Q: optical drive not working after upgrade to yosemite

Same problem here.

I managed to put a CD in with the help of a card but now the drive won't read it nor eject it.

Managed to eject it by tilting the macbook, but the optical drive is still dead.

My superdrive also won't work after upgrading to yosemite. It would accept the disc but wouldn't mount it and eject it in a minute.

So now I can't even install windows using bootcamp since I have a early 2011 macbook pro which doesn't have that create bootable usb option that newer macs have.

Shame on apple for creating such tremendous problems lately. Why don't they understand if it ain't broke, don't fix it..instead they broke it.

You are a life saver.

My macbook wouldnt accept disks, I tried everything including "cleaning the optical drive" with a lens cloth.

It's all good now though.

Thank you!

Same Problem. Mid 2009 MBP w/ Superdrive.

Hey Apple! How about a solution here?

Luckily no hassle with software. A soft cloth is the answer for me. Take a card like creditcard and surround  with a microfibre cloth. Gently place in the drive and clean from top to bottom. Did this twice, just to be sure . Not even restarting, put a CD in and it worked again.

I faced a similar problem.  The optical drive was functioning, but the DVD or CD disc would

not mount, and the drive ejected the disc.

Fortunately, I have DiscWarrior on a USB drive.  I was able to start up from this drive and

run a repair session.  After restarting I have had no problems!

Asked Apple JV about this patch and they did not recommend.  Since my MacBookPro was also a 2009 (with a new HD) and worked perfectly UNTIL I upgraded to Yosemite, I decided to test the waters.  Had my tech-savvy son write in the code and it worked like a charm.  Not only that, he was totally impressed with my sleuthing!  Now I'm wondering if Yosemite intentionally disables the internal drive so that "old age" becomes the reason for having to buy a new computer?  Anyone else?

Thank you SOOOOO much.  Thought I was going to have to buy a new computer.  Very disturbing that upgrading to a new system would disable some of the standard functions and that Apple won't either own up to it or offer this "fix" themselves.  Seems like a building in of obsolescence to force new sales?

I would like to report I am having the same problem. Macbook Late 2008 Aluminium, drive was working fine until I updated to Yosemite over a month ago and now its not working at all. I can only fit a disc about a 3rd/almost half of the way in but then it feels like it hits a block. The drive is completely dead and does not sense the disc or take the it in. I have tried EVERY SINGLE suggestion in this thread and absolutely NOTHING has worked.

Come on Apple, whats the story here?

This helped!! As I said in my earlier comment that I tried everything and nothing worked. I had forgotten that I still needed to restart my computer after installing the Superdrive firmware update and after doing that my drive works perfectly!!! Hope this can help others, try it out.

I went here: About SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0 - Apple Support, clicked on the appropriate EMI firmware update for my machine, downloaded it and installed it, then went here SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0 downloaded the superdrive update and installed it, restarted and voila!

Hope it does the same for you all and best of luck!

Worked for me.

Thanks alot.

Mid 2010 15 inch MacBook Pro

2.8 i7

500 SSD

8 gig

6.2

El Capitan 10.11.2

Your the best

Thank-you GTA Fan, this seems to have done the trick. I tried all of the following, but my laptop only started reading blank cds consistently after your tip using Terminal and pushing the CD back in. For some reason that has worked. Thank-you!!!

• Holding down shift, control and option while rebooting didn't work (resetting SMC)
• Rebooting holding down C with a CD inside (that helped my laptop identify a blank cd for the first time but when I ejected it and tried a new blank disc it went back to its old tricks of spinning and whining then spitting the cd out)
• Holding down shift while rebooting and using Disk Utility didn't work as it didn't recognise the blank cd when in safe mode
• I couldn't download firmware, a pop up box kept telling me I don't need it and wouldn't let me go further down the installation process

I have a Macbook Pro Mid 2009 laptop and I have a superdrive that could read and write DVD and CDs, and since upgrading to Yosemite I had problems reading blank CDs only; all other functions were working and it would be hit or miss when I could burn a CD because the blank CD wouldn't mount and my laptop spat it out after spinning and whirring for a minute or two. I tried Imation and Verbatim, both with the same result; I could read CDs and DVDs that I have burnt previously as well as commercially bought CDs and DVDs and I am certain this is not a physical fault with the drive but something to do with the upgrade. When I called Apple Support they couldn't tell me what was wrong and hadn't heard of these issues with Yosemite, so I also have a genius bar appointment but I don't think I need it now. I will monitor it now and will feed this terminal advice back to Apple because I think they need to know about this, such a nightmare when it happens to you.

Thanks @ highestwater it was working after following the steps you have listed,so simple and easy to do.

i had the  issue fixed and my superdrive is working. u are magic!

I have the same problem. Mine worked if I plugged in the USB Superdrive with the CD loaded (but not pushed all the way in) then started my MBP. The drive is recognized once fully booted and the CD fully inserts. The drive appears in the desktop and remains active until disconnected.

MBP retina early 2013

2.7 GHz Intel Core i7

El Capitan 10.11.2 (15C50)

memory 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3