CD/DVD won't load

Hello. I have a iMacG5 purchased about 13 months ago, it ran all CD/DVD operations without a problem using the factory 10.3.9 OS. After upgrading(?) to 10.4.5 OS the SuperDrive will not now mount any DVD+RW, ejects all CD-RW, but will take and run the Applecare"Techtool"CD. All conditions on System Profiler/Discburning are Yes. I am going to put up with this untill it starts to **** me off,(or some kind soul comes up with a fix) then I'll send the entire unit back to Cupertino. Any comments or suggestions will accepted. Gladly.

iMacG5 1.8 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

iMacG5 1.8 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

I just experienced the same thing on my iMac G5, reset my PRAM and NVRAM and all seems to be back to normal. Give it a try.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
Hope this helps.

apple must soon address this issue. seems that most of the drives (matshita) don't work or sooner than later stop working. I have read so many people's frustration with this, including mine. It's not fair. we put our trust and money in the product and there is no excuse for this happening. apple, please get in touch with your customers who have complained and get the fix happening!!!

I'm having a similar problem but mine is CD specific. So far I have encountered two discs in my music collection which th ecompute rdoes not recognize. It tried to but then just ejects them. Both CD's are mint, not a single scratch on them. The PVRAM thing didn't help. What gives?

I just had the same problem tonight. CDs play fine but DVDs won't work at all. I reset the PRam as well and booted into safe mode and repaired disk permission. One thing I am having that no one else is talking about is that my drive makes funny noises when I put a DVD in. It sounds fine when I put a CD in.

All of you must remember that only users with problems tend to post messages here. Considering how many SuperDrives there are in iMacs & how popular the model is, the most logical conclusion is that they are generally reliable but some lemons get through & some are damaged after they leave the factory.

The same logic applies to updates: if an update really was responsible for killing the drives, there would be many, many posts about it instead of the handful you find here.

A mechanical problem, like Teresa's feeling resistance when inserting disks, represents a real failure that needs attention by a technician. Not recognizing disks that are 'grabbed' is something else, & could be caused by file system damage, permissions problems, bad disks, corrupted PRAM, a dirty laser lens, etc.

It is best to start your own thread or add to ones with exactly the same symptoms rather than "piggybacking" on an only superficially related one. This cuts down on confusion & makes it easier for those willing to help to diagnose the cause of the problem & its cure.

so much for "piggybacking on a superficially related thread"..... BUT:

I'm having exactly the same problem.
After updating all my software, my DVD player has been, literally, ********. Music cd's work fine, but when I insert a DVD, I hear a horrible clicking, scratching sound (reminiscent of steel fingernails on a chalkboard)... the application starts up, and freezes after some more awful noises.

And here's the big punchline: On more than a few occasions,
the disk drive has LAUNCHED MY DVD's ACROSS THE ROOM upon ejecting
My iMac has become a dangerous weapon!

What is going on, and how can I (and the rest of the people on this thread) have our old DVD player capabilities back?

HELP!!

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

What is going on, and how can I (and
the rest of the people on this thread)
have our old DVD player capabilities back?

What is going on is that a number of people have posted several unrelated problems in the thread started by Teresa Kille for resolution of her problem. This is called "threadjacking." Not only is it rude to the original poster & those willing to give her detailed help specific to her issue, it is discouraged by Apple Discussion's Terms of Use, which states in part, "Don't threadjack. Be sure your response relates to the topic."

Your problem is not exactly the same as Teresa's. Her drive will not accept disks; yours will. Because of this, appropriate solutions for her problem will not be appropriate for yours, in the same way that not all sick people are cured by the same treatment.

If you check the topics list in this forum, you will find a number of threads that do discuss the problems you mention. Please post your comments there, or start a new topic if you feel your problems are unique enough to require individual attention. In this way each problem & each user can receive the help they deserve.

R C-R,
I'm sorry if it seems like my problem is irrelevant.

I posted it here because it seems that there is an innate problem with the DVD player in the iMac G5... there are many people that are having similar problems (no, they're not identical, but neither are bugs in programs, right?... point is, there is a problem with this particular piece of hardware/software)

my intention in posting here was only to back up what Teresa was saying - there is a problem with the DVD player, and we need to get Apple's attention on the issue. These were not cheap computers!

I understand your intent, but this is a user-to-user help & discussion forum, one with specific rules of behavior that you agree to by posting here. One of those rules, intended to benefit everyone, is to keep on topic.

The topic here is CD/DVD's that physically won't load into the drive. This is almost certainly a mechanical problem that requires service by a technician. Teresa should know that the warranty is generally one year for parts, so she should contact Apple ASAP.

Your problem is entirely different. It is unlikely that it is caused by an innate flaw in the drive, since tens of thousands of them are in use & relatively few people report problems. Lumping all the various symptoms together helps no one since it diverts people from looking for the real cause of their particular problem -- after all, why look for any other issue if you are convinced the hardware is to blame?

Sample a few threads. You will see that people often blame Apple for problems that turn out to be caused by corruption of the OS, third party login items or drivers that are incompatible with it, user error, substandard RAM, cheap media, or other factors limited to a few users. Only by treating each set of symptoms individually can anyone help them solve their problems.

This is why the rules are as they are. Abide by them & you will find many people willing & eager to help; otherwise, you will probably find mostly people looking more for something to blame than for a solution to their problems.

I just experienced the same thing on my iMac G5,
reset my PRAM and NVRAM and all seems to be back to
normal. Give it a try.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
Hope this helps.

this actually worked for me...maybe a 'cheap' or 'bad' cdR just causes the computer to stutter a bit. not sure. but i did this and it worked fine. put in the cdR that started the whole mess and it didn't read it, again. so i'm throwing the bad cdR away.

shi* happens.

my problem seems to be that when the imac "grabs" the disk whatever it may be

sorry, i'm new to posting. the problem in my g5 imac is that it will grab the disk but will then eject it after about 10 seconds. i was wondering if this is your problem too.

"The topic here is CD/DVD's that physically won't load into the drive.
This is almost certainly a mechanical problem " R C-R


ok, i really shouldn't even bother saying this,
but this is my very last word to you on this subject:
how is it not a mechanical problem when the disk drive launches my CD's across the room?
(or is there a very evil little gremlin inside my iMac?)

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Yes, that is a mechanical problem, but it is not the same one as this topic covers, nor is it the only problem you report having with the drive.

The launch problem is covered in at least one other recent thread on this board. Your other problems are also discussed in other threads.

Please familiarize yourself with Discussion's Help & Terms of Use. (The link is right here on this & every Discussions page, at the right, along with the search box.) You will find many useful tips there, among them that you should try searching for threads that furnish solutions to your problems before posting.