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

I have the same problem with my macbook pro 13" late 2009


HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N

firmware SB00

any solution?

sorry for my bad english

Ya know, it just struck me... Maybe the studios are including code that makes certain DVDs unplayable in certain computers... their way of cutting down on piracy.

My 12 yr old PowerMac won't play the same DVDs that my late-2009 iMac won't play... and I noticed the problem with both computers simultaneously. If one computer won't play a DVD, the other one won't either. If one will play it, so will the other one. Lately, neither computer will play anything new from Netflix, but has no problem playing DVDs that have been in circulation awhile. I just ordered a new Macbook Pro, should be here sometime next week, I'll try some DVDs in that, and post back.

Anyone else have any ideas?

I encountered the problem discussed at this thread, i.e. not able to burn a DVD. DVD simply spins/whirrs and then ejects.

My drive is the frequently mentioned model at this thread.
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GSA-S10N:

Anyway, several folks mentioned using a lens leaning disc, blowing out the drive with air, etc.

I used canned air with a tube nozzle that came with it - stuck it in the CD slot and used quick/short blasts.
Moved the nozzle to different spots and depth along the CD slot.
Have to make sure the can is help upright during this to prevent propellant from spraying into the mechanism.

The burner is working now!!
Selected 'Burn' on the burn folder and just finished completing a data DVD burn.

Same here. Happened after I installed Snow Leopard. Not sure what's goin on. I still reads regular movie discs as far as I know, it just doesn't burn media on to any disc, but it still reads it as a blank disc...

How exactly will that work....? I have verified and repaired it on numerous occasions to no avail.

It simply makes some weird noise even when not in use..When I insert a disc,it makes a different noise that i think can be related to gears finding it difficult to run...I am afraid to open my mac because it's very expensive...I recently went to an apple shop(distributer) and they slapped a whopping 400Gh equivalent to about $320 or so on replacing the the rom only.

I need to do reinstallation because a hacker seem to have gotten in my system and he is accessing my accounts no matter how many times i change my password...Please Help

I had this problem too, but I went to my local Genius Bar and they took it in to have a look at it. They said the super-drive was broken and that they were going to replace it. I had AppleCare so I didn't have to pay anything, but the Genius said that the replacement would have cost as much or more than the AppleCare. I've got a Macbook Pro late 2007/early 2008.

I Don't know if this is the original thread on this that I as involved in some time ago and I don't feel like searching 54 pages to find out. BUT - I had this problem right after I got my MBP in april 06. First Superdrive was replaced by warranty. That one crapped out a little over a year later - out of waranty and no Apple Care. So I've been without a SD for a while now. (Actually I bought an external).

I tried EVERY suggestion ever noted here, compressed air, cleaning disks, polishing cloths wrapped around a credit card to clean the lense and so on. This week I finally gave up the ghost. I bought a refurbished drive off ebay for $48 and installed it tonight. Wowza! I can now once again read CDs, DVD.s. It's like a new computer almost. (Actually my trackpad and keyboard were sticking a bit and even they work better now.) I'm the farthest thing from a computer repairman but I used one of the online guides and found it simple to do. Oh, and I also spent $8 on a set of 'precision' screwdrivers at Tractor Supply to get the proper size phillips and torx drivers.

If you're without Apple Care I highly suggest you try this. It was really simple. Until such time as Apple acknowledges this is an issue and does something for its customers, it seems the only resolution. $60 investment to restore a huge part of my use of this computer was well worth it.

I've been having the exact same issue, I knew the drive didn't work properly when given the MBP. It's a late 2007 2.4GHz C2D. Reset PRAM and SMC, to no avail.

Drive details:
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GSA-S10N:

Firmware Revision: AP09
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, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: To show the available burn speeds, insert a disc and choose View > Refresh

I have posted earlier on this topic. I would remind others having similar issues to include more details about their Mac. This is absolutely essential to try and find a solution.

We can rule out defective SuperDrives as the same issues are happening with several different models of drive from different manufacturers.
Another way to rule out a defective drive is to buy or borrow an external burner. My experience showed that I could not burn externally either. This also included booting to Vista and trying internally and externally.

Therefore this a hardware controller issue. In other words EFI, which is responsible essentially for the communication between hardware and an OS (any OS).
This can also explain a score of other problems from other posts. These include random temporary beach-ball lock-ups (hard drive lag), blinking screens when using the GeForce 9400M graphics card (graphics board timing error), and excessive over-heating (fans not switching on at lower temperatures).

I believe that this must be a problem for Apple because they have not released a new patch for this firmware issue. Your guess is as good as mine as to WHY Apple doesn't address their mistake. Perhaps it is because they want to prevent 3rd party hardware being used and releasing a rollback would enable use of said hardware. Clever types could exploit this portion of code to enable 3rd hardware use on future firmware updates. Just a guess.

So in typical Apple fashion, ignore the problem and it will go away. I have a late 2008 uMBP. I am a working professional freelancer relying on my Mac for my living. Within 12 months I will upgrade to a new MBP as I and others do every 3 years. I doubt Apple will help out and fix this problem. So I will be stuck with a laptop with a very low resell value. This hurts my business.

I'm not sure that I can agree with your hypothesis Silo -- IF it is a hardware controller issue that would assume that all the faulty drives that others posting here have either had Apple replace, or have like me, replaced themselves, are good, working drives. I don't believe that to be the case and I still have the drive I removed - so if there is some way to test its functionality, I'll be glad to do so. If it's a controller issue why would the simple changing of the drive produce immediately different results with no sign of the previous problem?

Further, in my case the original SD in my April 06 MBP exhibited this problem within a month or so of delivery and was replaced. When that SD failed I waiting well over a year until my frustration finally led me to do my own repair. However, in that time I too purchased an external and was immediately able to burn CD/DVDs again? Seems to me the hardware controller is working just fine.

Again, like you I am a freelance writer who relies daily on my MBP (and my backup MB and older iMac). And I too will likely upgrade to a new MB or MBP within the next 6 months - thus part of the reason I felt it necessary to replace the drive, so as to help my MBP gain back some of its resale value.

One part of your statement I do agree with - Apple will ignore this and it will simply go away as you, I and countless others remain loyal to the computers and OS we love and in so doing will move on to other machines, accepting an incredibly poor demonstration of customer support.

Same problems..
MBP 15 late 2005

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-857E:

Revisione firmware: ZA0E

Reading only. Impossible to burn dvd...

Looks like I'll be taking my 2008 MBPro (with a "HL-DT-ST DVDRW GSA-S10N" type drive) to the local Apple store to talk to the Geniuses. I've noticed the frequency of the drive "spitting out" DVD's much more often. Luckily, my applecare is is good for at least a few more weeks. I've tried most all things suggested. My hope is that it gets replaced, and the issue goes away. Glad to know I am not one of a few with this issue. Disappointing that there are so many, but no clear action being taken by Apple.

I have a mini with the same problems- won't even read the Apple Install disks!!!!

Have been using a Sony external DVD writer for several years without a problem. The Apple super drive spins for a few seconds and then spits out the disk.

My mini is a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 running 10.5.8

My superdrive-

PIONEER DVD-RW DVRTS08:

Firmware Revision: Q81B
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
Media: Insert media and refresh to show available burn speeds

Hear here! I think Laundry Beach would've been better off just staying out of this discussion. "Just deal with it.."? Are you f@#$'in kiddin' me? And "...things break"? Riddle me this then, Batman, if things "just break", what do you think the odds are of having the exact same problem not once but twice? If this isn't a common problem, how then did it happen to me TWICE!?!?

Here's my story: I bought my MacBookPro4,1 in Sep '08, without purchasing the extended warrantee (afterall, it's an Apple and I'm already putting out over $3,000). Worked great for about a year...and two weeks. In Oct '09, I start experiencing the (now not so uncommon) SuperDrive disk recognition problems. I drag it in to my nearest Apple Store only to be told that I need to have the drive replaced and since it's out of warantee I'd have to pay something like $320 (that's about 10% of what I'd for the thing new, mind out). They did, however, graciously offer to waive the labor costs (something I suggest you allegedly few people experiencing this problem ask for yourselves), which brought the repair costs to around $160. I agreed. When I returned to pickup my repaired computer I ask "Now, what's the warrantee on this brand new crappy SuperDrive?" 3-months I'm told. "So, when I'm back in about a year with the same problem, I'll have to fork over $320?" Now, at the time I was just being facetious and had now idea that apropos my quip actually was. Now here I sit, Dec '10, again having to "just deal with" a SuperDrive that "just breaks".

It reminds me of the XBox "Red Ring of Death". The only difference is that Microsoft has acknowledged that problem and has waived the warrantee altogether for that particular defect. I can't believe I'm about to say it...if only Microsoft made Apple MacBook Pros.