My boot camp partition does not recognize inserted discs

I am running OSX 10.5.8 and have a Boot Camp partition set up with Windows XP. The Windows partition works fine, but no longer recognizes when a DVD or CD is inserted. The disc does not appear in the My Computer folder, even though the drive is spinning. The eject button does not function to eject the disc, and I have to shut down the Windows partition, boot up in the Mac partition to eject or see the disc contents.
This prevents me from installing any software on the Windows partition.
Any suggestions?

Years ago there were issues with "Gear" software drivers preventing DVD/CD from working.

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Finder does not recognize inserted disc [Solution]

After working with AppleCare and suddenly stumbling on a solution to this problem, I wanted to provide a solution for the problem on the discussion boards in case someone has the same problem.
Problem Description
When inserting a blank disc (various forms of media including DVD's and CD's) and selecting the Finder to open mount the disc on the desktop, the Finder fails to mount or load the disc with an error (no error number) indicating that the disc is not recognized.
Problem Analysis
After various attempts at fixing the problem, I discovered that the Retrospect Express Backup software I use to perform backups to my external Hard Disk was interferring with the Finder's ability to mount media. Retrospect installs a plug-in for the Finder which analyzes inserted discs in order to mount specially formatted Retrospect discs which contain backed up files. While unproven, I believe the plug-in is interferring with the Finder's behavior.
Workarounds
While the workarounds to this problem do not always work, I have usually found that one out of the options will work when the others do not. It also happens that the Finder usually performs as expected regardless after one of the workarounds has been successful for each reboot of the computer. That is, usually I have to perform one of the workarounds every time I restart my computer.
The first solution is simply to remove all external disks that might be handled by Retrospect (such as an external drive used for backups), and then to mount the new blank disc in the Finder.
The second solution is to start the retrospect software while inserting the blank media. The retrospect software should then analyze the media and take control of it. When you quit the Retrospect software, the software should then relinquish control of the media and the Finder will have the opportunity to access the disc free from interference.
Additional Notes and Requests
Ideally I would like to find out what's going wrong here specifically and find a good way for Retrospect and the Finder to work together. If anyone knows of newer updates or other such things that might help with this, then that would be great. Another thing to note is that this problem only started after the 10.4.9 update to Mac OS.
If anyone has any other workarounds or comments on this solution, do please reply with them, as these workarounds are far from ideal.
MacBook Pro 17" Mac OS X (10.4.9) Retrospect Express Installed with Latest Drivers

Hi papagenu, and a warm welcome to the forums!
What brand & Model is it?
First, Safe Boot , (holding Shift key down at bootup), use Disk Utility from there to Repair Permissions, test if things work OK in Safe Mode.
Then move these files to the Desktop...
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.recentitems.plist
Reboot & test.

How do I remove the Windows partition? Boot Camp Assistant does not allow me to select the remove option.

I am using an iMac, 8.1, early 2008. I installed Windows XP at that time. I am now using OS 10.8.5 and want to remove the Windows partition to free up disk space. Boot Camp Assistant does not allow me to select the "install or remove" option. How can I get rid of the Windows partition?

You can try removing it in Disk Utility.
To resize the drive do the following:
1. Open Disk Utility and select the drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list.
2. Click on the Partition tab in the Disk Utility main window. You should see the graphical sizing window showing the existing partitions. A portion may appear as a blue rectangle representing the used space on a partition.
3. Select the bottom rectangle/partition. Click on the Delete [-] button below the sizing window to remove it. Click on the Apply button. Wait until the process has completed.
4. In the lower right corner of the sizing rectangle for the remaining partition is a resizing gadget. Select it with the mouse and drag it all the way down to the bottom. Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed.
You should now have a restored single volume on the drive.
It would be wise to have a backup of your current system as resizing is not necessarily free of risk for data loss. Your drive must have sufficient contiguous free space for this process to work.

Boot Camp Assistant does not allow partiton when my disk is the right format

Boot Camp Assistant does not allow partiton when my disk is the right format - (Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume).
When I go to the Boot Camp Assistant to partition the Macintosh HD disk, an error comes up saying,
"The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved
Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again."
Please help me out! I would really appreciate it!

I was not allowed the Repair Disk option. I tryed Verify Disk, and an error came up saying,
"The volume Macintosh HD was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.
Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Start up your computer with another disk (such as your Mac OS X installation disc), and then use Disk Utility to repair this disk."
What should I do?

Can't install windows it says the boot camp partition is not formatted as a NTFS file structure

Using boot camp assistant it gets to the point of installing windows 7 and it won't because the boot camp partition is not a NTFS file structure. It also seems strange to me that there are 5 partitions would have expect ether 2 or 3. Please help this is very frustrating.
Thanks in advance

Open, if not so already, the Windows formatter. Identify the BC Windows partition. It will be the one listed with the proper size you created and/or will be labeled as a C: drive. Be careful you select the right one or you may be corrupting the entire drive.
Format the partition as NTFS.

After downloading lion does not recognize blank discs or dvd´s cannot burn anything

I downloaded Lion and now my mac does not recognize any blank cd or dvd and I cannot burn anything, not with Toast 10, or with iDvd still not recognized. Can someone help me??

Hello
I have been trying to fix a similar issue on my wife's PowerBookG4. I cannot pin point when it started, but she noticed it a couple weeks ago when she tried burning a disc. We have come to discover that her drive will no longer mount any discs at all (blank or otherwise burned discs or software). If I had to make a guess it had to have started in the last month or so after some recent update. Maybe 10.5.2? I am not sure.
I am getting extremely frustrated with Apple though on this matter because I have been browsing multiple forums and seeing this exact issue over and over again and nobody seems to have a solution or correct diagnostic for it.
I have tried zapping PRAM, I have tried many types of discs, brands, etc. and nothing works. I know this is a Software issue, it has to be. There are a LOT of people reporting this issue. If necessary I will start linking to all the different posts that I found in the last few days.
Please post some help, ASAP. This has been a major inconvenience and I cannot believe that Apple hasn't discovered the problem with how many people have been reporting it.
Thanks

Boot Camp Assistant does not work

I just installed leopard (clean install). When I start the boot camp assistant, I just get the error message that I need to upgrade the operating system..... anybody?

I have the same problem and i have searched EVERYWHERE for an answer to it. The only thing i know is that my firmware is not correct. It does not need to be updated it says but it clearly does if you ask me.
For me the Boot ROM Version is: MB11.0061.B02 and you need .B03 to use it. I have had this problem for ages when i tried to setup windows on ma mac using the Beta version of Boot Camp, when i was using Tiger. I was hoping when i bought Leopard this problem would have been solved but nope, nothing.
Is there anyway to go back to original firmware and then update it again? There must be a way!!! Or do we have to wait for the next firmware update from apple?
I upgraded my mac because of the option to add windows as well and due to my work i would love to have windows also.

Boot Camp Update Does Not Install Completely

I posted a question with this title back in April. Lots of others were having the same problem (trying to go from 2.1 to 2.2).
Finally found a solution, but could not post it on the original question because the topic had been archived. I will post it now as an answer to this question.

Here's the solution. Easy but far from obvious.
I found another thread where the advice given was to uninstall any third party video drivers used, for example, to mirror the screen to a remote video projector.
I tried the update once more (to see if Apple had fixed it) and it failed as usual near the end of the update process, with a generic error message that was no help at all. Then I uninstalled a video mirroring driver that I had installed a year ago. Tried the update again and it worked just fine. I was able then to update to Boot Camp 3 from my Snow Leopard install DVD, and then to update it to the latest. I will later try re-installing the video mirror driver.

T60 does not recognize xp disc in cd drive

What could cause this?
Trying to install XP from CD where failed HD has been replaced. BIOS recognizes new HD & CD drive, but then error "no valid OS found". Per Lenovo Article here I disabled dual mode for cpu & have CD drive as first boot. The Lenovo Article also says to get the Intel file 'Matrix Storage Manager Driver' (for a 'diskette'). But this is NOT a boot disk. For use during OS installation, so no help to me where OS not even recognized!
I actually have 2 machines that present this, so highly unlikely it is a CD drive problem. & OC have checked it is not the disc.
Internet search shows a lot of old posts on this problem, & maybe not just T60. Much confusion, no good solution. I want to say Shame on Lenovo. What a crazy issue to have!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Thanks, I had already realized had to go to USB & used a CD drive OK. Sometimes seem to be path issues w. usb installs. I also had to switch to Compat Mode so XP could deal w SATA.
I accepted this as a "Solution" though more accurate would be "Work-around". I have nowhere seen any legit explanation why oe CD/DVD does not work for this specific purpose. It did another install A-OK once the OS was on! ?! I never needed the Ijntel Matrix Blah, Blah recommended here by Lenovo. They are focused on the wrong problem.

Mac Pro does not recognize inserted DVDs after startup

When i reboot my mac pro and log in my user in the moment the mac pro starts the finder it tells me that the inserted DVDs could not be recognized. my mac then ask me what it should do: ignore or eject. this happens everytime i at the startup.
i have a second DVD drive installed. is it a problem that causes out of wrong jumper settings?
from time to time i have startup problems with my mac and some people told me it is a major problem and i should call the support. is this another sign that my mac has a problem?
Thanks for your help

I have that same combo working here. Other than the Sony not reading older 4X DVD "Sony" discs, and saying they are CDs, it operates perfectly. If both drives are set to cable select like hatter said, all should be well.
Michael

Boot Camp partition not listed in Windows XP setup menu

My macbook hard drive is 230 GB, and I made the Windows partition to be 100GB in Boot camp assistant. When I ran Windows XP Setup, my boot camp partition was not listed in the menu, just my entire hard drive. The setup disk I am using is Windows XP Home Edition SP2, so I know it's not compatibility issue. I tried it again at least 3 times, and it didn't work. Does anyone have a solution to this problem?

you need to install windows support software on a usb 2 flashdrive. more simply, start over in bootcamp, insert your usb drive as well as the dvd, check all 3 options. bootcamp will do the rest.
or it could be a problem with the install disc, why not download win 7 iso from here;
http://techverse.net/download-windows-7-iso-x86-x64-microsofts-official-servers/
and go with this, its perfectly legal to use your activation code during instalation.

DVD drive does not recognize my Windows 7 disc

I'm using a macbook pro purchased September 2009.
I purchased Windows 7 home premium full version and when I insert the installation disc, both 32 and 64 bit versions, the DVD drive on the computer does not recognize the disc. It spits it back out. Anyone else having this problem?
My external dvd drive works fine. I tried going through the install process this way but when the computer restarts, I get a screen that says no bootable device, press any button to continue.
Need some help please.

I am having the exact same problem! I currently am running Windows XP Pro in bootcamp and would like to use a Windows 7 Upgrade disk to upgrade my partition. (or clean install) But for some reason my Macbook Pro (also purchased recently) will not read the Upgrade DVD at all! I tied running it on startup, in Snow Leopard, and even in XP.
Out of desperation, I ran the disk on my iMac (that has not been updated to Snow Leopard yet) and it read the disk perfectly! I then began to question if my Macbook's disk drive was working properly. So I then ran a random CD and then a DVD on it and both read flawlessly!
Some people claim that they have fixed this problem simply by cleaning the Upgrade disk. This, however, did not work for me. There seems to be a trend with MacBooks having this trouble, but that could be completely coincidental! Apple has also announced that they will release an update that will officially provide support for Windows 7. Maybe this will provide a solution.
I'm about out of ideas so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Boot camp partitioned 32 GB for windows, but windows does not recognize it.

Tried today to install Windows XP on the Mac (hard disk = 320 GB) with Boot Camp 2.0.
Started the partitioning and left 20 GB for Windows, Boot Camp asked me to insert the Windows disk and start the installation. The computer started, the (ugly) Windows installation screen appears asking me if i want to install windows, repair windows or quit the installation. I continue with the installation and then it asks me which disk needs to be formatted. I saw only one option (red flag number 1) and moreover, this option stated that the disk mentioned was more than 132 GB (red flag number 2). Ignoring the red flags and quitting the installation, I continued. I formatted the disk and so on. All seemed to be going well. Then the computer restarted but ended up being in a loop (entering the windows installation screens and restarting the computer). It took a while till I figured out how to stop this loop and with the installation disc of Mac OS X I found out with disk utilities that the whole disc had been formatted (oh no!). With disc utilities I managed to format the whole disc again to make it suitable for a clean installation of Mac OS X and corrected the mistake which had been made.
Now - more cautious - having the clean Mac OS X installed I tried it again. This time I let Boot camp create a partition of 32 GB for Windows. Again I put the installation disc of Windows in the Mac and started the installation. Again, however, the Windows installation showed one disc with 132 GB on it. This time I quit the installation leaving it the way it is. The computer restarted and I let it boot into Leopard with the Alt/option key. There I see that Boot Camp seems to have done a good job. The 32 GB disk (MS Dos, FAT32) exists as a partition and there seems nothing to be wrong with it.
Who knows how to solve the problem with Windows which does only recognize one disc of 132 GB? Or who knows why the windows installation recognizes this as such?

This problem is caused by a Windows XP install disc without Service Pack 2.
How to solve this problem?
Try this:
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1626&page=1

Windows disc does not update after resizing boot camp partition

When I bought my iMac, it came with a 500 GB HDD. I used bootcamp to make a 200GB windows partition and a 300GB Mac partition. The other day I bought a 250GB SSD, and moved everything from my 300GB Mac partition onto the SSD.
My plan was to use the whole 500GB HDD for windows. So, I deleted the 300GB Mac partition and made it free space on the drive. I then expanded the boot camp partition to take up the whole drive using Mini Tool on windows 7.
Now, windows 7 shows that my drive is 465GB, but when I boot into mac, the bootcamp hard drive still reads 200GB and 300GB are "free space" even though I expanded the drive using Mini Tool.
I tried to fix this by filling up the hard drive with an extra 120 GB so it exceeded the 200GB limit that windows shows. But when I booted back into OSX to see if it had worked, none of the files were showing up in the drive, making me believe that boot camp and OS X are not reading changes I am making to the bootcamp drive when I use Windows.
How can I change this so Disk Utility shows the full size of the disc, like Mini Tool does?
I will try to upload screenshots soon.

Re-sizing Windows partitions is not supported on Bootcamp. It requires a clean install. The other option is using Winclone.
Boot Camp 5.1: Frequently asked questions
How can a Windows partition be resized after Windows is installed?
You need to delete the Windows partition using the Boot Camp Assistant, and start over to change the size of the Windows partition. Back up your important Windows files first.

When you load Windows via Boot Camp Assistant program and run Windows does not recognize the "usb" outlets cannot identify the device through the Dvd or flash

When you load Windows via Boot Camp Assistant program and run Windows does not recognize the "usb" outlets cannot identify the device through the Dvd or flash

Did you install BC drivers on the Windows side?

My boot camp partition does not recognize inserted discs

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