iMac not reading CDs/DVDs

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Level 1

1 points

iMac not reading CDs/DVDs

I'm on an older (late 2009) iMac, just installed Maverick a few days ago, but the problem preceeds this. Basically, my computer will not read CDs or DVDs. Any disc I put into the computer, I hear the whirring noise as if it's reading the disc, but it immediately winds down. It will repeat trying to read the disc 2 or 3 more times, then just spit the disc out.

I tried spraying some compressed air into the slot, and it still won't read most CDs or DVDs, but now when I insert an MP3 CD that my boss had burned for me, the window pops up for when you insert a blank CD, so the drive is reading blank (or previously burned CDs AS blank), but not DVDs or normal CDs (for example, it spit out both a video game installation disc and a movie DVD).

I made sure that if i go to Finder > Preferences > General that "CDs, DVDs and iPods" is checked, and everything looks normal in System Preferences > CDs & DVDs.

Anyone have any ideas?

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9), Late 2009 model iMac

Posted on Nov 12, 2013 1:46 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 12, 2013 2:38 PM in response to jorlando84

Another help source (if you haven't already done so).

Go to your OS Help Menu. In the search field type dvd

Click on all the troubleshooting topics & Support Articles that pertain to your issue.

You can also do the same in Disk Utility. Open same up.

At the bottom left of the window, click on the purple button w/the "?" in the middle.

This will bring up the Help Menu.

===============

Try a different brand. Top forum favorites

CDs

FUJI

TDK

Verbatim

DVDs

Maxell

Verbatim

==============

Apple's Disc Burning Quick Assist

Make sure the DVDs are not dirty, smudged and/or scratched.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2000Mac doesn't start up from install disc

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2801Apple Computers: Troubleshooting the slot-loading SuperDrive

*** Your drive may need cleaning. Cleaning kits can be purchased from any store that sells CD/DVDs. ***

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Answer 2

poikkeus1

Level 4

2,454 points

Nov 12, 2013 3:26 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

Follow everything Baby Boomer says - it's really good advice.

Based on the information you provided (and my experience) a cleaning kit may be what you need. If your Superdrive worked fine before, and now rejects the same stock, it's a sign of a dusty Superdrive. I used a Scotch CD/DVD Cleaner.

Post with your results!

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Answer 3

Mar 17, 2014 8:37 PM in response to jorlando84

I know this post is from ages ago and you've (hopefully) solved the problem by now, but thought I'd post here since I found this as I was trying to find an answer to the same problem and lots of the fixes out there are connecting folks to troubleshooting the external superdrives.

I had the same problem with my 2012 macbook pro and its internal DVD drive. After the Mavericks install (currently running 10.9.2), I tried to play several different DVD movies and they would start to spin up, then spin down again. That would repeat a few times and then the machine would eject the DVDs.

For me, the fix was a quick PRAM reset (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379). I let it run through the reset cycle a few times and it seems to have done the trick quite nicely. As a side benefit, my machine had also gotten a little sluggish and it seems to be running faster now too.

Best of luck to anyone else with the problem!

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