Tips for replacing DVD burners on Tecra A-series

I think I need to replace my DVD writer. I was using a Mat****a UJ-811T that came with the laptop but it no longer burns properly, though it continues to read discs fine. I initially thought it was a problem with Nero (calibration error), but it doesn't matter which burning program I use. I spent a weekend going through various forums looking for a solution: I've run a lens cleaner, updated drivers, searched for firmware updates (no-one seems to be able to find any for the Mat****a, including on the Firmware Page), tried different media brands (though I initially using Sony and TDK anyway). All with no luck. So I'm thinking that it's reached the stage that I need to replaced the burner itself.
So, any tips on brands and type? I want something that is internal and easy to self-install. I'd also like to buy online and get quick delivery (I'm leaving Ireland in about a month) so website suggestions also welcome. Please keep your advice relatively simple; I'm a relative novice who is learning quickly.
Thanks in advance.

Hi
This is very pity! Its always frustrating when the drive stops working!
But there is no much to do! You have reported that the calibration error message appears.
Well, it looks like the drive cannot calibrate the lens properly and this leads to the burning problems!
As you already supposed the drive replacement is needed!
Usually the user manual which was preinstalled on the notebook should provide some compatible and supported drives!
Check this! My user manual contains this info!
But if you dont find anything I would recommend contacting the ASP in you country for drive ordering!
You should know that not all drives are compatible because of the master/slave/c-sel settings.
If the drive supports wrong settings the BIOS will not recognize this device correctly!.
So make a call to the service provider and ask for details! Good luck

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Hi,
Based on this link, your machine uses standard bays that means any standard Optical drive should fit. Do you have any plan to add Blue Ray drive on your machine ? If YES, you can go for BD drive now, probably you have to pay around $10 more.
Regards,
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Hello Dino,
Thanks for the reply.
I haven't burned anything using the iMac burner. I have two Plextor external DVD burners attached to the iMac and use them instead since they are much faster. I suppose at some point I will burn a CD or DVD and see what the fuss is all about.
As for the other "issues" relative to the iMac, I am 100% satisfied with it and do not wish to listen to others complain about their machines so I have, for the most part stayed away from the other discussions.
After all, these are machines. I'm just tired of all the bit**ing and moaning about a mass produced piece of hardware. There are expectations, and of course some of them are not agreeable to others, but I am not a fan of publicly bashing a manufacturer. Apple is aware of each and every issue it faces and each one results in a learning curve for the next generation. If this thing is such a piece of crap, then don't buy it. There are choices one can make and one of those is to not buy an iMac. For the record, I would buy another one if I needed to.
....off my soapbox.
Thanks.
RSR

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angie1976 you have me directly.
As stated in previous posts there have been several issues with the Matshita Optical drives that Apple has installed in there computers. Over time the problem has been discussed and it would appear that there are several things that come into play here.
Apple has made it so that many of the drives they intall are in fact not capable of there full potential.
It in fact boils down to an issue of Copywrite Infringment. Apple doesn't want to put itself in a position to be open to Lawsuits from the Motion Picture Industry.
Many of the drives that do not work up to there full potential have FIRMWARE updates that are offered by the manufacture to remedy this problem and some do not.
It has also been found that the casual user that burns DVD's isn't aware of the huige difference in the Format's available for DVD Burning. and the many limitations of these different drives as far as Media and Speed of Media is concerned. Many of the DL burners that were installed will not burn DL. Apple has had such a huge amount of dissatisfied customers that many that will take the time and if they still have AppleCare these drives will be replaced free of charge.
Here are a collection of links that will help you to understand the problem as it exists.
I will also say that upwards of 85% of the problems user expieriance is with POOR QUALITY MEDIA.
http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm
http://www.videohelp.com/dvd
I also noticed that some others have chimed in as to the fact that Media was not the issue. This is not entirely true.
Here is another post that I answered that will also cover this subject that may help you understand the problem a little better.
Let me see if I can shed some light on this issue, for you.
Maybe some others as well can.
There are several Applications that are standard programs that come with OSX.
Of these, several have the ability to burn a project.
iTunes....iMovie.....Disk Utility.
Each of the above mentioned applications were developed for a specific purpose. However, they are capable of doing more than the original developers intended.
The problem in my eyes is the lack of information for a new user to Mac.
In what one would consider the perfect world, you simply choose a project, drag it in to one or more of the applications mentioned above and simply click burn and you are finished.
This is not always the case.
Often users are left with the issue of no clear cut direction on how to use these different burning softwares, and the ability to have a clear cut step by step user interface.
All of the furnished OSX burning software is in fact usable and works well.
The problem is HOW TO USE THEM.
The more experienced users find this either to be a non issue or will take the time to work with these different applications until they figure out how to use them.
There are of course different Advertisements and FAQ's that cover these to some degree that leave users more confused than when they started.
One of the major issues that accompany this problem is this.
Not all Burners that Apple uses in there machines are the same.
Not all Burners will accept all the different Media's that are available on the market.
Thus leaving many users confused. Not having a clear cut understanding of what the difference is between these different Media's and there use.
http://www.videohelp.com/dvd.htm
The above link offers an overview of this subject.
Apple has found itself in a delima with the Motion Picture Industry, as well as The Music Industry over the issue of offering there users with the capability of copying Copyrighted material. Thus leaving them open for Law Suits.
There was an in-depth article in one of the recent issues of Macworld Magazine, that went in-depth covering this issue.
It is almost impossible to cover all aspects of this issue on these forums.
There are of course different softwares available that make the burning experience much easier and user friendly.
Roxio is one of the industry leaders in the development of Mac compatible Burning Software. They offer 2 of the industry leaders in this area.
Toast-7 and Popcorn.
This solves only one portion of the problem. Both of these software offering give the user the ability to copy about anything.
However, there is so much controversy over the issue of Movie and Music copying, the manufactures of the Computers, and the Burners try to limit the users ability to copy these, and thus be clear of any Legal Issue.
Here again rises the problem of computer users being mad because the industry has placed limitations on there ability to use there product in a fast easy to use method.
Again there are work around to all of these issues.
The problem then becomes who out there is willing to tell us what is the easiest most trouble free method of using these computers, burners, software,and media.
The burner manufactures offer there burners.
To get them to work to there full potential the users then must search out the 3rd party Firmware updates that will enable them to work properly. This is not an issue with all burners but quite a few.
Most readers on these forums have read about the MEDIA compatibility and poor quality issues these are covered in a prior link.
To sum this up, the resources are available to do just about anything one wants to do in the copy area.
Not every copy problem is the same because of all the different elements that come into the equation, Burner, Media, Software, Firmware.
So if a user has a problem and needs the information and the resources to copy there projects whatever they may be.
Be through, give as much information as you can.
Keep it simple, No need for the use of exotic terms that most people don't understand anyway.
In-depth. Tell all aspects of the issue and what you have what you are using and what you want to accomplish.
If there is an answer out there.
Someone will Chime in.
The users on these forums for the most part are more than willing to share in there knowledge, free of charge.
One last thing,
When a user gives you an answer for you problem, for the most part they believe it to be a fact. Sometimes this isn't the case, we have all been guilty of, this is not done with malicious intent. It is done trying to help.
I personally have been misinformed, or tried a fix, that will work in one instance but not another. So tell all you can about your problem.
Cheers Don

Mid-2010 Mac Mini, dead optical drive: Are any slim Firewire DVD burners compatible?

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•Mac Mini - Mid 2010 Repair Guide - iFixit:
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac_Mini_Mid_2010
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https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+mini+Model+A1347+Optical+Drive+Replacement/3167
At least you can get into this computer. Be sure to have a spare
optical drive cable and other possible items that may get broken
in the process. Oh there also is a PRAM battery in this computer
that may or may not need replacement while it is open...
If at one point, if several parts were to be replaced at one time, a
visit to a service technician becomes very cost effective. Find one
that will install the parts you may get from third-party sources. If
you know someone at a college computer lab, they may be able
to perform the swap, test their work, and be done, in short order.
Or, chose to use an external inexpensive 'superdrive' equivalent.
I'd heard the LG brand was among some that work, and can also
be used to boot the computer from System DVD or utility discs...
It is a USB drive, can burn DVD/CD media, and is not costly.
The ability to swap out the defective optical drive, and replace it
with an SSD or second storage drive, may be a way to go; but
it also would be at least as tedious as optical drive replacement.
This may add value to the device, in a resale situation later.
That would use the 'drive doubler' idea referred to at macsales.
In the above main guide, is a primer on how to swap out the optical
drive and replace it with a second hard disk drive or solid state drive.
Similar to what the OWC site says, but they have a good kit, too.
Good luck & happy computing!

I have a Macbook Pro 15" that is three and a half years old. Although it has slowed a bit, it still runs well and runs every program I need. Any tips for how to keep this old computer running well and in good health?

I have a Macbook Pro 15" that is three and a half years old. Although it has slowed a bit, it still runs well and runs every program I need. Any tips for how to keep this old computer running well and in good health?
I have a 250 gig drive and try to keep at least 100 gigs unused at all times, 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory, back up with Time Machine and CrashPlan, and have OS X 10.7.3.
This was my first Mac since an old Apple II GS. After that I used PC's and got really good at reformatting, replacing drives, reinstalling, defragging, resolving software conflicts, etc. Since switching back to Macs (five in my extended family now), I haven't had to do any of those things. So, although, the cost is three times as much, the aggrevation has been ten times less.
I'm retired and living on a fixed income and would therefore like to keep this computer running as opposed to constatntly upgrading.
That said, any tips?
Thanks
It does have a crack on the left of the screen case about 3/4'' up from the bottom. I've posted that as another question.

Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible. Drive Genius provides additional tools not found in Disk Warrior. Versions 1.5.1 and later are Intel Mac compatible.
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Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
Carbon Copy Cloner
Data Backup
Deja Vu
SuperDuper!
SyncTwoFolders
Synk Pro
Synk Standard
Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.
Adding more RAM, if feasible, and a new, faster hard drive may also help pep it up a little.

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How I solved my issue:
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I used Time Machine. Make sure you have all of your applications closed. So the backup will be full. If you fail to do a good backup, you will lose everything! Make sure you do a good one. Maybe do it twice on 2 different disks! Now you have been warned.
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Now, get that Install CD that came with your Mac,
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In the Restore Your System dialog, click Continue.
Select your Time Machine backup volume.
Select the Time Machine backup you want to restore.
Follow the onscreen instructions.
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When I did that, the system came back very fast and responsive. No more beach balls (only on the really-intensive tasks), and everything was back to normal.
5) So, what was it anyways?
Before doing this Backup/Restore, I was getting lots of DISK I/O ERRORS, specially during boot time (you can check that by shutting down your mac, powering it back on and imediatelly pressing Command-V - Verbose Mode).
Sure, the first thing in mind was that I had a faulty hard drive, but I checked it several times for errors (via Disk Utility), and nothing showed up.
So I decided to do a full backup/restore of the system. And it solved it, at least for me.
My config:
MacBook Pro (2009 edition) - 5 GB RAM - 640 GB HD - Mac OS X 10.7
Regards.

Also my mac will not complete my 5 software updates, no idea which software, but it said it could not do it. Also backing up with time machine had failed twice today. Thanks

HT3910 Original OSX 10.5.6 and app dvd's (that came w/MBP) lost,and have recv'd replacement dvd from Apple. Once hard drive is erased and new OS w/dvd instl'd, how do I insure all applications bundle - that came with MBP - will reinstall?

Original OSX 10.5.6 and app dvd's (that came w/MBP) lost,and have recv'd replacement dvd from Apple. Once hard drive is erased and new OS w/dvd instl'd, how do I insure all applications bundle - that came with MBP - will reinstall?

Your profile says you have 10.6, so why bother with the original 10.5 OS?
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Replacing DVD/CD Drive (Question)

Hello!
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Thanks,
Jamie

Hello!
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http://www.bestbuy.com/site/LG+-+Super-Multi+24x+Internal+DVD%26%23177%3BRW/CD-R W+Drive/2691169.p;jsessionid=A690FC3F349615E56DDE5EE94E44A435.bbolsp-app01-51?id =1218353455613&skuId=2691169&st=dvd%20drives&cp=1&lp=5

Tips for replacing DVD burners on Tecra A-series

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