optical drive not working after upgrade to yosemite

LINK CORRECTION - I accidentally inserted a space in the link above for information about Step 2 of the fix. The correct link is: http://www.hardturm.ch/luz/2011/10/how-to-make-the-macbook-air-superdrive-work-w ith-any-mac/comment-page-12/#comment-106449

Laura, have you tried step # 2 in the fix that I had for my SuperDrive after putting it into an external case? Mike P. also mentions this fixed his internal drive, but it's easier to understand, I think, with the following link. However, the easiest method to make the change is just use the free program TextWrangler to change the preference file and insert the code. Just duplicate the file first and put it on your desktop so if it doesn't work, you can just replace the file with the original again. It couldn't hurt to try.

2) 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, but instead, simply 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.

Justin_b, posts like yours are one of the main reasons I love the Internet.

Thanks for finding that solution - who knows why that works but it did. Nice one.

My 13" Mid 2010 MBP's Superdrive stopped working 3 years ago in Mountain Lion, I fixed it by doing this TODAY. 🙂

SOLUTION:

1) Open Terminal and type "drutil eject internal" (Do not yet hit enter)

2) Put in a CD/DVD in to the drive.

3) Press enter (in terminal) and let it eject, but put your finger in place so that its barely out.

4) Try to push it in, and make sure there is a "spring" feeling that prevents it from being pushed in but keep it in place.

5) Get a Credit Card and force the CD in. This made my MBP with a broken drive for 3 years work!

I think there is an issue with firmware, but this helped me so much!

Thanks a ton, @GTA Fan! None of the stuff I tried from the Apple Support community worked from me except....your post!!! Works like a charm. Much appreciated!!!

This actually was the only thing that worked on my Early 2011 Macbook Pro

Same thing just happened to me. I reluctently upgraded recently. (I am not now and was not then a fan of the new flat graphics ). I put 3 cd's into i tunes and every time the CD disc cam out i said to my self Boy these are warm...! the 4th Disc went in and never showed up on the screen or in Itunes. But as someone else said it was available to burn but not eject. I tried all methods to locate and eject the disk but i had to reboot and hold the mouse. Now no disc,s are recognized and i have to restart to get them to eject. EPIC FAIL i knew i shouldn't have upgraded..I knew it ..knew it..i knew it..the make it free upgrade sounds good, but come on it has to be to week without the proper R&D. I feel like a lab rat not a loyal apple...! I want to say its a software issue but i assume the the optical drive didn't get the proper cooling at the proper time . I would like to see a fix but not confident apple will make it right

I have a different problem in that I cannot burn any discs at all after upgrading to 10.9 on my 2010 iMac internal superdrive. I can insert and eject discs but not burn anything. I keep getting medium sense errors. I have used different media with no success. I was gonna try Yosemite until I saw this thread. Maybe not. Everything was fine until the upgrade. I have the first Macbook Pro that came out and it burns fine with 10.6.8. I am stuck with transferring to a USB stick and taking it to the Macbook Pro. What a hassel! Why doesn't Apple recognize this problem is beyond me. The are thousands with the same problems.

Open up Terminal

Enter:

/usr/bin/drutil eject

Thank you. I will try this first chance I get. I have never used Terminal but I have nothing to lose. Does a disc need to be in the drive?

Don't think so. In my experience, this command seems to "awaken" the CD drive.

It seemed to have worked. Thank you!

Nope. I spoke too soon. It may just be a coincidence and the drive has gone bad. It will read and burn CD's and read DVD but will not burn a DVD at all.

There's a simple solution.

1. power off
2. put any dvd in the drive as far as you can push it. I left about 1-2cm showing outside
3. power on and press ano hold "C" to tell the mac to boot from cd.
4. it whirrs and tries to boot off the cd, but as it's not a bootable cd, it does a normal hood off the hard drive
5. when you login, the DVD drive works

I had the same situation after to upgrade Yosemite, but this issue already have appeared before when I had Mountain. I knew the trick about inserting the disk with my laptop at an angle, but this time it did not work at first instance. Disappointed not to record my album, I started to do other things and that's when incredibly the disc is inserted 🙂

The fix in step #3 worked perfectly for me. Don't even bother with any of the other solutions suggested.

Thanks Dave for the post!! You are a life saver man!