My boss burns a CD on her PC and it is my job to proof the data before we make multiple copies to mail. I've been doing this for 1-1/2 years with no problem. Now for the last 2 months my iMac wont read the data CD. It reads it as a blank CD and asks me what I want to do with the blank CD. We usually use Verbatim CD-R. The strangest thing is that I have no problem with any other CD's at all on my iMac including music. This same CD that my iMac says is blank--my coworker, *who has an identical iMac*, set up the same as mine, *can read* on his iMac just fine. This data CD also can be read on PC's.
Does anyone have any clue what can be going on? I have been researching for days online to try to find an answer.
Or does anyone know where else I can go to find an answer?
Thanks! G
You might try using a CD/DVD lens cleaner in your drive. I've read that people have had problems with their iMac superdrives and resolved them with lens cleaners. It may explain why your machine does not read the disk and other machines do.
Are there any other problems associated with your superdrive with reading disks. Does it burn CD/DVDs ok?
Thanks!
I will try cleaning it. No, I have had no other problems with the CD/DVD drive. It burns fine and so far it reads everything except the Data CD from my boss?
Hi!, I have exactly this same problem, only with a minor variation. Additional to the reading burned CD and DVD's as blanks trouble, my Mac does not recognizes new blank recordable DVDs, but accepts blank any CDs to burn.
Also does not recognizes it's own MacOsX install DVD (the one which came with any new Mac), but reads any commercial DVD movie or audio CD.
All the disks were readable last week. It was only last monday when this trouble began.
I cleaned the drive as you suggested, but didn't work.
I do not use many DVD's at work, but since you mentioned it, I will bring a blank one from home to see if I also have that problem.
I will keep posting information on this problem. Let me know what happens with yours.
Thanks!
Finally I solved the problem after a full week of frustration. This is what I did:
1. Purchase a can of air to clean computers. Be sure only contains air under pressure. Many popular brands includes a dirt remover or polish. Avoid'em. I have no idea what a polish can do to your optical drive. Be sure the can has one of those large plastic tips.
2. Place the large tip right in front of your mac's slot loading entrance and gently push to separate the sides of that gray soft cover on the slot's entrance. DON'T go further. Push only enough to shoot inside, but do not try to get in.
3 Move from top to bottom of the entrance, making little shoots inside the drive. Don't be rude. Don't try to waste the complete can in a single mega burst. do little shoots. Repeat a couple of times all along the entrance.
4. Insert a blank DVD-R. Immediately, before your Mac ejects the disk, repeat the shooting again, but this time concentrate on the drive's laser lens. It's located on the lower side. When you insert the disk, it will be very notorious, 'cause it's an extremely bright red light. Do a couple of shoots directly to it.
Your Mac must read the blank disk this time. Don't be so happy until you eject the disk and your Mac reads it again. If not, you must repeat the entire process.
Please, note this is how I solved MY problem, which not necessarily means it will solve yours. Also keep in mind my Mac's warranty is over already. In my particular situation, I didn't have anything to lose. I thought the superdrive was already dead, right? I was seriously considering the purchase of a brand new LaCie. So any improvement in this situation is an improvement. Don't blame me if you decide to follow my suggestion and something goes wrong. I posted it 'cause solved my problem which is very similar to other's. There are tons of posts of people with this very same problem claiming for help in these forums. Who knows, probably it will work for you too.
And... I said "partially" solved. Why? 'cause if I do insert 10 disks, one is not mounted and it's immediately ejected. A "this disk is not readable" error message displays. After that, I need to repeat the cleaning. So, in my case in particular, seems it's just a really really really incredible case of excessive dust inside the drive... Constant cleaning it's better than calling service? Doubt so. But if you are in a hurry and can't wait for a few days until your Mac returns from Apple's Service, a quick run to WalMart may be the perfect solution for you. Until you can send your Mac to service, at least.
