Macbook Pro Superdrive Problem: no burn :(

Jup,

Your Superdrive --> Dead !

My Superdrive just made it 6 months, if you google it, you'll find it.

Is it a MATSHITADVD-R UJ-857E ?

My drive is failing too. I'm getting the same messages many people are getting: "The device failed to calibrate the laser power level for this media" and now "The device failed to respond properly, unable to recover or retry."

I can read CD's and DVD's ok but burning DVD's isn't working. I've tried blowing compressed air, using a CD cleaner, using a cloth with rubbing alcohol and even the change-the-language-preferences trick. Nothing worked.

My superdrive is a MATSHITADVD-R UJ-857E. It seems that this particular model is just simply defective. My MacBook Pro is a little over a year old. But since so many have had problems with this drive, do you know if Apple will replace this drive without cost?

Same problem with mine... I get a communications error can;t recover or retry...

At least my MBP is still under warranty... AND I have an external I can use.

Try a drive cleaning disc and/or spraying canned air into the drive to dislodge any dirt that may have gotten onto the laser lenses.

Reset the PRAM:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

Reset the SMC:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964

If these don't help either, you probably will have to replace your drive. It's not hard to do yourself:

http://tinyurl.com/yh9ow7f

Unfortunately, I can't suggest any vendors in Europe for you to buy a drive from.

I reset PRAM & SMC on my late 2007 Macbook Pro and can now burn DVD's again and verbatim blank CD's are now being recognised. I don't know why or how but fix worked. Many thanks.

I have to thank you! I have been fighting with my superdrive for a year and thought I had tried everything.

It seems the only thing I hadn't tried was the obvious. I was just going to hit the the buy button for a new superdrive, but thought I'd do one more search for solutions first. When I found your post I realized that I had reset the SMC last night due to a failing fan...so I threw a disc in and tried a burn in Itunes. SUCCESS!!!!

Drive info below for reference:

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-857D:

Firmware Revision: KCV9
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2048 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO
Media: Insert media and refresh to show available burn speeds