Failure to calibrate laser power level?

Greetings all

Thank you for your suggestions on fixing this problem. I tried everything including the changes to the language and using another software to burn the discs but to no avail. Finally what worked for me was to use a disc cleaner....one with bristles. So far things are OK. Hope this helps.

DM

Replying up here to get it to the top. I encountered this issue today. Odd thing is, I could burn on CD-R media fine, and with relatively good success on some DVD-R media.

What I'm using is a 2.2GHz MBP with the built-in Superdrive. I have just purchased some new 16X DVD+R media (TDK at Office Depot).

I have an image I made with iDVD, and it would give me this error with Disk Utility and strange errors with Toast 10.

I've tried the various methods described in the threads - restarting, using different media (the DVD-R), and resetting the International Pane. The DVD-R media would burn the image and not give me the error, but it was slow (maximum 2X on 4X media) and would give me "Verification Failed" on about 1 out of 3 disks. Only the DVD+R media was giving me the calibration error so I went with the thought that the media was the issue.

Dusting out the drive caused the DVD+R media to burn immediately, and at 8X speed. Verification went off without a hitch.

Here is what worked for me after listening to all the other BS. Just take a can of compressed air; the kind made to clean keyboards with the long thin red nozzle and stick it into the cd slot. Blow it out a couple of times and it will clean the little lens. I've owned my MacBook Pro for a little less than a year and never burned a DVD. First thing I got, after doing everything I was supposed to do was this error message above. But the compressed air solution douching definitely worked for me.

Problem for me was DEFINITELY a DUSTY LENS. SOLUTION clean the lens

I had exactly the same problem with my MBP. I looked at this forum and others and found a solution. Many of the posts suggest the air can thing, i chickened out as the can said flammable and i didn't want to risk my computer, also i didn't want to spend the £8. What I found was a website, link given below, that told me how of open my computer up, take the disk drive out, open the disk drive and then clean the lens itself. The process was actually not that bad and now my computer is burning media like it did the day it was new. I used gin on a ear bud (Q-tip) to clean the actual lens. Really happy and I saved £8, it is a bear market you know, but more importantly if the problem is a dirty lens then you can't get it cleaner than giving the lens a clean directly. Obviously don't do this if you are in warranty or apple care, as apple should sort it and it will invalidate your warranty. Good luck and be careful, if this is beyond you try the air can to clean, the lens is bottom left, or pay an apple authorised shop to do it for you.

http://muzso.hu/2008/08/17/how-to-clean-the-lens-of-a-slot-loading-optical-drive -a-macbook-pros-superdrive

Add me up as well. I used to work at the Genius Bar, and at Best Buy as the "Apple Expert" and I can't even figure this one out.

I took it as far as trying all of the above mentioned methods, and even reformatted my drive back to Tiger to see if it was a ghost related to Leopard, but that proved nothing - I'm now back on a fresh installation of 10.5.6 and it's still doing it, >.<

It's driving me nuts, hopefully someone will figure it out soon. I'm about to just switch up to my Ubuntu install and test that one... if it still does it, then it can't be the drive.

I add another vote for the compressed air! Haven't burned a DVD in ages, but went to burn one last night... iDVD went through all the encoding, then ejected the disk when it tried to write. I made a disc image and tried to burn from Disk Utility - that's when I got the "can't calibrate laser power level" error.

I rebooted, reset pram, repaired permissions, installed all available system updates, then called Applecare. They had me reset the smc (unplugging everything for ~15 seconds), then connect only the keyboard and trying again. I also tried burning it from another user account and by creating a burn folder in the finder. No luck. The guy said it sounded like a faulty drive and made me an appointment at the Apple Store tomorrow to have a Genius check it out.

In the meantime I stumbled across this thread, and guess what? The crappy little can of compressed air that's been sitting in my office for about 5 years worked! I stuck the attachment in the drive, gave it a good couple of blasts and tried again. Worked great on a test project I burned. I'm trying again on the original project I tried last night.

Don't despair, try the air! LOL

Same problem here. Tried the spray duster, tried the Language trick. I guess the problem is both a firmware/software problem and a dust problem. I can now burn sometimes a DVD, always CDs, but nothing more. Most of the times it just fails calibrating. I downloaded the smcFanControl tool and I'm now cooling my MBP, it was 45 °C before starting, and it is now 36°-38°, i hope this will solve the issue.

I lacked compressed air, had same sort of problems unable to calibrate laser and disc error 800....., so just blew hard into the disc slot on my Mac, and after it worked straight off.

Message was edited by: Zombie Mutation

New MacBook Pro-three weeks, couldn't believe when I couldn't burn anything. 12 hours of troubleshooting, was going to send the thing back. I was sure the drive was faulty. I placed first aid freezer bags under the computer to cool it. Apparently even the spinning of the drive heats it up so it can't burn,"Failure to calibrate laser power". The computer melts them pretty fast, so you need a few around, a freezerful for a couple of copies.

After trying all the things that you all have mentioned with no luck, I have finally being able to burn a problematic DVD-DL with my macbook. How? I installed Nero Express 9 in my Bootcamped Windows and burned it at 2X.

I tried the same thing with Parallels but did not work either. So I guess the issue is a Mac OS driver problem; since the drive works OK in native Windows.

Followed what a user had posted, and it worked!
Dismantled my Macbook Pro, and cleaned the superdrive lens with Isoprophyl alcohol

Guide at:
http://muzso.hu/2008/08/17/how-to-clean-the-lens-of-a-slot-loading-optical-drive -a-macbook-pros-superdrive

I was having this issue.

I tried all the tips from blowing air to switching languages(!!!!??????)

I switched DVD media and all is good now. Already burned about 6 DVDs. No errors.

I was using Memorex but switched to Staples own brand. I also changed the speed from max to 8.

First, Disk Utility threw a "Cannot calibrate laser" error. Then, as time went on, it started to say that my discs were incompatible (even when using discs of the same pack that I'd previously burned).

PROBLEM: dusty lens/eye
SOLUTION: canned air

It worked immediately after a few long sprays.

Message was edited by: sh1znack

Seriously... This is CRAZY!
It started with my Powerbook... So I just started burning CDs on my wife's iMac. Then it started happening on her iMac, so I started burning everything on my Mac Mini.... and now it's happening on that one too. "Failed to calibrate the laser power level...." So, I've got three macs and can't burn anything on ANY of them! Seriously... is there no answer to this problem??? It has got to be an OS issue...

HELP!!!

Had this same problem when trying to burn onto Dual Layer DVD. Read forum. Tried the Language change fix without success. Inserted DVD in slot just a tiny bit to open the slot up and blew in for a bit. That seemed to do the trick is burning away right now.