My Super Drive Isn't Reading Anything At All ...

It makes no noises and it doesn't read any CDs or DVDs I put in it. Any ideas? Don't tell I'm going to have to upgrade to an iMac G5!
I need help, I can't take my iMac for service now because of school, it would be horrible not to have it to write my papers.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Francisco, join the club! The same thing happened to me a few months ago (as well as to an awful lot of other people - see all the relevant posts). I've tried all the fixes posted here and elsewhere, but nothing's worked. I don't think I'm up to replacing the drive with another internal drive (seems too techincal), so I'm going to have to buy an external drive. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. The Irish online AppleStore has recently removed all but one of its external drives and the one that's left is very expensive. So I'm still looking, two months later. Go through all the posts before you replace the drive - you might find some software or firmware fix that works for your drive. Good luck!

Similar Messages

  • My USB super drive is not reading DVD

    when i connect my usb super drive is not reading DVD

    External SuperDrive DVD player fix - RESOLVED!
    This solution worked for my Superdrive, which I had installed in a USB external case, so now it can play movies using Apples DVD Player App, but additional steps may be needed, as I outline below.  I had removed the SuperDrive from my mid-2009 Macbook Pro 15" 2.53 ghz to install a second hard drive with Other World Computing's "Data Doubler" adapter, and mounted the SuperDrive in an OWC Value Line SuperSlim external case.
    I don't know if the first two steps below are necessary, but I had done them first, because others suggested them as fixes before I found the solution in the 3rd step.
    1) I installed Apple's SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0, which is on Apple's support site at http://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201953
    2) Then I applied a fix on this page, http://www.hardturm.ch/luz/2011/10/how-to-make-the-macbook-air-superdrive-work-w ith-any-mac/comment-page-12/#comment-106449, using Text Wrangler to edit the preference file at /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist by adding code mbasd=1 between the two string values. However, that still did not resolve the problem. I left the preference file with the code “mbasd=1″ included, as outlined on that site.
    3) Then, I used the fix at http://macriot.com/mcrt/?p=2294 which requires modification of some code embedded into OS X’s DVDPlayback framework; essentially replacing the words “internal” with “external”
    Now my external Superdrive plays movies using DVD Player. 

  • Drive slot not reading anything

    No matter what kind of disc I enter, the computer does not recognize it. CD, DVD or Data. It will not even read the Apple OSX Disc 1 for disc startup...any suggestions

    I assumed you had an Intel iMac since you posted in this forum; one thing you could try to determine if the drive is OK or not is to see if will appear in the system profiler.
    Go to About This Mac under the blue Apple Menu, and then click on More Info in the window that appears. Click on ATA under hardware, and see if your drive is listed there.
    Of course, if it's listed doesn't necessarily mean it's working properly, but if it's not listed at all it may have a malfunction. Apparently you are able to eject discs, though, since you say you've tried several;
    One other thing to check is Finder Preferences; make sure the CDs, DVDs and iPods box underneath Show These Items On The Desktop is checked. The disk may be mounted and not visible if the box isn't checked.

  • Can the Mac mini's Super Drive (Early 2006) *read* DVD-R discs?

    I made a back-up of a movie and burned it on to a DVD-R. I took the burned DVD and popped into my DVD player in the living room and it played just fine. I then put the burned DVD back into my mini, DVD Player.app opened and when I clicked play said the disc was invalid/unsupported (I’m not in front of my mini so don’t have the exact wording of the error). The DVD never even mounts on my desktop or Finder side bar. I went back and referenced the tech specs for my model and it reads:
    Slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
    That just seems strange that it would burn to a DVD-R with no problem, but then not be able to read it.
    I’ve put other DVD-R’s in the drive to test and the same thing. I had a back-up copy of my iPhoto library that I burned on my PowerBook on a DVD-R and this disc never mounted. I can only push the eject key on my keyboard to get the DVD out.

    I think I found my answer over at 123macmini.com
    Slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW):
    writes DVD+R DL discs at up to 2.4x speed,
    writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed,
    writes DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs at up to 4x speed,
    reads DVDs at up to 8x speed,
    writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed,
    writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed,
    reads CDs at up to 24x speed

  • My cd drive isn't reading cds anymore, any suggestions?

    Whenever I put in a CD into my macbook, I hear it work, however it never shows up on my desktop or anywhere else, and sometimes the CD ejects automatically soon later .. Any help?

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2801 Apple Portables: Troubleshooting the slot load optical disc drive
    ===============
    Another help source (if you haven't already done so).
    Go to your OS Help Menu. In the search field type cd
    Click on all the troubleshooting topics & Support Articles that pertain to your issue.
    You can also do the same in Disk Utility. Open same up.
    At the bottom left of the window, click on the purple button w/the "?" in the middle.
    This will bring up the Help Menu.
    ===============
    Try a different brand. Top forum favorites
    CDs
    FUJI
    TDK
    Verbatim
    DVDs
    Maxell
    Verbatim
    Make sure the CDs are not dirty, smudged and/or scratched.
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=50448 How to Handle and Clean CD and DVD Discs
    *Your drive may need cleaning.* Cleaning kits can be purchased from any store that sells CD/DVDs.
    !http://i50.tinypic.com/izvwo1.gif!

  • External hard drive isn't reading on macbook or iMac?

    I have tried both a macbook pro and an iMac and my hard drive will not even read. It is a hitachi hard drive. I went into disk utility and it shows my hard drive there, so I verified the disk and it said that it was okay. even tried to repair it and nothing happened, It said that my hard drive was fine.
    I just can't lose the things that are on it, because I haven't backed them up in a while.
    Thanks!

    Is the drive mounted? Does Disk Utility show it as mounted? Can you mount it from Disk Utility?
    Are you sure you have Finder set to show the drive on the Desktop (Finder->Preferences->General; Show these items on the Desktop)
    Does it show up in the Finder sidebar assuming you have Finder->Preferences->Side Bar set to show external drives?

  • My CD /DVD drive does not read anything

    When I put a CD in the drive, the laptop does not recognise the CD. I've tried to fix the problem to no avail. This error message has appeared.
    Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)
    Could you tell me a way to re configure it please.

    Hi:
    Try each of resolution steps 2, 3, 4 and 5 at the link below.
    One of them (usually #3 or #5) will fix the problem.
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

  • Adobe digital edition is frozen and cant read anything at all!!!

    Hi guys, could anyone please help me with this? Had to use adobe edition to borrow uni ebooks and it's so frustrating I've set up an account, got the email verified, and downloaded the link. It opens and that's where it stops. no matter what you click or which chapter of the book you click, the page box at the bottom changes to the number of the book but the content doesnt. help please.
    thanks so much.

    Read
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1808

  • Super drive not reading dvd r

    Help! Super drive isn't reading a dvd+r anymore. I've had my macbook pro for about 4months. Dvd+r is clean and has worked before. Note: All other Dvd and Cd's are being read just fine.

    The media may be quite different from one manufacturer to another. Verbatim ha been found to have less errors and be more durable. Apple itself uses Verbatim (the CDs and DVDs suppplied with Macs are Verbatim). Having said that, you have your own milleage.
    All the Power Mac G5 Dual 2GHz, Power Mac G5 Dual 2.3GHz & Power Mac G5
    Quad 2.5GHz can indeed burn to DVD+R DL as described in:
    http://www.apple.com/powermac/specs.html
    Optical drive 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW). 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW); writes DVD-R discs at up to 16x speed, writes DVD+R DL discs at up to 6x speed, reads DVDs at up to 16x speed, writes CD-R and CD-RW discs at up to 24x speed, reads CDs at up to 32x speed
    But my question is can you burn brand new DVD-R DL (double layer) --not just DVD+R DL-- with such superdrive in the PowerMac G5?

  • Why won't my USB Super Drive play anything?

    My USB Super Drive won't play anything. All I get is a "supported disc not available" message no matter what I put in. Why?

    nobody here would know as you provided no real details for us to go on...

  • Superdrive isn't working, makes loud noise and doesn't read anything....

    My superdrive isn't reading anything. I was wondering if anyone knows of what to do. I'm not under the apple protection plan anymore. So if I go to apple they are going to hammer me with labor costs. Maybe someone knows of a good external CD/DVD Burner that will work with iTunes, iPhoto, and iDVD. PLEASE HELP!!! Thankz in advance.

    I am getting the exact same error, nothing I do can solve it. I cannot believe it's coincidence that all our drives were due to fail and happen to go at the same time mavericks was installed. So can only surmise it's a as yet unresolved software issue. But worried about spending money on a new drive if it makes no difference.
    Cheers
    Keith  

  • Super drive doesnt read disc

    my super drive hasnt been reading any disc's i have tried putting them in my other mac and it works fine.. can anyone help, where i can get a new super drive and how to install it??
    thanks

    I was having a few issues with my superdrive, so i opened the case and checked the connections. It works fine now. The connection is a "snap" connector, and it may have dislodged. My drive wouldn't accept a disc, but the OS thought it was working fine.
    I also reseated the video connection, and it stopped the annoying "fading" in and out of the display.
    I noticed some people were fixing the problem by squeasing the laptop, and this connector could be smashed back into place with some luck, but with the right tiny philips, you can easily open the cover to access the ram, and it's all right there.

  • 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
    ****Click the White thumb to say thanks****
    ****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
    ****I don't work for HP****
    Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience

  • MacBook Pro Drive Failure to Read DVD's

    So I have a 17' MacBook Pro from 2008, and up until couple of months ago its super drive has been reading/running both DVD's and CD's.
    Now it will not read or register DVD's, spitting them back out, but remains running fine with CD's.
    Is that a software issue? or Can these drives have "partial" failures reading one media type ok, failing on others?

    After 5 years, you might have to clean the lense on the drive.  CDs are more tolerant of dust than DVDs.

  • Transfering a Super Drive

    Hi everyone,
    I have a 1st gen Mac Mini G4 with a super drive. I am looking to get a new Mac Mini but don't want to pay a extra 200 for the super drive. I know thats not all you get. But is it possible to pull the super drive from my current G4 into a new intel mini. I have taken apart my mini several times and don't fear unscrewing things.
    Mac Mini G4 1.25 Ghz with Super Drive   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

    Use a cleaning CD. The Super Drive probably has some dust or dirt on the laser lens. A cleaning CD should knock it loose & allow the Super Drive to function properly again.

Maybe you are looking for