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

protosatori wrote:

Thanks indigopete.

But how come they did'nt come with the idea of suplying it as

as side equipment in the first place after so many failures?

So now they will keep charging for complete computer and

I will have to buy an external drive?

protosatori - you are right, you'll have to buy an external DvD. I don't think that's dishonest, it's just being practical. (I don't mean you are unjustified in being angry about your internal one failing - you are definitely justified - I'm just saying, I can understand why they are unreliable and why Apple have decided to drop them from new models).

Besides, they don't even make them so they had to depend on 3rd parties for reliability.

DvD drives are obsolete in technological terms. For me anyway (there's another thread with a raging debate about this) I don't want one in my laptop. External drives are dirt cheap and far more reliable than the internal ones. It's only a matter of time till everyone else follows suit.

Just try to "reprogram" your thinking - think "external DvDs are great, internal DvDs are rubbish" and you'll be fine 🙂

I had the same problem. You just have to download VLC for mac, install and open it up, and it will start to read it and play the dvd.

indigopete

DvD drives are obsolete in technological terms.

Absolutely INCORRECT. In terms of media consumption, that is mostly true, ....however in terms of secure data archiving, DVD burning is extremely alive and well.

Given the second law of thermodynamics, any and all current mfg. HD will, under perfect storage conditions tend themselves to depolarization and a point will be reached, even if the HD mechanism is perfect, that the ferromagnetic read/write surface of the platter inside the HD will entropy to the point of no return for data extraction.

HD life varies, but barring mechanical failure, 3-8 years typically. Unlike the case of a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm to protect yourself from a potential fire that “could” happen but probably wont happen; a HD failure is a ‘fire’ that is 100% guaranteed to happen within 3-8 years. This makes DVD archives an unmitigated necessity.

Pros are storing valuable data on CENTURY DVDs (rated for 60-120 year life with metalic compound dye layer).

Im burning 200+ archival professional grade DVDs a month for self and clients.

----------"External drives are dirt cheap and far more reliable than the internal ones"

Also not true, an external Superdrive is 100% identical (other than connecting hardware) to an internal superdrive.

Older superdrives were made by Hitachi, current ones by Panasonic. 😊

PlotinusVeritas wrote:

Absolutely INCORRECT. In terms of media consumption, that is mostly true, ....however in terms of secure data archiving, DVD burning is extremely alive and well.

Well, given that "media consumption" was the main reason they were built in to the body of a Macbook I'd say you've vindicated Apple's policy on removing them with that remark.

This makes DVD archives an unmitigated necessity.

For whom exactly ? A tiny proportion of users that require to archive on high-performance long-life media ? Then you definitely will not want to be doing it on one of Hitachi's ultra-cheap, ultra-unreliable units built into the body of a an ultra-thin Macbook pro.

Yet another reason for using a high-quality external and ditching the internals.

I'm an IT professional and I've not archived anything on DvD for about 10 years because nothing fits on them anymore. A modern basic hard drive is the best part of a terrabyte in size so a DvD will archive how much of it ?

0.8 % !!!!

That is less than 1 percent of your hard drive. The smallest data file I need to archive is about 20 Gb in size so even a single file won't fit.

Time to ditch'em !!

indigopete

Well, given that "media consumption" was the main reason they were built in to the body of a Macbook

Thats a false generalization, countless professionals use the DVD burner for archiving "cannot dare lose data" onto professional DVD blank media.

That the "average joe" is watching netflix now rather than DVD movies doesnt circumvent a PRIME USE POINT of the DVD burner,.....being burning DVD archives which are not subject to ferromagnetic degredation.

indigopete

I'm an IT professional and I've not archived anything on DvD for about 10 years because nothing fits on them anymore. A modern basic hard drive is the best part of a terrabyte.....A modern basic hard drive is the best part of a terrabyte in size

Your IT experience is 100% irrelevant to knowledge regarding data archiving and storage.

HD life varies, but barring mechanical failure, 3-8 years typically.

Yes, I know a massive amount about HD, I have a 100 of them laying around this house alone. There are only 4 HD mfg. (conventional) on earth currently, and even the best 2.5" , a Hitachi is a ferromagnetic plate(s) subject to depolarization entropy.

**I never claimed single layer DVD archives 4.7gig was a vessel for "big data", ......

I said the professionals and experts who ponder upon data storage very often are spending fortunes on

A: tape backup

B: multiple server backups in various locations......

C: and prosumer (small businesses) users are buying 100s of 1000s of century DVDs (100+ year life) a month for vital data, because they KNOW the NATURE and LONGEVITY of ferromagnetic storage.

In fact, contrary to your position, archival professional DVD blanks are in SUCH HIGH DEMAND, JVC and others cannot keep pace.

I manage a few "big data" collections,......none of them will fit onto 1000s of DVDs, logically, however it is critical that vital data is archived on same, the rest on tape backups and multiple server farms.

Anyone who thinks they can put a valuable data collection, on say "20 2TB HD" and lock it away in a vault for 6, 10,.....etc. years, is not only making a colossal-level error, .....there are also no storage experts who either advocate or agree with such an illogical position.

Yes, 4.7gig is 'small',........however vital data is secure on same for 100+ years. And 470gig of data (100 DVD single layer century blanks) when it comes to documents, texts, word files, PDF, etc. etc., contains a massive amount of data.

470 gig of data on Century disks costs $40 ........ and is not ferromagnetically subject to polarity entropy.....and will last 100+ years.

Name any archival nexus that will store half a Terabyte for 100+ years for anything close to $40 (for that matter, at ANY price). You cannot

indigopete

nothing fits on them (DVD) anymore.

One, DVD archival blank alone (not to mention more) will hold a massive ammount of documents, texts, word files, PDF, etc. etc

.....Most vital data to companies is not large media files (pics, video, music), rather documents, files, low KB-level texts.

indigopete

Time to ditch'em (DVD)!!

tell that story to JVC, Verbatim and others who cant crank out enough million archival DVD blanks a month to meet demand for storage from people who, intelligently, will not, should not, cannot, will never trust a ferromagnetic plate(s) for critical data. Tell me how they respond.

Peace 😊

PlotinusVeritas wrote:

countless professionals use the DVD burner for archiving "cannot dare lose data" onto professional DVD blank media.

I think you're in the wrong thread here.

This debate is about the merits (or otherwise) of Apple policy of dropping the internal DvD drive from it's Macbooks. As far as design priorities goes it's a kind of no-brainer to do that because as Macbooks get thinner and thinner, there just isn't any space for them any more (or at least not a reliable one) - added to the fact that their use has probably dropped to about 10% of what it was 10 years ago.

You're debating the merits of backing up on optical rather than magnetic media which is a completely separate subject. You don't need an internal drive to do that any more than you need an internal printer to produce a hard copy of a document.

So, while I accept many of your points about the merits of optical for long term archiving, it doesn't begin to make a case for comprimising all other design priorities just to cram a ruddy great peice of mechanical "junk" with a rotating disk and lots of parts which can go wrong into the body of the machine.

indigopete

So, while I accept many of your points about the merits of optical for long term archiving, it doesn't begin to make a case for comprimising all other design priorities just to cram a ruddy great peice of mechanical "junk" with a rotating disk and lots of parts which can go wrong into the body of the machine.

Yes, I know about external DVD burners.

Given the form factor of the current macbook Pro non-Retina, there is a large empty space, you can either toss in a second hard drive or have a DVD burner......., which 2nd HD is seemingly "neat", but realistically anyone trying to making their laptop a "mass storage device" is barking up the wrong tree in general and mostly in specific. Ive made several such mods, but not for myself. External HD are very cheap, and should be autonomous to the notebook due to theft and countless other reasons.

The current Panasonic made superdrive has a LOT of parts, yes,....I "repaired" 2 of them just 48 hours ago, however it was only pet fuzz and dust buildup from a client, ...I only needed to blow them out. The drives are hardly "junky"

A replacement superdrive new is only $40, very very cheap.

In the current factor of the macbook Pro, you can either stick in a redundant HD which 99% of people dont need.....

..or have a DVD burner (notice I said burner, not player). Useful for burning home movies for your home DVD player, burning archives, creating data disks to mail to people.......and of course "watching commercial DVDs/playing music/ ripping music for your Ipod"

indigopete

rotating disk and lots of parts (DVD player)....which can go wrong

Having torn apart about 300 hard drives in my life, I might remind you that any current conventional HD has "rotating disks and LOTS of parts too"......................and they break a LOT more, a LOT sooner, a LOT easier than the superdrive by a wide margin. 😊

A superdrive will take 20X more abuse and last longer than any Hard Drive will 😍

I really can't believe it. My iMac 2011 was ejecting a Windows 7 instalation disk but acepting every thing else. Without much hope I tried the Credit Card Trick and it just worked. Thanks a lot.

I was having the same issue, your suggestion really helped!

Ya.

I had the same problem. I took it to best buy and they put a new dvd drive in it because of my protection plan but you can still get it but you will have to pay for it. You can also take it to an apple store and tell them the problem. They will go over it with you give you some bs about it and you just have to say "I paid for this you are going to fix it. If I would like to speak to your manager and that's final." Apple tries to give you a lot of crap so tell them that. Mine is fixed know the problem was they will be having and telling people that if you want it fixed call in a protical decal and they announce it to everyone.

my macmini disc drive failed to read and ejected discs for over a year. this solution fixed it:

What you need is a business card or a credit card + iPhone cleaning cloth (other similar cleaning cloth that's thin and doesn't leave marks for example for cleaning glasses). Wrap the cloth around the credit card, then while holding the ends of the the cloth insert few centimeters from the front of the credit card covered with the cloth in the optical drive, push and pull a bit and that's about it. The drive will work perfectly and like new 😉

You don't need to insert it so much since the lens is not so deep inside. It's just few cm in.

This "cloth around the credit card" solution is brilliant!!! It just fixed the optical drive on my 2007 MBP 15" 2.4Ghz!

Thanks!!!

Ira

This worked for me! You saved me 50 bucks. Thanks bro!

work for me! thanks!

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