HP troubleshooter has to offer and am beginning to feel a little stumped. Any Ideas?
When life gives you lemons, make grape juice just to confuse the person sat next to you.

George_Clark wrote: I have owned my Pavilion S5165-uk for merely a few months now, and now my DVD Drive is refusing to read any DVD's. CD's are fine, but when you're a student such as myself, there's no better way of spending time that you're meant to be spending doing private study other than playing The Sims 3. I have tried multiple DVD's yet my drive is refusing to pick up anything other than CD's. I have tried every solution the HP troubleshooter has to offer and am beginning to feel a little stumped. Any Ideas?
Hello George_Clark, Many times when this occurs, the DVD laser has become faulty. These multi-purpose drives have a CD and a DVD laser. This might explain why the CD still works.
If this is the case, the only option would be to replace the CD\DVD drive.
I have been successful in cleaning the laser in a few DVD drives and managed to get them working again, but that is quite involved and not easily done, and after the hard work, may not be successful.
DVD drives can be purchased at inexpensive cost now, so if I suspected the drive to be faulty, I would just purchase a new one.
Please click the White Kudos star on the left, to say thanks.
Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem.

I have produced DVD using iMovie, now want to download this back to iMovie, will not read DVD, have been told a piece of software available - any chance anybody knows what?

have produced DVD using iMovie, now want to download this back to iMovie, will not read DVD, have been told a piece of software available - any chance anybody knows what?

Handbrake is not ideal for this.
You need to convert the VOB files in the TS-Folder of the DVD back to DV which iMovie is designed to handle. For that you need mpegStreamclip:
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html
which is free, but you must also have the Apple mpeg2 plugin :
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/
(unless you are running Lion in which case see below))
which is a mere $20.
Another possibility is to use DVDxDV:
http://www.dvdxdv.com/NewFolderLookSite/Products/DVDxDV.overview.htm
which costs $25.
For the benefit of others who may read this thread:
Obviously the foregoing only applies to DVDs you have made yourself, or other home-made DVDs that have been given to you. It will NOT work on copy-protected commercial DVDs, which in any case would be illegal.
If you are running Lion:
From the MPEG Streamclip homepage
The installer of the MPEG-2 Playback Component may refuse to install the component in Lion. Apple states the component is unnecessary in Lion, however MPEG Streamclip still needs it.
To install the component in Lion, please download MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b7 beta above; inside the disk image you will find the Utility MPEG2 Component Lion: use it to install the MPEG-2 Playback Component in Lion. The original installer's disk image (QuickTimeMPEG2.dmg) is required.
The current versions of MPEG Streamclip cannot take advantage of the built-in MPEG-2 functionality of Lion. For MPEG-2 files you still need to install the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component, which is not preinstalled in Lion. You don't have to install QuickTime 7.

Unable to read DVD video

I unable to read DVD video discs, although I can read DVD-R and CD.
I try to change the region using regionset but with no change.
here is the output of vlc, when I try to open DVD:
VLC media player 0.8.6b Janus
libdvdnav: Using dvdnav version 0.1.10 from http://dvd.sf.net
libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.9 for DVD access
libdvdread: Could not open /dev/hdc with libdvdcss.
libdvdread: Can't open /dev/hdc for reading
libdvdnav: vm: faild to open/read the DVD
[00000291] dvdread demuxer error: DVDRead cannot open source: /dev/hdc
[00000294] vcd access error: could not read TOCHDR
[00000294] vcd access error: no movie tracks found
[00000294] access_file access error: file /dev/hdc is empty, aborting
[00000294] cdda access error: could not read TOCHDR
[00000294] cdda access error: no audio tracks found
[00000289] main input error: no suitable access module for `dvd:///dev/hdc'
[00000278] main playlist: nothing to play
signal 2 received, terminating vlc - do it again in case it gets stuck
[00000278] main playlist: stopping playback

whats in your
/etc/fstab
yours is probably
/dev/dvd /mnt/dvd auto ro,user,noauto,unhide 0 0
mine is
/dev/dvd /mnt/dvd udf,iso9660 ro,user,noauto,unhide 0 0
i had issues with some dvd's till i changed from auto to udf

Running a mid 2009 iMac on 10.7.5, 3 gb memory, 320 gb hd. Suddenly the computer stoped reading DVDs and the only time I can read a CD is if I restart. Quite often when I insert a CD it gets stuck and I cannot get it out until I restart and it shows u

Running a mid 2009 iMac on 10.7.5, 3 gb memory, 320 gb hd.
Suddenly the computer stoped reading DVDs and the only time I can read a CD is if I restart. Quite often when I insert a CD it gets stuck and I cannot get it out until I restart and it shows up on the desktop where I can then eject it.
I have checked and double checked the finder prefs and all looks normal showing a check mark on CDs,DVDs etc. (the ones I want to show up on the desktop)
I have reset the PEAM, repaired permissions with both the disk utility on the computer and the disk utility when I start up in the Recovery Disk. I did notice that sometimes the permission repeat the same correction several times before it moves on, and sometimes it doesn’t. I have Windows installed on a partition but I keep it unmounted until it is needed for my wife’s work. The dock seems to be just fine and all the apps seems to run just fine. When I insert a photo CD iPhoto does not open but when I insert a music CD iTunes does open.
Also, most every time I open iPhoto it takes a long time(sometimes as long as 2 minutes) for it to load.
Sometimes my Mail (Mail 5.3) does not post new mail but most of the time it does.
Once and a while it seems like the computer slows way down but then it seems ok ten minutes later.
All of these ‘things’ seemed to have happen suddenly and I have not downloaded anything from the internet in some time.
Of course the warranty and extended warranty are both no longer in effect having had this computer for more than three years.
I am running Java and Adobe Player because some of the sites I go to a lot require both.

I believe that insufficient RAM may be the source of some of your problems. If you have a RAM of somewhere 4 to 8GB, you will experience smoother computing. 3GB doesn't seem right, so you might want to learn more by going to this site:
http://www.crucial.com/store/drammemory.aspx
I don't know what know what's happening with your optical drive, but it seems you use your drive quite a bit. In that case, look into a lens cleaner for your machine. It's inexpensive, works quite well.
I hope you'll post here with your results!

Odd problems with reading DVD media [concluded]

There is an odd problem I've encountered...(I'm not sure if its a bug with Arch Linux or Linux in general).
Firstly, the details:
* I've updated the systems (using "extra", "current", and "community" respositories). So its the current one (0.80 "Voodoo"). I'm NOT using "Unstable" respository.
* I've already added the user to the "optical" and "storage" groups. So there's no problems in relations to permissions.
* My fstab entries for the CD and DVD drives are default (I didn't touch them)...That is, "iso9660" and "udf" respectively.
* My desktop environment is KDE 3.5.5...And I have changed the behaviour of the desktop icons such that DVD media, CD media, and USB devices will have an icon pop-up as soon as you plug them in.
* I have "hal" loaded in the DAEMONS of /etc/rc.conf
* I'm using 4 different Linux systems with the following DVD burners.
=> Pioneer DVR-108
=> Sony DW-Q120A
=> Hitachi-LG GCC-4240N (DVD-ROM/CD-burner combo)
* There are three Sempron 2800+ (Socket 754, 1.6Ghz) boxes and the last one is on an IBM R40 ThinkPad, and I know you can't read DVD-R media on that. But it should be able to read DVD+R media without issue.
* Two of the Semprons are running Arch, as well as the ThinkPad. The final Sempron box is running Ubuntu 6.06.1
* When I installed K3b I did: pacman -S k3b dvd+rw-tools
* All the DVD media is Verbatim DataLifePlus ones.
Here's what I've done...
I've burnt two DVD media (they're just video files from last year's Blender 2006 conference thing, so its legal stuff).
One is a DVD+R and the other is DVD-R media. Both were done on a Windows 2000 Pro SP4 box using Nero 6.6.1.4
What's the problem?
Well, KDE in the Arch Linux boxes doesn't recognise the media!...There is no DVD icon that automatically pops up on any of the Arch Linux boxes!
When I run dmesg on the Arch boxes, the only relevant info I get is:
ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 3
ISOFS: changing to secondary root
Now if I re-insert these DVD media onto an Ubuntu 6.06.1 LTS box...The DVD+R works perfectly! While the DVD-R does not.
When I run dmesg on this box, I get the following:
[17179654.808000] hdc: cdrom_decode_status: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplet e Error }
[17179654.808000] hdc: cdrom_decode_status: error=0x40 { LastFailedSense=0x04 }
[17179654.808000] ide: failed opcode was: unknown
[17179654.808000] hdc: cdrom_decode_status: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplet e Error }
[17179654.808000] hdc: cdrom_decode_status: error=0x40 { LastFailedSense=0x04 }
[17179654.808000] ide: failed opcode was: unknown
[17179654.808000] hdc: cdrom_decode_status: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplet e Error }
[17179654.808000] hdc: cdrom_decode_status: error=0x40 { LastFailedSense=0x04 }
[17179654.808000] ide: failed opcode was: unknown
[17179654.812000] hdc: cdrom_decode_status: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplet e Error }
[17179654.812000] hdc: cdrom_decode_status: error=0x40 { LastFailedSense=0x04 }
[17179654.812000] ide: failed opcode was: unknown
[17179654.812000] hdc: DMA disabled
[17179654.812000] hdc: ide_intr: huh? expected NULL handler on exit
[17179654.860000] hdc: ATAPI reset complete
[17179655.364000] ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 3
[17179655.412000] ISOFS: changing to secondary root
[17179725.140000] Unable to identify CD-ROM format.
[17179729.348000] Unable to identify CD-ROM format.
[17181395.032000] ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 3
[17181395.032000] ISOFS: changing to secondary root
If I re-burn the data onto a DVD+RW, Arch and Ubuntu immediately sees it, and KDE (or Gnome in Ubuntu), will have a DVD icon popping up! I can view the video clips without issue!
Now here's the really odd part...
When I load up K3b on either Arch OR Ubuntu, they recognise all DVD media! (As in, they can read the media disc information!)...Tools => DiskInfo
If I click on the PIONEER - DVD-RW DVR-108 on the tree menu on the left side in K3b, (to view the contents of the DVD-R or DVD+R media), it can't read and pops up an error message informing about a read problem. It suggests I try dmesg|tail to see what's wrong.
When I do that, I get...
# dmesg|tail
grow_buffers: requested out-of-range block 18446744073708569376 for device hdc
UDF-fs: No partition found (1)
grow_buffers: requested out-of-range block 18446744073708569376 for device hdc
UDF-fs: No partition found (1)
grow_buffers: requested out-of-range block 18446744073708569376 for device hdc
UDF-fs: No partition found (1)
grow_buffers: requested out-of-range block 18446744073708569376 for device hdc
UDF-fs: No partition found (1)
grow_buffers: requested out-of-range block 18446744073708569376 for device hdc
UDF-fs: No partition found (1)
I repeat the same procedure on DVD+RW, and it works perfectly!
Should I use another burning application instead of Nero on the Windows box?
Could it be the way I burn things?
(Some DVD+R and DVD-R are burnt with multisession while others aren't.)
Has anyone else experienced similar issues?
What are your "workarounds" or fixes?

It *should* work...But they don't.
I tried this...
mount -t auto /dev/dvd /mnt/dvd
I get this...
mount: block device /dev/dvd is write-protected, mounting read-only
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/dvd,
missing codepage or other error
In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
dmesg | tail or so
I then do dmesg|tail
grow_buffers: requested out-of-range block 18446744073708569376 for device hdc
UDF-fs: No partition found (1)
If I try this...
mount -t iso9660 /dev/dvd /mnt/dvd
I get this...
mount: block device /dev/dvd is write-protected, mounting read-only
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/dvd,
missing codepage or other error
In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
dmesg | tail or so
I then do dmesg|tail
Unable to identify CD-ROM format.
If I stick in a DVD-R that is burnt in one go without multisession, I get this in the dmesg
UDF-fs: Partition marked readonly; forcing readonly mount
UDF-fs INFO UDF 0.9.8.1 (2004/29/09) Mounting volume 'SW', timestamp 2006/11/07 19:37 (1000)
It reads this disc perfectly and KDE pops up a DVD icon.
I'm scratching my head as I'm not sure what is the problem.
Could it be hal or the way the DVD media was formatted?

Brand new iMacs with Lion will not read DVD-R

Our business has just purchased 3 x brand new iMacs (3.4Ghz) pre-loaded with OSX Lion 10.7.2 and NONE of them will read a DVD-R containing important files I need to access. However, the trusty 2 year old iMac running Snow leopard sees the files instantly....what's wrong with Lion...?
My 2 year old MacBook pro was updated with Lion a few months ago and hey, it stopped reading DVD-R's....how interesting....! It can't be ALL of the superdrives failing, so it's obviously a fault with the OS...seems to be a VERY common problem, so what's the problem in getting it fixed?

Contact Apple Service, iMac Service or Apple's Express Lane. Do note that if you have AppleCare's protection plan and you're within 50 miles (80 KM) of an Apple repair station, you're eligible for onsite repair since yours is a desktop machine.

I bought a used PowerMacPC G5. I can burn and read DVDs, but I can't read or burn CDs. The CDs are not even recognized. After the drive searches for a while, the CD is ejected without any error messages. The CDs work okay on my iMac.

I bought a used PowerMacPC G5. I can burn and read DVDs, but I can't read or burn CDs. The CDs are not even recognized. After the drive searches for a while, the CD is ejected without any error messages. The CDs work okay on my iMac.
I am running Mac OSX 10.4.11. According to the System profiler the CD/DVD drive is a "PioneerDVD-RWDVR-112D." When I compare the information under this heading, the only unusual difference from my iMac is that the G5 reads "Burn Support: Yes (Unsupported)." My iMac reads "Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)."
Under the System Preferences the options are set to "Ask what to do" when a blank CD or DVD is inserted. Music CD set to open iTunes, Picture CD set to open iPhoto, Video DVD set to open DVD player.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks, Jack

Hi Jack, great help so far!
Internal...
http://eshop.macsales.com/static_pages/Framework.cfm?page=superdrive/sdl_powerma c_g5.html
External be sure it's Firewire & not Bus powered...
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/optical-drives/

My superdrive will no longer read dvds, but it will read blank ones, whats wrong?

I hope you can help; progressivelymy superdrive has stopped reading DVDS, it reads blank ones straight away withno issues but dvds, games, movies etc it doesn’t read anymore.
It now wont read abrand new game I bought (the sims late night) and will not read the apple snow leopard disk and wont read any dvds.
It sounds like its working, no loud sounds - it sounds fine then it spits it out.
My tech info is ;
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GA11N:
FirmwareRevision:          KA18
Interconnect:          ATAPI
Burn Support:          Yes(Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache:          2048KB
Reads DVD:          Yes
CD-Write:          -R,-RW
DVD-Write:          -R,-R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies:            CD-TAO,CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Weirdly I updated it 10.6.8 from 5 and itworked after 5 tries with my disk but then, when I turned I turned the computeron the next day It wont work, and the superdrive doesn’t work now.
I live very far from the nearest applestore – 50 miles so it’s a hassle to haul my 27inch imac there.
Please help!

No these forums are not moderated by employees. that's why they call them Communities, it's all Mac users.
It's also very hard to give you a straight answer just like that. This may sound stupid, but are you sure you're inserting the disk right-side-up?
You can try running the hardware test (if you can reboot from the DVD: reboot holding the C key) but if you have these issues with a Mac under Warranty, it may be best to bring it in. Check with Apple, as ther may be a certified Apple repair shop closer to you.

I have a MacBook which no longer reads CDs but still reads DVDs what is the beat thing to do?

I have a MacBook which I have had for a few years now. It nooner reads CDs but reads DVDs, can it be repaired and what is the best thing to do?

Unfortunately it sounds like the drive has to be replaced.
1. You can do it yourself. You can find repair guides at http://www.ifixit.com/
2. You can take it to your nearest Apple Store and have them do it.
3. You can send it to somewhere like TechRestore http://www.techrestore.com/
4. You can buy a cheap external drive.

Optical Drive doesn't read DVD's

Hi, I own an HP Pavillion dv7 1279wm entertainment laptop. It came installed with Vista, but I installed a free upgrade to Windows 7 that I got from HP. I had a problem where the drive would not read anything; the disc would spin, but eventually the tray would automatically open and tell me to insert a disc. After using Microsoft FixIt, I was able to read CDs, but encountered the same problem when trying to load a DVD. Previous to using Microsoft FixIt, I did use device manager to uninstall the drive and then reboot so Windows 7 would automatically update the driver. I'm thinking that means that it's not a software problem, but if you can think of anything else I can do (short of swapping out drives because I don't have access to another drive) to rule out it being a software problem please let me know. I realize that combo drives typically use different lasers to read CDs and DVDs, so my guess is that the laser that reads DVDs has failed. If that is the case, where can I find the correct replacement part and how do I install it?
Thanks,
Kevin

Hi Kevin,
If you eject the optical drive tray, you should see just one laser situated towards the centre of the tray - different voltages are applied to this depending on whether it's reading a CD or DVD.
First of all, use a soft, non abrasive material such as cotton or a cotton bud and gently clean the lens.
Check if this has made any difference.
If it still doesn't read DVDs, try following the procedure under the sub-heading 'Let me fix it myself' on the link below to remove the Upper and Lower filters, restart the notebook and see if this helps the issue.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982116
If it still doesn't read DVDs, the following procedure will test if your notebook can start from a bootable disc in the optical drive - the advantage of trying this is that it will rule out any possible Windows driver error as the CD/DVD drive is under the control of the Bios when starting the notebook. So if you find that the notebook will not boot from the DVD, then it's almost certainly a Hardware fault in the optical drive itself and it will need to be replaced.
Using another PC to create a Windows 7 Rescue DVD. Download the relevant ISO from the link below.
Windows 7 32bit
Windows 7 64bit
You need use an application such as ImgBurn to correctly burn the ISO to a DVD - a guide on using ImgBurn to write an ISO to a disc is Here. Once created, insert the DVD and then restart the notebook and see if it boots from this disc - if it does, let the first screen come up ( this will show repair options etc ) then just remove the DVD and restart the notebook. If the notebook will not boot from the DVD, it may just load straight into Windows.
Regards,
DP-K
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Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience

Macbookpro refuses to read dvd's

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