CD won't eject

Hi there:

A list of things you may have tried:

Use eject key on keyboard.
Use eject from Apple menu under File, in Finder window.
Use eject key from within iTunes application.
Hold mouse button down on restart of computer.

If you have an open system folder (HDD, etc) and
there is a sidebar of icons, the CD icon should show.
If it is there, and a tiny triangle beside it, click on it
and that disc should try and unmount or eject.

Let's see. Over the years, I've heard so many things.
A slot-load optical drive presents a few potential extra
issues, in that there is no physical tray or eject button.

Some people had mentioned they were able to get a
stubborn CD out of an optical drive by having the
computer on its side and also pressing the correct
keyboard button, and gravity helped make it fall out.
But that may not work on other situations.

Was the CD put in so the system could not read it?
A few times, if an optical disc is inserted backward
the computer can't recognize the disc...

I'm sure there are a few other ideas out there. There
is also some way to try and see if a disc can be
ejected through use of the Single User mode; but
that may not be something to rush into at this time.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

f you have an open system folder (HDD, etc) and
there is a sidebar of icons, the CD icon should show.
If it is there, and a tiny triangle beside it, click on it
and that disc should try and unmount or eject.i

How do you find the system folder and then one that is open?

I have tried all of the other above solutions including hold ing it upside down. I can read the stuck disk just fine. It is an off brand cd of a tourist destination so is not a commercial situation. Never had a problem until I put it in.

I am now considering Opening up my I mac. I have two differnt set of directions with photo's. I have my torx screw driv ers and 2 good suction cups. I understand the directions.
My question before I proceed is can I manualy eject the superdrive once it is revealed. Do I have to remove the superdrive and then take it apart before I can remove the disk?. These are the directions that I need. I Live in Honduras and cannot take the underwarrenty Imac Intel January '08 to the store in the states. One listing said to purchase a new superdrive or replace the one I have with the sony. I really think that I want to try to see if it can work before I do that.

Did that disc have a paper label? Those are really a no-no; but it
could give you a layer to attempt to stick something to and pull
the disc out, if nothing else works. Back to what I'd said...

My reference to a folder in the system (desktop) is just that. You can
see an ejectable disc if you have one on the desktop, as an icon in
the 'Sidebar' of any open Folder. Such an icon of a mounted disc, if
present, usually has a small triangular shaped image beside its icon.

Click on one of these, and the disc (disk image, optical disk, mounted
external hard drive disk, etc) should dismount, eject or otherwise be
free from the system. Such as you could unmount an external drive
before detaching the wires between that and the computer, for example.

If there is no visible icon of the CD on the desktop, that makes ejecting
it from a Sidebar of an open folder hard, since it may not appear at all.
The sidebar feature may be turned off, in Finder Preferences... check.

{Any folder, depending on the view mode, can have a Sidebar; so if any
of the folders on your desktop show icons on the left side (bar) when
they are opened, a variety of icons of things will show there. Including
any removable drives or mounted discs; ie: CD & DVD media.}

If there are no Sidebar areas visible in any open Folders, you can turn
on that feature in Finder, by going to Preferences beneath the Finder
name in the drop-down menu there; and choose "Sidebar" from the
little Finder preference window, there should be other names in that
window's upper area, General, Labels, Sidebar, Advanced. - Sidebar
will let you choose to see several things, if the appropriate checkbox
is marked. One to mark is "Removable Media" such as CDs, DVDs.

Back to the tipping of the computer (while pressing an eject button
or key on keyboard, etc) to try and see if gravity may help that disc
fall out... it could be, that you may have to try some thing that can
carefully leverage the disc. And not a forceful prying, as that can
damage the drive and maybe the computer's housing.

I've read of some users who'd tried several things, including a
double-stick tape on a super thin plastic ruler; care must be taken
to not have that tape come off inside the computer's optical drive.

You may not have to take apart the optical drive once that unit
is out of the computer, to get the disc out. With the Mac's housing
out of the way, you may be able to carefully extract the disc. If
not, then at least you'd have access to replace the optical drive.

(Someone with experience in using the features under Single User
mode (not in the general graphic user interface boot) may be able
to guide you through attempting to use that mode to eject a disc.)
{When a computer is under warranty, and has an active AppleCare
plan in effect, you should not try to open it; talk to someone on
the phone at AppleCare support, or see if there is an authorized
Apple trained service provider in your area, and have an expert
try to get that disk out. If the computer is under warranty, could
be that the optical drive may be defective; it could be fixed or
replaced. But, if you open the computer, that may void AppleCare.
In some instances, if a specific computer model had a known
issue, and it failed under warranty, to discuss this matter with
an AppleCare rep anyway may be a good idea, if you can.}

Since you indicate (upon re-reading your post above) your Mac
no longer has an active AppleCare plan, you may have to see
if you can get someone qualified who has the service manual
for these and some skill, to help you take it apart. And to get
the correct replacement optical drive so the Mac could see it
as a bootable superdrive or combo drive; otherwise you would
not be able to start the computer from the Mac OSX software
on the provided disc media. And that could make more trouble.

Someone may have a link to a do-it-yourself page, that shows
how to replace the optical drive and/or the hard disk drive. A
few online reseller's web sites had these kinds of pages, more
often for older computers where there may not be a warranty.
And more often for portables such as the iBook.

Which exact model and build of iMac do you have? The
MacTracker.ca site has a good free database for download.

In the absence of a technician and outside of AppleCare, this
issue may become escalated if care and due-diligence is not
taken; so perhaps there is a document which may give you
a step-by-step guide to replacing the optical drive; online.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

(edited twice after re-reading your last post.)

Thank you so much for your detailed considered (twice) reply. I purchased the 20" intel Imac in January '08 and am about to extend my warrentee. I will get the telefone support and I will call the tech at apple. thankyou for your suggestion to do that. Perhaps Apple has a rejistered tech here in Honduras and I can ask that question too. I did find very good step by step with photos and movies on Utube for the aluminum Imac. I do not feel uncomfortable with removing the cover and getting to the optical drive. Were I do feel uncomfortable is I havn't found any info on whether the optical drive needs to be removed. Maybe when the 'hood' is off the I mac I will be see part of the disk. If not then How is the Optical drive removed? There is lots of info about removing the harddrive. then if it is obvious when looking at it ie just two screws, is the next step to open up the optical drive? What precautions should one take then?
I will also try the other suggestions first that you mentioned. I will reply when I know something more and If you do have any other suggestions.... If anyone has experience with the optical drive please respond.
JIm
My

Since the computer is relatively new, and under the Service portion
of the year-long AppleCare courtesy plan included with the Mac,
you could consider buying the extended AppleCare protection plan
and then use the Support. The process will increase the AppleCare
coverage to a combined total of three years on the product.

Under that scenario, I would not open the computer unless and until
someone at AppleCare says so. It - could - be, the part may be one
of those considered to be user-replaceable under the warranty. But
likely not. Some items are and others aren't; and I don't know which.
There may be a service document or web page AppleCare could refer
you to, should this item be a Do-it-yourself repair. I would suspect for
overall quality and inspection of the Mac, they'd want a tech to do it.

The non-invasive choices to try and make the CD eject, are mostly
those things which won't harm the computer or other systems.

You may be able to call an AppleCare tech anyway and see about
getting a Case or Incident number on the problem, since you have
an apparent problem and it looks like a hardware failure in that drive.
If they do ask for a fee to get into their system, that may be refund-
able (depending on how they work the process) if the item is fixed
under AppleCare. Of course, if you buy the extended plan, there
would be no fees to call into Support; you'd get that coverage back.

Since it is essentially a new computer, that would seem to be the
better way to go, in my opinion; to err on the side of caution.

Hopefully some other experienced persons can expand on options here.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂