After installing Mavericks my dvd player quit working

c.r.bock wrote:

Well it is with Mavericks as OS the drive does not work. The point is really that in stead of upgrading to Mavericks the iMac was rebuild from scratch with Mavericks. Hence it could be a missing driver or an erroneous Mavericks setting.

The drive can read, e.g. when using the drive as start up disk with the original DVD. It recognises that it is the old disk but states – from my recollection – something "cannot be used as it contains software for Power processors no longer supported."

Hence, the iMac cannot rebuild it from the old start-up dvd and lift it up through the various OS X versions. [That is another issue altogether.]

Pop in the install DVD, System Preferences->Startup Disk->select the DVD, and click on Restart. If that doesn't work, pop in the disk, restart, holding down the OPTION key, select the install DVD after the Startup Manager loads, and click the arrow underneath it.

larichemac wrote:

Hi, I upgraded to Maverics on my Imac 2007, same issue. Can't load any music or new software. What did Apple tell you to do? I'd appreciate it...cannot be the hardware unless the new software doesn't support older hardware, with these many complaints....why hasn't anyone at Apple replied on this forum??

They don't come here. It is a user to user forum. They just supply the site and set the rules. You should have read that in the Terms Of Use when you agreed to them upon joining these forums. If you wish to contact Apple, then post to their official Feedback site.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

Pete

Hi, y'all!

Mavericks fried my DVD-drive as well, or so I thought for the last year or so...

Until I stumbled on this thread:

what is com.apple.DVDPlayer.plist.lockfile?

It made me curious, because when looking into my Prefs, I didn't have that file...So, I googled "com.apple.DVDPlayer.plist.lockfile" and was able to download a file (this is at your own risk). Copied it to my Prefs and voilá; my DVD-drive is alive and working.😁

Wish I had gotten this info from Apple and not by trial and error/DIY...

This might help with your internal SuperDrive. If you haven't done so yet, try installing Apple's SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0, which is on Apple's support site at http://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201953 to see if that resolves it. Although it's not specifically for that problem, the firmware update seems to be important for making external SuperDrives work in Yosemite, and it is one step I used to get my SuperDrive to work in a USB external case when plugged into my MacBook Pro.

Please let us know either way, whether the firmware update helps or not in your situation.

--

For anyone with a malfunctioning EXTERNAL SuperDrive, read on ...

External SuperDrive DVD player fix - RESOLVED!

This solution worked for my Superdrive, which I had installed in a USB external case, so now it can play movies using Apples DVD Player App, but additional steps may be needed, as I outline below. I had removed the SuperDrive from my mid-2009 Macbook Pro 15" 2.53 ghz to install a second hard drive with Other World Computing's "Data Doubler" adapter, and mounted the SuperDrive in an OWC Value Line SuperSlim external case.

I don't know if the first two steps below are necessary, but I had done them first, because others suggested them as fixes before I found the solution in the 3rd step.

1) I installed Apple's SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0, which is on Apple's support site at http://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201953 (note: I had done this step before removing my SuperDrive, and when I first used the SuperDrive in the external case, it worked fine for data DVDs, but not for playing movies with Apples DVD Player.)

2) Then I applied a fix on this page, http://www.hardturm.ch/luz/2011/10/how-to-make-the-macbook-air-superdrive-work-w ith-any-mac/comment-page-12/#comment-106449, using Text Wrangler to edit the preference file at /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist by adding code mbasd=1 between the two string values. However, that still did not resolve the problem. I left the preference file with the code “mbasd=1″ included, as outlined on that site.

3) Then, I used the fix at http://macriot.com/mcrt/?p=2294 which requires modification of some code embedded into OS X’s DVDPlayback framework; essentially replacing the words “internal” with “external”

Now my external Superdrive plays movies using DVD Player. 🙂

@Bpiper55: Thanks for the tip. Tried it out. No luck.

@baltwo: Thanks, had tried. Tried again resetting NVRAM/PRAM as well as resetting SMC. No effect on internal superdrive.

Have tested DVDPlayer app - it works well with external USB apple cd/dvd drive.

Still internal superdrive worked before installing Mavericks. Afterwards it is dysfunct. DVDs are read, two or three clicks and then ejected. No sign of dvd on Finder etc.

Thanks, any way.

Thanks baltwo,

Well it is with Mavericks as OS the drive does not work. The point is really that in stead of upgrading to Mavericks the iMac was rebuild from scratch with Mavericks. Hence it could be a missing driver or an erroneous Mavericks setting.

The drive can read, e.g. when using the drive as start up disk with the original DVD. It recognises that it is the old disk but states – from my recollection – something "cannot be used as it contains software for Power processors no longer supported."

Hence, the iMac cannot rebuild it from the old start-up dvd and lift it up through the various OS X versions. [That is another issue altogether.]

c.r.bock wrote:

Thanks baltwo,

Well it is with Mavericks as OS the drive does not work. The point is really that in stead of upgrading to Mavericks the iMac was rebuild from scratch with Mavericks. Hence it could be a missing driver or an erroneous Mavericks setting.

The drive can read, e.g. when using the drive as start up disk with the original DVD. It recognises that it is the old disk but states – from my recollection – something "cannot be used as it contains software for Power processors no longer supported."

Hence, the iMac cannot rebuild it from the old start-up dvd and lift it up through the various OS X versions. [That is another issue altogether.]

If it were Mavericks, then everybody would be experiencing this. Sounds more likely that you have a hardware issue that has just come to light through updating your software. These things are sometimes shown up under the strain of the upgrade. HardDrives can fail as well, mostly from being on the verge of failing anyhow. A trip to your Apple Store seems to be on the cards.

Good Luck

Pete

I'm having the same issues. Mavericks OS is giving me fits with my internal SuperDrive. I reset the PRAM and the SMC. This worked....for one DVD. The next one I tried to play would NOT play. I reset teh SMC again. The DVD played. I then tried a third DVD. Again, the DVD did NOT play.

This isn't a hardware issue as the SuperDrive was working fine befoe upgrading to Mavericks. Head cleaning is not the answer as AGAIN the SuperDrive was working before Mavericks.

24" i3 iMac 3 GHz, OS X Mavericks 10.9, 4 GB RAM

I learned from a similar problem I had with a recently acquired Blu-ray burner. The solution in Mavericks was: <Finder><Preferences><General> 3rd ballot box down ( CDs, DVDs, and iPods.) Insert a tick.

I'm having the same problem - except my iMac has an issue with USB drives and the superdrive. The drives will show up in Finder for about 1 min, then go away. I looked at the System Uitility, USB and it shows the drives are their with the correct power - so I'm assuming software setting somewhere. Any tips/advice appreciated.

Hi MacFlyer

I had the same problem It was only with dvd player

I went to System Preferences>Displays

Clicked onto Arrangements There were two rectangles side by side represnting the screens.

I dragged the rhs rectangle and positioned it to the left of the other rectangle and i then checked the mirroring box

Lo and behold it solved it.

Can Apple just fix this problem already - so sick of being loyal customer, keeping installs up to date and having to deal with these kind of basic operation issues - really interfering with my work productivity. Fix this Apple (and yes it is an Mavericks install problem, becuase mine was working fine until I did this upgrade)

Same problem here on a mid-2010 21.5" iMac. Will read CDs and 1 out of 100 DVDs (1 kids' DVD, weird) but generally nothing in DVD format.

I tried all the solves listed (change prefs, reset EMC and both PRAMs, boot from internet disks, even an Endust cleaning CD). Nada. I then set up a Joint Venture call and they diagnosed the drive as faulty after repeating all of the above. They say it's very possible that dying Superdrives can read CDs and even burn disks but not read DVDs. They said it'd be about $150 to replace the drive at a Genius Bar.

Here's where I try to be helpful.

If you're found this thread and you're not under warranty, don't waste ANY time testing it or trying to fix. Certainly don't roll back to previous software versions -- wasting hours of time and eliminating software features you may like or introducing incompatibilities. Just hop on over to Amazon and buy a $30 (not kidding) Amazon Basics external DVD drive. I ordered one w/ my cleaning disk knowing I'd prob need it and prob wouldn't want to pay Apple to fix my 3-year old machine. Works like an absolute charm for me. Faster ripping CDs than the Superdrive, plays DVDs through DVD Player, VLC, or XBMC instantly.

So my advice (ignore it if you like, it's worth what you paid for it) is to ignore any conspiracy theories about whether Apple planned this. IMHO, it doesn't matter for $30. Your time is worth more than $30. Just buy an external and get on with your life. You can even use it with your drive-less Air when you get one, if you don't have one already. How often can you solve a complex computer problem instantly, and be better off in the end, for $30? Just do it. 🙂 End of advice.

HTH.

Hello,

So I also had this problem and phoned apple.

This was the solution which worked for me.

Shutdown your apple

Disconnect all cables, external drives etc.

Wait ten secconds then plug your power calbe back in

Press and hold for ten seconds SHIFT, CTRL, ALT & POWER then release. Please note this had to be the left hand keys.

locate keys ALT, CMD, P, R

Press the power button then press and hold the keys mentioned above. Your machine will restart two times then release keys.

I have a mid 2009 macbook Pro and this sorted my issue.

I still can't use my SD card slot but at least the optical drive now works

Hope this helps

Thanks