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

blowing out my mac book seems to have done the trick not sure about the mini yet got 52 minutes left on the instlall

It's fairly well documented that the optival drive (superdrive) in the 2008-era Macbook Pro's (specifically late 2008 unibody models - but I've heard plenty of others released around that time) have faulty, crappy, ****** Superdrives made by MATSHITA. Mine is the MATSHITA DVD-R  UJ-868 and it's been a p.o.s. since I bought it.  Many Many Many people have complained about it not reading, not recognizing, and not burning either CD's or DVD's. Mine did in the beginning, although it was EXTREMELY picky about what type and manufacturer of CD or DVD it would accept. The AppleCare folk would tell me it must be poor quality media that I was using. It was MY FAULT.

Personally I think Apple should have voluntarily replaced all the Superdrives in these models but they didn't. I'm sorry to tell you that you have a horribly manufactured piece of crap and that 98% of the time you will have to either replace the drive or replace the laptop. I'm about to replace mine now because it's much cheaper than a new model MBP.

Thankyou e.hunter! Finally answer that makes sense and communicates our feelings well! Hurrah!

While Apple becomes more microsoft-like in the way it treats consumers and continues using sub standard parts… I still love and have to use Mac gear every day.  Stockholm syndrome? No, the best of a pile two annoying companies.

Have you ever had 3 DVD's left at the end of a shoot and KNEW the superdrive would stuff up at least one of them for the client…? It's a fun game!

My silly advice:

The addition of a crappy external USB drive isn't going to break the bank and as actually faster and more reliable than the internal superdrive.  Add a £60 crappy USB external drive to your well priced MPB and ask for an Apple staff discount

Superdrive, more like… "Stuperdrive".

This is something that worked for me.    http://km.support.apple.com/library/APPLE/APPLECARE_ALLGEOS/TS2839/TS2839-2.mov

I tried the card and cloth method and the disc cleaner.  I was getting ready to strip out the drive when I literally stumbled on this link.   Hope it works for you as well.

Well here is 964. reply to your post/question.

Just have the same problem with superdrive on my iMac 27 (2010)

  (Model:          OPTIARC DVD RW AD-5680H                

  Revision:          3AHB)

It just spits out very different kind of CDs. Sometimes it will even read scratched dvd or cd media but won't good other ones... It just spinns them for half a minute and ejects.

I tried all the solutions that i read about here but nothing helped.

Buying an external dvd drive for this 2000 euro machine that should be working like a charm sounds like a blasphemy, but if nothing helps that is going to be the only solution.

Very dissapointed in Apple

I also had the problem with the monitor - some foggy and dimmed parts on it. They have replaced the whole monitor. Ofcourse you have to wait, and your work will have to wait too...

Now this is the second issue i have with this very expensive machine. Not sure if i like it anymore.

As per my last post about the Lexar USB drive/dongle, (could any USB brand not limited to Lexar). Well it looks like it is not the only problem.  A friend with an iMac has the same problem. He did remove the USB driver, his was scan disk, still did not work.

He is also a computer engineer. I asked him about the SuperDrive's drivers; a light went off. Those of you who have worked with Linux/Unix know device drivers are a nightmare; the only thing Mixrosft Windows got right; well their partners that produce the devices.

The problem was finding drivers for Mac OS, better off finding the cure for cancer. He had no choice but to go to apple. They reinstalled the driver, jump for joy, it worked.  Next problem convince Apple to give him the original driver package, no luck.

Short: this fixed his problem and may not be for all.  As any Linux OS drivers are an issue.  Using USB device can cause problems with other drivers; can we stop using USB devices, NO, cameras, external HD, a mouse, etc, can affect the SuperDrive drivers.

MATSHITA (Panasonic, Technics (may it rest in peace)) is/are very reliable. They make great DVD drives and last very long. Face it how often do you use your DVD drive. It not a car if you don't use it it won't cease up. It will last longer. Before you go buy a new drive try the drvers.

Before people post about Technics they are not all gone they make DJ turntables and equipment; no more great home audio ( best of the low end home audio), but let's leave this discussion for the audio discussion boards.

Oh well,  mine worked a couple of times after trying the fix described in the video, but now it is gone again.  I have burnt 10 or so CD/DVD's since I bought it in 2009. 

As Fantasyflan says,   "Buying an external dvd drive for this 2000 euro machine that should be working like a charm sounds like a blasphemy, but if nothing helps that is going to be the only solution.

Very dissapointed in Apple".

Is it the firmware or is it the drive? or is it Apple cutting back on costs and quality to boost their profits?

I love the OS and that is one reason I will probably stay with Apple, but it does make me wary about future purchases.

Nlormally you should not install any drivers, they are included in the system installer and updated if need be. Sometimes, rarely, software updated also referred to optical drives firmware updates, but Apple takes care of it.

An optical drive is a very sensitive component, over years I had two major problems with optical drives replaced within the warranty period as I have other examples of such devices working smoothly over years without any problem (one is inside a 2004 PowerBook). It is clear that Apple is not interested in putting inside bad components, but these components may sometimes fail, that is all.

I agree that Apple do not generally install bad components but this has been a consistent problem since just after the G5 era.

There are probably many politcal and contract issues with suppliers of the drives that we don't need to know about, but we also expect perfect technology and specially not to have to defend or blame Apple products for wasting client time when we can't easily read media on several new laptops. 

We now use external 3rd party drives such as a brilliant LaCie FW DVD external that I found in the bin a few years ago. It's a bit pathetic.

I also found a 1982 Vectrex Console with games… and now THAT was cool (it works!)

For what its worth - I was having the same problem, and found a solution that hasn't been listed anywhere (at least not that I could find.

I took the superdrive out, and actually took the superdrive itself apart. There was a small, loose screw that was stopping the lens from moving - I simply removed the screw and the problem was gone. I think this screw was small, and quite flat - I think it may have been from inside the computer somewhere. Now, I highly doubt this is the same problem that lots of other people have had - however, you may have some kind of object blocking the lens from moving, some dirt, or a foreign object. If you are bold, it might be worth taking the superdrive apart and having a look.

My superdrive is now working fine

Callan

For sure, that screw should not be there. In general, various objects have been found in the optical drive, the most amusing was reported by someone here some 2 months ago, a coin.

Such intrusive objects can of course severely damage the drive but—in the overwhelming majority of cases—the reasons are, in a certain order, not necessarily reflecting %:

- dirty mechanism; cleaning it may have good results;

- a mechanical problem, like the one you described;

- deteriorated components; the drive begins to not read and/or burn DL DVDs, but still works with DVDs and Cds, some time later does not read or burn DVDs etc.—the process may last months until the drive is completely unusable.

In most cases, an optical drive does not get damaged over night, the process may last months, even a year or more.

I just noticed this problem a couple days ago as well. 3 yr old MBP 15". VERY lightly used superdrive - maybe watched 3 or 4 dvds, and burned 2 or 3 discs of music since I bought this... even thats a stretch. I love this machine and apple in general, but I'm quite disappointed as I had the Logic board swapped out a few months ago due to black screen of death. I paid almost 3 grand for this badboy and am starting to feel duped. lame...

edit: for the record, its not just burned or blank discs that give me the problem. all cds and dvds are spit out in about 30 secs. its making a lot of funny sounds too.

FOUND A FIX (for me at least)

I saw another discussion board and a guy just tried putting a glasses cleaning clothe over his drivers license and sticking it i the left side of the drive opening a few times and the drive then working. I figured it would be a long shot for this to work but I thought I might as well try so I did and I'll be darned, the thing works now! hope that helps some people! I'm working with an older mabbook pro with the HL-DT-ST disk drive.

Ha! Y'know what everyone, i've been subscribed to this post for a long time and heard the problem for a long time before. Lexar drivers, credit cards and cloth, dissassembling, programming in terminal, replacing it under applecare with another temporary piece of s**t … I'm the one who found a LaCie external dvd drive in the bin and that has solved the problem.

Apple may be irresponsible, ignorant, provide an unreliable mail service, force you to do paid upgrades, buy out essential video and audio software companies then completely drop the sofware and support, forcing you to completely switch over your workflow to more sturdy Pro Tools and Avid and Apple are more evil than good these days but unfortunately they still make good machines that are best out of a bunch of bad companies. 

Although it defeats the purpose of paying for the "best" laptops, I strongly suggest buying a USB external DVD drive and avoiding rants like mine until apple shuts down this forum

Hunter, exactly which model of DVD drive did you replace the p.o.s with?  Did it work?  I have two MBP's and would love to have at least one of them have a working drive this year.  2008 MBP 15" was the best ever (apart from the dvd drive).