MacBook Pro will not read DVD-R

Same issue, I updated the firmware, and all of the sudden I can't get my mac to acknowledge any content on an authored dvd (data or movie). The drive will read CD's, music and data, but every DVD I pop in, is identified as blank.

Very frustrating.

C'mon Apple, somebody knows something.

I've tried the disc cleaner, compressed air, resetting PRAM.

The fact that this happened essentially overnight, after the firmware update has me thinking.

Anyone else have any ideas?

I have the same problem. Can't read DVD and CD.
I v tried the "spray " solution but the problem is still persisting.

From the number of posts here and in similar topic I understanf this is a main issue for MBP. The question is: why APPLE is not giving a good answer to solve this
bug? Let's call things with a proper name...this is a main BUG !!!!
A BIG, FAT, STRONG BUG......

same problem here. CD's work fine, reading commercial DVD's also works fine, DVD-R.. no way. spits 'em out, or just acts as if they are not in the drive.

Given the number of posts here, there is something fishy going on. It doesn't seem to be related to the age of the machine, but it does seem to be related to a SW update. So what is apple not revealing? It is hard to imagine what kind of SW change would cause these symptoms..

To not have an Apple technician chime in on this issue is just ridiculous. If there is a know problem just say so - at least we know we need a new superdrive. One day this is going to bite Apple on the *** - things are good now but this is how things start down that path - Windows 7 anyone. The Arrogance!

So I took my MacBook Pro to the Genius Bar the other week to get this problem checked. I tried to burn on to a couple different media: Memorex DVDs, and Verbatim DL+DVDs and the same problem always came up, "medium write error". The Genius said that it was probably a faulty drive and suggested that I get the drive replaced. Since I don't have warranty on my MacBook, it would roughly cost me around $300 for a new drive plus additional fees for service and labor. It would cost a little less if I did it with Apple. But either way I wasn't going to pay for a new drive.
Then the Genius suggested to test my drive once again to see if it indeed was the drive. He booted my MacBook Pro with a Leopard (10.5) OS through the Apple Store network. What do you know, it successfully burned media on to a blank DVD (memorex branded provided by the Genius). Then we went back onto the OS installed on my laptop and it didn't work. The Genius then diagnosed that there was something wrong with my OS and that I should reinstall it (I was running Tiger OSX 10.4). So I went back home and reinstalled it and found that I had the same problem with burning media onto my DVDs, "medium write error". I couldn't help but wonder what was the problem and thought that it was Tiger OSX in general.
So I went out and bought Snow Leopard expecting that maybe they'd fix the problem with the superdrive. IT STILL DOES NOT WORK. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM??? Now my MacBook Pro can't even read blank DVDs, it just sits there, unmounted, and spits it back out.
It reads DVDs with content on it fine.
Sorry to waste your time reading this. No clue as to what's wrong, just wanted to vent. =)
-edit-
Okay it can mount the DL+DVD, I haven't tried burning stuff on it yet though.

Message was edited by: rm4g3d0n

I have had a similar problem as many others. In my case, before holiday I backed up some things to DVD-R disks. So, today I went to retrieve an item on one of the disks and it would not be read. I tried the others and none of the 11 DVD-R could be read in my MacBook Pro. After reading a number of these posts, especially one of the posts that indicated that it might be a problem with the type of media being read by the DVD drive, I tried some DVD-R from a number of years ago. I got some to be read. Then, I tried the ones which previously could not be read and they could now be read. I have no idea what this problem is but it sure is strange. At least, I can read these backup disks. I am still going to the Apple Store and have them check it out.

I'm having the same issue myself. Burnt disks that worked well awhile back, no longer mount and are ejected within 10-20 seconds.

After reading about the laster cleaning cd, I went to office max and picked it up. Unfortunately, it did not resolve the issue.

Hoping to hear from Apple about this soon. This is getting very frustrating. This is something simple that should just work.

My Pioneer SuperDrive failed just after my 3-yr. warranty expired. Initially, it would not write CDs or DVDs; but after a few months it wouldn't read them either. It could read audio CDs, however.

I tried a few of the suggestions mentioned in this forum, but eventually I decided to stop fussing and replace the drive. Other World Computing sold me a newer model by Pioneer for $29.95. Using the instructions on the Apple Web site for replacing optical drives on Power Mac G5s, I did the job handily. It took me a little over an hour, mainly due to my big fingers which didn't fit so easily in the tiny spaces behind the drive and around the cables. The Apple Store quoted me a price that was around $170 and a week in the shop, which did not appeal to me.

I just experienced a similar problem...Very picky, wouldn't play some DVD's, wouldn't read a new blank DVD. I just picked up some compressed air after reading this forum and presto I am back in action!!
Thanks sooooo much!

I had the same problem for a long time. In looking into my options on various message boards I lost count of the number of recommendations to try different brands of DVD-R (did it), or replace the SuperDrive (no thanks). Finally saw the suggestion of cleaning the laser. Just spent $9.99 at Best Buy on a Memorex OptiDisc; 30 seconds later problem was solved.

Hello,
Trying to spread the word that doing one thing solved two big problems I was having. Drive was not spinning any CD's and would not recognize DVD's of any kind.
It was also taking forever to boot up. Everything was solved by doing this.

go to library, launchdaemons folder, delete file com.WD.WDDDriveServices.plist.

I don't even have a Western Digital drive but getting rid of this file made my day. It's all working fine. Hope it works for you.

Canned air worked for me, too - we'll see how long it lasts!

My drive info:

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-867

Firmware Revision: HA13
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 0 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO
Media: Insert media and refresh to show available burn speeds

My Oct 2007 MacBook Pro has had this exact same problem.

Zapping the P-Ram re-enabled CD burning, and a quick disc clean with a £3 Aldi/Tevion full size CD brush cleaner has made the DVD burner work after a year of hit and miss burning. I wish I had looked this up sooner, as I feel such an eejit!

One word of CAUTION regarding the compressed air though, is that the propellant will form ice if the can is held at any thing other than vertical; and freezing the laser lens, followed by the commensurate moisture due to the heat melting the ice is not a combination I would want my laptop to encounter!

Great thread though and very very helpful!

My little contribution.
My superdrive started acting strange about a week after upgrading to 10.6.4, particularly not accepting anymore blank dvd-R media; alright with +R. Tried first software solutions, i.e. clearing pram, repairing permissions, reinstalling previous versions up to 10.5.5, but no luck. Canned Air, the same.

Last try: isopropyl alcohol and cotton stick.
Opened, uncapped superdrive, burst of alcohol, stick. Still with drive opened, inserted -R media.

It worked at first try. Burned media. Still working!

Thanks to this thread, avoided traveling to local reseller...

PIONEER DVD-RW DVRTS09:
Firmware Revision: Q909
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2000 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO

since your wrist will put pressure on the drive - over time it will sort of collapse onto itself. Insert the disk, pry the slot open with a tweezer or similiar devise and the disk should read. The compressed air idea probably worked to help pry the drive open more to allow for the lens to accurately read the disk.