Gryff

Q: Drive won't read any dvd-ejects it automatically after spinning some time

The SuperDrive on my MBP has stopped recognizing/reading any blank DVD media (and many recorded DVDs, including movie discs). It spins for some time with a noise and then ejects it out. The same media works fine in my wife's Sony Vaio laptop.

 

There was a thread on this previously, but Apple has closed it:

 

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1295681

 

I know Apple won't own up to the problem, so has anyone found a solution?

 

----------

 

Drive details:

 

HL-DT-ST DVDRW GSA-S10N:

 

Model: HL-DT-ST DVDRW GSA-S10N
Revision: AP09
Serial Number: K0***********928
Detachable Drive: No
Protocol: ATAPI
Unit Number: 0
Socket Type: Internal
Low Power Polling: Yes
Power Off: Yes

 

<Personal Information Edited by Host>

MacBook Pro - Intel Duo Core 2.4GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.6), null

Posted on Sep 23, 2015 10:49 AM

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Q: Drive won't read any dvd-ejects it automatically after spinning some time

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  • by cruznike,

    cruznike cruznike Jun 13, 2009 4:31 AM in response to OneCatFamily
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 13, 2009 4:31 AM in response to OneCatFamily
    its saddening really..seeing how much of a mac fan i've grown since my 1st MBP been having the same problem and my APP care is only 5-6 months out only.. sigh
    i've posted my problem on a separate page as well rather than flooding it here..
    so i guess it wasn't really my only problem..
    a lot of others also faced the same problem as i do since the latest update
  • by Gryff,

    Gryff Gryff Jun 13, 2009 10:12 AM in response to Gryff
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Jun 13, 2009 10:12 AM in response to Gryff
    Didier,

    We get it, but please stop posting content that isn't providing a solution to this specific problem. You're going to get this thread locked or deleted.
  • by John Brotherton1,

    John Brotherton1 John Brotherton1 Jun 13, 2009 3:34 PM in response to Ryan Braunberger
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Jun 13, 2009 3:34 PM in response to Ryan Braunberger
    I tried Ryan's solution. It didn't work. However I did verify permissions of the hard drive assuming those permissions would work for the MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-846 in my MacBook Pro. I (still) get no response, not even an icon appearing on the screen.

    My problem may be different. In March I wanted to make a photo CD for one of my son's and couldn't insert the CD-R. I contacted CoreCare in Sacramento, an authorized Apple repair and upgrade dealer. I took the MBP in and they discovered the optical drive was blocked by the dust flap. As a result, the top case had snapped as, they thought, a result of a manufacturing defect. They suggested I phone Apple Care to find out if they'd cover the replacement cost. I did and, first spoke to a customer service rep who, after a informed and pleasant discussion, transferred me to a technician. He was equally helpful and said he'd talk directly to CoreCare and come to a solution. Within 15 minutes I got a call from CoreCare saying Apple had authorized a replacement optical drive at no expense to me. I've had three experiences with CoreCare - including one on our aging PowerMac G4 that we still use to run an older version of PhotoShop. Each event has been better than excellent. Apple, too, was prompt, professional, and responsive.

    Having said that, I'm frustrated that, while I can play music CDs and movie DVDs with the new optical drive, I can't get the MBP to recognize a blank CD I'm trying to use to copy pictures of a granddaughter's grammar school graduation. I'll call CoreCare Monday and see what they say. If necessary I'll also call Apple.

    As an aside, I'm finding Disk Utility to be not very clear or helpful. When I follow (I think) the instructions from Apple Help, nothing works. I'm a bit embarrassed to to say I can't format the blank disk.
  • by John Brotherton1,

    John Brotherton1 John Brotherton1 Jun 13, 2009 5:25 PM in response to John Brotherton1
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Jun 13, 2009 5:25 PM in response to John Brotherton1
    Here's a follow-up that produced a solution. It worked on a CD-R and I expect it will work as easily on a DVD. I did a Google search on this query: "formating a blank cd-r disk in Mac OS 10.4.x." Not surprisingly, two support.apple.com articles appeared in the Google list.The first article is "Mac OS X: About burning data onto CDs" at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1328.

    The second article is" Mac OS 10.2, 10.3: "You put in a blank disc, but it doesn't appear" at http://support.apple.com/kb/TA22349?viewlocale=en_US. In the case of this article's recommendation, I followed the three steps at the bottom of the page; specifically I chose "open finder" as the default setting in the first two pop-up menus.

    The blank CD-R then appears as an icon at the far left column in the finder as "Untitled C...." with the Burn symbol just to the right. Then I dragged the "graduation photos" folder," which I had previously placed on the Desktop, onto the finder CD icon. A pop-up's appeared (Burn speed) and I ended up with a complete CD in no time at all.

    I hope this is helpful to each of you struggling with this issue. There's more info and detail in the two articles than I've mentioned.

    Also, not to offend Apple, but I found the answer instantly through a Google search rather than, for me, the more laborious process of trying several alternative queries in the Apple search bar. Could be that I'm not a good "query writer" but Google was impressive.
  • by OneCatFamily,

    OneCatFamily OneCatFamily Jun 14, 2009 2:27 AM in response to Gryff
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Jun 14, 2009 2:27 AM in response to Gryff
    You're right, of course. I certainly don't want this thread or any other to be locked or deleted by "Host"... I'll keep my comments to myself from now on.
  • by enrique_david,

    enrique_david enrique_david Jun 14, 2009 10:05 AM in response to Gryff
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 14, 2009 10:05 AM in response to Gryff
    I'm having the exact same problem. It's driving me crazy. I can't get any information off of my HDD. I've tried the disc clear and it spins and spits it back out.
  • by OneCatFamily,

    OneCatFamily OneCatFamily Jun 14, 2009 10:24 AM in response to enrique_david
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Jun 14, 2009 10:24 AM in response to enrique_david
    (Keeping mum)
  • by Richard Branson,

    Richard Branson Richard Branson Jun 14, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Gryff
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 14, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Gryff
    I've had this problem recently as well. But its really random when it happens. I could put in a DVD/CVD that I burned and it would work, then I would try a brand new movie DVD, and it wouldn't recognize it. And then five minutes later it would be the other way around, or no recognition at all. This is really frustrating. Apple, please help.
  • by stereointeractive,

    stereointeractive stereointeractive Jun 14, 2009 12:37 PM in response to Richard Branson
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 14, 2009 12:37 PM in response to Richard Branson
    Just to summarize this thread: here is what has been recommended to others facing this issue:

    - if you are still covered under AppleCare, make an appointment with the Genius Bar at an Apple Store or take it into an Authorized Apple retailer. They will be able to diagnose the problem and replace the drive if need be. When I took my MBP in for a combination of this issue and the NDVIDIA issue, it only took about 2-3 business days before I had my computer repaired and overnighted back to my door step free of charge. It's a pain, but definitely worth it to take advantage of your warranty while you still can. If you can't be without a computer for a few days, you can buy a mini for $600, use it while your computer is in the repair shop, and then return it within two weeks for a 10% restocking fee. $60 is a small price to pay for a loaner mac. Time Machine works great to restore an image of your computer to this new temporary machine (just make sure the mini hard drive is large enough for your files!).

    - if you are not covered under AppleCare, you may want to try a CD cleaning system. Read above for some suggestions. This may cost you $10 - $15, and may or may not, but it has helped a few people whose problems have stemmed from a dirty lens. Otherwise, you can still make an appointment at the Genius Bar or take your computer in to a repair shop and find out how much it will cost for a new drive. There are plenty of external options that are cheaper, so if you don't use your drive that often (or only from home), definitely explore that option.
  • by OneCatFamily,

    OneCatFamily OneCatFamily Jun 15, 2009 1:06 AM in response to stereointeractive
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Jun 15, 2009 1:06 AM in response to stereointeractive
    By summarize, I hope you don't mean "close" the subject... Sorry, I promised I would keep my comments to myself from now on...

    I agree with you on one point: an external drive is certainly the best solution for those who are out of Apple's warranty; I bought an external optical drive (an LG Slim-something) for about 80 euros (about 100-110 USD), and it reads/writes all kinds of CDs and DVDs, dual-layer or not (no BluRay, though...).

    Changing your internal drive will cost you twice as much, no doubt. Plus, that would only add to Apple's warchest, and... Sorry, sometimes I can't control myself...

    (Sheepish grin)
  • by shigzeo - TouchMyApps,

    shigzeo - TouchMyApps shigzeo - TouchMyApps Jun 23, 2009 9:28 PM in response to Gryff
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 23, 2009 9:28 PM in response to Gryff
    My Mid 2007 (June) MBP 2.4 GHZ 256 Nvidia 4GB RAM machine has done something strange: a black spot has developed in the fibres of the slot. It has not come from an outside source as the machine is always on top of a stand. It will read DVD/CD, but no longer write. If a blank disk is inserted, it merely spins up and then spins down, spins up and then down.

    While I have not tried a lens cleaner, the black spot has me worried that if this thing does no longer work, I should take it in to the store, but at the same time, I am scared of pirates.

    Has anyone heard of this 'black spot' issue? I still have AppleCare, so I can take it in to the Apple Repair Centre in Seoul, but it is rather annoying to be computerless.
  • by Takeru23,

    Takeru23 Takeru23 Jul 7, 2009 12:36 AM in response to Gryff
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 7, 2009 12:36 AM in response to Gryff
    only bought my MBP 1 year and about 3 months ago and i have this problem with the optical drive...

    Insert disk > spin + robot sounds + spin (rinse/repeat) > disk ejects...

    It started with just doing this a little but now i cant read a thing.

    I have got to say, being that people are always, and have always been, a companies largest and best advertising platform, that this is bad marketing. I have already told people not to buy MBPs.

    However, if apple were to say "oh, crap, a lot of people are having this issue with their drives, lets offer to fix them for free", that would be good marketing.

    Anyone have any experience with apple doing that even if their warranty is up? I mean, it clearly is apple selling us lemons and catching us with the 1 year warranty.
  • by Miles Underwood,

    Miles Underwood Miles Underwood Jul 7, 2009 6:06 PM in response to Gryff
    Level 1 (45 points)
    Jul 7, 2009 6:06 PM in response to Gryff
    I am also having the same problems with my Macbook Pro. I have the drive HL-DT-ST DVDRW GSA-S10N. Just thought I would add my name to the list of upset angry Apple Customers.
  • by OneCatFamily,

    OneCatFamily OneCatFamily Jul 7, 2009 10:34 PM in response to Miles Underwood
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Jul 7, 2009 10:34 PM in response to Miles Underwood
    I promised I'd refrain from making acidic comments on this subject, but I've had it: I was fortunate enough to have an extended warranty on my MBP thanks to the French retailer where I bought it; "they" (whoever "they" are) changed the SuperDrive on my machine, and it's now working fine. However, I still have my doubts about Apple's response... or lack thereof, on the subject.

    There have been dozens of posts similar to this one on this forum, and there are countless others on other forums. It's pretty obvious to me that it's an epidemic of broken or severely faulty SuperDrives we're dealing with here. I didn't pay a cent to have my SuperDrive operable again, but I understand some other people weren't that fortunate, so I'm asking Apple to take this problem into account seriously, however discreetly. All "they" (whoever "they" are...) have to do is make contact with the plaintiffs via private messaging and propose a solution.

    Period.

    And I'll rejoin on the current trend that goes, Apple knew it, and was counting on people not taking AppleCare, so that the brand can make more money repairing computers that are already 30 to 40% more expensive than regular PCs. Because if "they" (...) didn't know, well, then we've all been screwed. "Them" included...

    Message was edited by: Didier Caizergues
  • by FrustratedUserJam,

    FrustratedUserJam FrustratedUserJam Jul 8, 2009 10:38 AM in response to OneCatFamily
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 8, 2009 10:38 AM in response to OneCatFamily
    I just thought I'd add my problems in case it helps rectify the situation. My macbook pro is about 2.5 years old (so out of warranty). All was working well. I don't know whether it is related (probably is in some way) but a disk got stuck in my superdrive (appeared to eject but didn't come out). After a few minutes of panic I followed the apple support process of ejecting the disk and all was ok. Now whenever I put a disk in the drive it spins up, then down then ejects without mounting. I have tried:
    1) Reboot
    2) repair permissions
    3) "air clean"
    4) reflash drive
    None appear to work. I would try the disk cleaner but as someone else said, I'm not sure the disk would stay in long enough to clean. My gut says that whatever caused the disk to not eject is not the same problem causing disks to always eject (a physical problem). If I was near an apple store I'd go to a genius bar for some help but that's not possible due to my current location.
    Has anyone got any other recommendations?
    On a side note, when I go to my ATA bus info it does not give a serial number. I don't know whether this is related but it could be connected.
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