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

Same problem here - 15" MBP late 2007.

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-857E Firmware ZA0E

Works fine with CD's & CD-R's. But won't mount any DVD's including my new Snow Leopard install disk. Tried all the fixes mentioned to no avail.

Luckily covered with AppleCare, so will get the drive replaced under extended warranty, but with what I'm reading here, there's no guarantee of success!

Looks like this thread was picked up on apple insider, http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/09/04/appleusers_report_superdrive_failures_more_ipod_cameracases.html. The comments there may help users here. One tip I hadn't seen was that opening up Disk Utility causes the superdrive to spin up and that fixed his issue.

Adding mine to the list
MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-857E:

Firmware Revision: ZA0E
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2048 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO
Media: To show the available burn speeds, insert a disc and choose View > Refresh

Took me 3 tries to get SL to install. This drive does not like DVD's

With my Macbook air, I had another issue. I've first started using an old external drive with a Plextor DVD reader. It mounted the install DVD but I would get the same error message that the install has halted and ask to relaunch. Did it several times and after a minute, it will dismount. Robooted both the drive and the MBA but no avail!

Then I tried it using Remote Disk from a Windows PC (of all things). The MBA saw the install disk, and started to do the install. The drive from the HP DC7700 would constantly make erratic reading noise. It would speed up and down, until after 10 to 15 minutes, I see the install menu.

Going thru the few steps of the install process, it took approx. an hour to do the installation before finally rebooting. Phew.... I finally gotten SL installed! So far so good. Also gain approx. 8GB back!

From reading this thread, I suspect it's how OSX reads the SL Disk. But Windows, did the trick, despite strange noises coming from the player. Hope this helps.

As Gryff noted earlier in relation to Apple Insider - let's stay on point here - THIS IS NOT A SNOW LEOPARD ISSUE! Yes, many of you are apparently just finding that you have a SD problem as you attempt to install SL - and that's a real shame, but that isn't the issue on this thread. The rest of us have been dealing with SDs that don't load, read, write anything - and we've been dealing with it for months, long before SL was a glint in Apple's eye

I couldn't agree more! Snow Leopard install notwithstanding, this thread shows there IS an issue with SuperDrives, and that Apple isn't doing a thing to solve the problem. Many people coming across this thread for the first time (that's what "coming across" means, right...?) could be led to think that SD problems on Apple products are somewhat related to SL install, but that wouldn't deter them from buying their copy of the new OS, since they know Apple would do anything to sell it, includind solving whatever install problems early SL users have encountered.

Our letting people think our SD problems are related to the arrival of a new OSX version would only serve to murk the water and play in Apple's hand.

Let it be said: SuperDrive issues described here in vivid detail and problems installing Snow Leopard ARE TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES.

Put me up for a 'me too'. (MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-85J)

MBP from October 2006. Burning DVD's hasn't worked for more than a year now... also the dreaded... couldn't calibrate message.

Read CD : OK
Write CD : don't count on it, but sometimes it works.
Read DVD movie ( barely )
Read MacOS X Leopard : sometimes
Read MacOS X SL : makes horrible sounds and ejects.

Thought the drive finally gave out, so I already ordered a new one, but now it appears this problem is wide spread.

3 other macs ( mini, G4 and MacPro ) read the SL DVD just fine.

I have exactly the same problem on my 2006 black Macbook 2.0 Ghz Core Duo. I can also confirm it occurred before now in Leopard, so the Snow Leopard installer is not at fault. There does appear to be an extraordinarily large number of users to have this fault occur in the last few months, which points to either a faulty firmware update somewhere along the line, or, given the large number of failures, a manufacturing fault with the drives. I've never had an optical drive fail before in any of previous 9 Macs.

Same issue with my HL-DT-ST DVDRW GSA-S10N. I have used the SuperDrive only a few times in almost two years. I had issues with both Snow Leopard and the Leopard CDs that came with the machine. I have been able to install SL after 4 hours of attempts. Weird noises coming from the unit.

Simone

As I said in an earlier post, it doesn't really matter where the problems come from, but it does matter that Apple isn't doing anything about it... Have any of you received an email or a phone call from Apple asking how you're dealing with your issues and how can we help you?

Come on, don't be shy, raise your hands... What? No one...?!

You know, in my humble opinion, THIS is the real problem: Apple is turning the blind eye on this whole thing, and that *****. If they want to keep this quiet, they can contact by email all the people on this forum with a SuperDrive problem and propose solutions.

It would be the honorable thing to do.

Interestingly, I just tried using my iWork 09 installer in my apparently MIA optical rive in my 2006 Macbook (which has barely EVER been used) and it mounted and installed fine. So it works sometimes, it's just very fussy?

OMG! I thought it was just me! My 17" Macbook pro superdrive has a real hard time with DVD's. CD's are fine! Often a DVD just spins, ejects, fails to eject, or refuses to recognise the disk inserted. Often you have to quit the DVD player or even shut down and restart to get the disk out!!

This is not good, but I am glad I am not the only one with this problem!! Apple, please fix!!!!!

Hmmm, and it doesn't read my leopard retail disk, either. I wonder if it's anything to do with those two disks being dual layered, and the iWork one being single layered?

Put me on the list.

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-867
MacBookPro4,1