Replacing combo drive with super drive

I think my iMac G5 needs a new optical drive, because I frequently get the error "failed to calibrate the laser power" when trying to burn from iTunes. (Yes, I've tried all the usual remedies: Different media, cleaning the lens, changing the burn rate... The Apple store genius say they see this "a lot," and it's probably the drive.)
My G5 has its original combo drive, but I've never burned a DVD and don't expect to with this machine. So my question is: Would there be any problem in replacing the combo with a super drive? Would the OS be able to "recognize" the different device and adjust for any differences?

You're right -- I had super and combo reversed. (Actually, the website I was looking at when I posted had them reversed.) I currently have the super drive (MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845) that came with the iMac.
I can get an Apple combo drive replacement for $95 or a super for $145. There will not be any labor cost. So what I'm considering is replacing the super with a combo. I'm set on keeping it internal. My only concern would be that the change might cause some sort of system errors.

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Replace Combo Drive with Superdrive

2 years ago I bought this Pbook G4 with Combo Drive. Then, during "our" journey, I found out that this Combo Drive was not quite satisfied me. So I have plan to upgrade/replace the Combo Drive to Superdrive.
My question: is it worth to replace my old Combo Drive with Superdrive? And do you know how much does it cost? Including labor?
Many thanks.

Ok, thank you for the infos.
It'll cost me Rp. 2,5 million plus Rp. 200 thousand (labor) for trading my old combo drive with new superdrive. It's a little bit expensive here.
I live on Jakarta, Indonesia.
Note:
Rupiah=Indonesian Currency
US$1=Rp. 9.000 (more/less)

Need to replace combo drive without electrocuting myself

I want to replace my combo drive. I've purchased the proper replacement super drive, but guys at the Apple store warned me about the danger of electrocuting myself or frying my eMac because of the stored up power in the computer. Is this a real concern?
Can anyone help me with what to do so I don't fry myself or the computer.
Thanks,
BennySez

Michael Lafferty wrote:
This discharge procedure has not been required for years, and has never been for eMacs.
I beg to differ. This is from page 13 of the *eMac Service Source Repair Manual*, published by Apple in 2002:
"Warning: This product contains high voltage and a high-vacuum picture tube. To prevent
injury, always review the Service Foundations: CRT Displays course for safety information.
Whenever the rear housing of the computer is removed and before replacing a module,
you must
1. Discharge the CRT (shown below) and remove the anode cap.
2. Establish an ongoing ground by using a cable with alligator clips at both ends. Connect one end to the anode aperture, and connect the other end to the metal CRT frame (as shown below).
3. With the CRT discharged and the ongoing ground in place wear a grounding wriststrap to prevent equipment damage from static electricity
Page 77 covers replacement of the optical drive; these preliminary steps are listed:
Preliminary Steps
Before you begin, do the following:
• Place the computer face down on an ESD mat.
• Remove the user access door.
• Remove the feet.
• Remove the rear housing.
• Discharge the CRT.
• Remove the fan.
• Remove the Faraday cage.
• Remove the digital module assembly.
• Remove the hard drive.
• Remove the heatsink.
• Remove the logic board.
Now, this manual covers the original eMac model. Perhaps later models of eMac do not have the same requirements. But until such documentation from Apple can be found, I think it foolish to not follow the guidelines set out in this manual, for all eMac models.
<Edited by Moderator>

Powermac G4 : Replacing Combo Drive

The initial Toshiba SD-R1312, that came with my G4/1.25 G Powermac, is misbehaving i.e not reading DVDs occasionally. Would like to replace it with another working DVD writer [ part from an external Firewire writer]. Do you envisage any problems provided the connections are the same ? Thanks for responding.

If you've not done so, try a cleaning disk first. I've resurrected a number of apparently dead optical drives with a simple cleaning. The last one was in a MacBook Pro whose owner was told by a tech it was dead and would cost over US$300 parts and labor.
If it still doesn't work, then consider replacing.

Can I replace my combo drive with a superdrive??

hello all,
Can I replace my combo drive with a super drive? I see on some of the tech do it yourself pages the G5 17" original imac is supported for changing it out by your self. but how do I go about buying the superdrive...and from whome??
thanks,
marc

As to the DIY installation...I purchased an OWC Mercury 8x dual to replace my combodrive, but the installation directions that everyone refers to on the apple support site says nothing about removing the mounting cage to use in the replacement installation. Am I missing something here? Sure, I can remove the three mounting screws that holds the cage to the drive, but then I'm left with the welded bracket that does not seem to want to move. OWC support was no help at all. Is there a trick to this?

Can I swap out my Combo drive for a Super drive?

Hey guys,
I have 1GHz G4 iMac Dual USB & was wondering if I could replace the Combo Drive with a "Super" Drive.
Any ideas?

Ben,
You can do it, but do you really want to? I think an external is a better option. Having two DVD drives is a huge advantage. It makes copying DVDs a snap.
Here's the link to how to change the drive. It will give you a look at what your in for if you attempt it.
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/iMacg4/imacg4takeapart.html

Combo Drive and Super Drive

My iBook is equipped with a combo drive. Can I replace it with a super drive? If I can, how? Should I take my iBook to an Apple repair center?

Hi iBook fan
Yes you can replace your combo with a Superdrive. You can get it replaced at an Apple service centre, and yes, it is also possible to do it yourself, so it is all go!
To replace it you will need to dismantle your iBook, and that depends on how you feel about doing such a technical exercise, but it is possible.
Superdrives are available here for your iBook:
Superdrives for iBook
and an installation guide is available here:
Installing Optical Drive on an iBook G4
So you have a complete choice available to you.
regards roam

Any idea how much a replacement 60GB HD and Combo Drive costs?

Any idea how much a replacement 60GB HD and Combo Drive costs for the PB 12" G4 1.33 GHz?

That depends on where you look, and also whether you're installing or hiring someone else to do the job. Check newegg or tigerdirect for the parts, and compare that with your local Apple certified service center for parts plus installation. CompUSA may be a good option to get both parts and Apple certified technician installation for a reasonable cost. You may even be able to upgrade to a larger hard drive and a superdrive for relatively cheap - and you might as well if the machine is being opened up.
I just checked one of the sites mentioned, and it has a Fujitsu 60GB notebook drive for $87. The same site has a Pioneer K05 4x DL DVD+R burner (8x DVD±R, 24x CDR) for $89. That burner is supported natively in Tiger (10.4.3), I'm pretty sure.

Strange behavior with combo drive...

I've had my powerbook for a few years without any problems other than some slight noise from the secondary fan which I replaced a few weeks ago without any difficulty. The other day I noticed my powerbook froze up on me. I had no choice but to depress the power button to restart it. Force quitting would not work on the open apps or to relaunch the finder. After restarting I had the same problem. This happened twice. I tried resetting the pram and also followed the instructions on this post: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=14449
For most situations, a restart is sufficient. If the computer has stopped responding, try these steps, in order, until the computer responds:
1. Force Quit (Option-Command-Escape)
2. Restart (Control-Command-Power)
3. Force Shut Down (press the power button for 10 seconds)
Step 2 seemed to do the trick for me but I just tried to insert a blank CD-R into the drive but it ejects itself after a minute. I can hear the drive operating but the CD-R ejects itself. I cannot figure out while this occurs. I tried to insert a CD with data and the drive reads the CD without any problems and does not eject itself. It also does it with a blank DVD-R. What gives???
If anyone has any suggestions to help I would really appreciate it.
PowerMac G4 MDD 2GB Ram, 1Ghz TiBook 1GB Ram Mac OS X (10.3.9)

If you say that you have a combo drive, then the drive should be ejecting the DVD-R. If it's supposed to burn DVD's then that's definitely a problem. I'm not sure about the CD-R's though. I only think that it is a drive defect and may need replacing. Sorry about that! Good luck!
667Mhz DVI TiBook Mac OS X (10.4.8)  eMac,  MacBook (Black),  PowerBook Titanium 667Mhz DVI

Macbook Pro won't start after Combo drive replacement

I have a Macbook Pro 1,1 which had a non-functiong Combo drive. I got a similar Combo drive out of a Macbook 1,1, and put it in the mbp. I have the HD partitioned in three with 10.6.3, 10.6.8 and Windows XP on the partitions.
Since replacing the Combo drive the computer will not boot from the 10.6.8 partition, but it boots fine from the other two! I have started it is taget disk mode, and connected to a Macbook and the Macbook will boot from the 10.6.8 partition.
When I try to start the mbp frpm the 10.6.8 partition I get the Apple logo, then the spinning wheel, then finally a stop sign (circle with a slash through it).
Does anyone have any ideas what I can do to resolve this problem?

gim461,
try booting from the 10.6.3 partition, and run Disk Utility. Try verifying the 10.6.8 partition (using the Verify Disk button). Does it come back with a clean bill of health? If not, press the Repair Disk button. When that’s done, reboot into the 10.6.8 partition, but hold down the Shift key to boot into Safe mode. Does it let you boot into the 10.6.8 partition in Safe mode?

What drive to replace the superdrive with?

A few days ago the superdrive in my Powermac G4 (MDD - 1.42Ghz) decided to start making tons of circular scratches in any disc that is inserted into the computer. I have a feeling it's going to have to be replaced (actually - this is the second superdrive in the computer. First one was replaced under warantee within the first year... but that's not an option anymore...)
So... what drive should I use to replace it? Is it best to stick with whatever is currently in it - or is it possible to replace it with one of the new dual-layer drives found on dealmac? Most of those don't seem to be specifically mac compatible, but often times things like that work anyway. Does anyone have any experience replacing their superdrive with something else? How does iDVD, itunes, etc. work? Thanks!!!

I installed the Pioneer DVR-111D in my MDD G4 and have not had any problems using it in any applications. I moved the OEM Combo drive down to the second bay and use it as the disk source for copying CDs and DVDs.
BTW, IMO, the 111D is a very quiet and smooth operating drive compared to most optical drives I've heard.
Note, you have to remove the 111D's tray faceplate to use it in the MDD G4 as the faceplate will interfere with the opening and closing of the flapper doors on the MDD G4. Not a big deal, just pry it up gently from the bottom with your fingers and it will pop off.
Good luck.
Carl B.

Combo Drive Replacement?

Hello Everyone,
Since I have my MacBook's Birthday tomorrow, I was thinking of getting a desktop companion to replace my Blueberry 350 Mhz iMac, which sadly passed away 2 days ago.
I am about to purchase a Blue Dalmatian iMac from eBay. I know it has a CD-RW Drive in it, but I would like to replace it with a Combo Drive if I can find one. I know that there never was a "Combo" CRT iMac, but could someone direct me to a place where I can get a compatiable Combo Drive for very cheap ($25-$30)?
Thank you!
-Brian

I haven't come across a Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive for the slot-loading iMacs, but MCE Technologies had an internal DVD±RW SuperDrive for $149. That price and the resulting decline in demand for it probably explain why it has been "Out of Stock" for months now. I can only assume that it's discontinued. You'd be much better off connecting a FireWire drive, because it's unlikely that you'll find a compatible, internal Combo drive or SuperDrive for $25-$30.

Simple to upgrade from Combo Drive to Super Drive?

Hi,
Apologies if this is a really basic question. I purchased a MacBook with a Combo Drive. I thought I had purchased a super drive. Is this a simple upgrade and can I do such an upgrade myself? I need the DVD-burning capacity.
Thanks for your help.
Jenny

I really think you're asking for trouble here. For starters, that is definitely not a user serviceable part. Memory? Yes. Hard Drive? Yes (finally). The optical drive, though, would require an authorized Apple dealer to perform the work. Otherwise, you'll void your warranty.
I don't know, though, if Apple will let you add a SuperDrive to that one. Honestly, I think it'll be easier if you just purchase an external DVD burner (check www.macsales.com for some cool options).

Mechanical problem w/ internal combo drive - replacement needed

Combo drive on iMac appears to be failing - works only about 25% of the time. When a CD/DVD is loaded (open/close/tray work fine), the drive makes a lot of noise (clicking) then ejects after several tries to load. If it does load - DVD/CD play fine. This is a mechanical rather than software issue. The current internal drive is a SONY DVD RW DW-U10A. Where can a replacement internal combo drive be bought online compatible with this iMac? Other options/Recommendations? Thank you in Advance for any info you can provide.
iMAC (17" Flat panel) G4 1GHz Mac OS X (10.4.3) Purchased in 2003

Leslie, Welcome to Apple Discussions.You may wish to opt for an firewire external DVD-RW drive. Here's an example. This will be far easier to do; the internal upgrade is not for the faint hearted:
Take Apart Guide
Full Apple Service Manual
As and when you do it you may want to give consideration to boosting the HDD and 'factory' RAM at the same time. You must remember to replace the thermal paste as you close the iMac up.
As for Drive selection: xlr8yourmac runs a drive database. Click this link and enter DVD+R/RW + DVD-R/RW, iMac G4 and OS 10.4 in the relevant fields and click search. The Pioneer DVR110 seems popular and compatible.
regards
mrtotes
P.S. Please note that you've posted in the iMac G3 forum. In future you will be better off posting in the iMac (Flat Panel) forum.

Combo drive replacement help plz!!!

My combo drive stopped working suddenly. My warranty also got void last month (forgot to renew, my bad).
Can I replace my MATSHITA CD-RW CW-8123 with a 8121A Combo Drive?
Also please give your suggestions where can I get a good drive (used/new) and also get it repaired.
Thanks in advance.

First welcome to the discussions.
Have a look here and see if this helps. There are several different companies that make new drives available this is just one.
http://www.mcetech.com/pbg4dvdr8dl.html
Good Luck Don

Replacing combo drive with super drive

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