iMac G5 Superdrive Problem

Question

iMac G5 Superdrive Problem

Hi there: I have an iMac G5 20" which I bought in May 2005. I use Mac OS X 10.4.7. The machine has been generally fine and have been able to burn CD's/DVD's etc. fine. Last weekend while trying to burn a CD - I put in a Verbatim CD-RW formatted disc (as that was new and unused) and the iMac Superdrive spat it out. Since then, the iMac seems to be rejecting all my CD's/DVD's by spitting it out after few minutes of whirring and reading. Now, I can't read any CD including the iMac start up CD.

My Superdrive details are as follows:

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K04L:

Model: PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K04L
Revision: D441
Detachable Drive: No
Protocol: ATAPI
Unit Number: 0
Socket Type: Internal

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K04L:

Firmware Revision: D441
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipped/Supported)
Cache: 2000 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +RW, +R DL
Burn Underrun Protection CD: Yes
Burn Underrun Protection DVD: Yes
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: No

Any leads would be greatly welcome and appreciated.

iMac G5, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Oct 22, 2006 7:11 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 22, 2006 8:22 PM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

To Apple Discussions!

See if any of the following helps:

Repair Permissions.

CD/DVD drive may need cleaning. Cleaning kit can be purchase from any store that sells CD/DVDs.

Consider updating your OS. Your system info indicates you already have although you post confirms you have not done so.

If none of the above are of any help, then I suggest that you read some of the suggestions in the following postings:
SuperDrive Spits dvd's off the desk

CD drive spits out cds

CD falls out

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Answer 2

Oct 24, 2006 6:33 PM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

Thanks, this is helpful. I will follow-up.

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Answer 3

Nov 4, 2006 1:31 PM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

Hi there: I have an iMac G5 20" which I bought in May
2005. I use Mac OS X 10.4.7. The machine has been
generally fine and have been able to burn CD's/DVD's
etc. fine. Last weekend while trying to burn a CD - I
put in a Verbatim CD-RW formatted disc (as that was
new and unused) and the iMac Superdrive spat it out.
Since then, the iMac seems to be rejecting all my
CD's/DVD's by spitting it out after few minutes of
whirring and reading. Now, I can't read any CD
including the iMac start up CD.

My Superdrive details are as follows:

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K04L:

Model: PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K04L
Revision: D441
Detachable Drive: No
Protocol: ATAPI
Unit Number: 0
Socket Type: Internal

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K04L:

Firmware Revision: D441
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipped/Supported)
Cache: 2000 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +RW, +R DL
Burn Underrun Protection CD: Yes
Burn Underrun Protection DVD: Yes
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: No

Any leads would be greatly welcome and appreciated.

Hello again: Any other leads? I seem to have run into a wall. Corporate iMac/Apple support has been quite useless and from the forum discussions this looks like a common problem. I have tried CD/DVD cleaners, resetting P &R, changing ID's, using card-board cutouts of CD's to reset the drive etc. The Superdrive is identified in the System Profiler but it just does not read a CD or a DVD but spits it out after a few attempts to read it. I can possibly buy another external drive but want to avoid doing so until I can figure out why this internal drive has stopped reading the CD/DVDs

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 4

Nov 10, 2006 3:34 PM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

hi

i have exactly the same drive and computer which has just started doing this too. i have tryed a few of the suggested things on the website but no luck.

have you got any further, my warranty has just ran out? so no returns.

cheers

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Answer 5

Nov 16, 2006 7:19 AM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

And the same here. My drive started by failing to write DVDs and now it won't read anything - just spits them out as mentions above!

I have a 20" 2.1Ghz G5 iMac with a different drive:

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-846:

Firmware Revision: FA0G
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipped/Supported)
Cache: 2048 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +RW, +R DL
Burn Underrun Protection CD: Yes
Burn Underrun Protection DVD: Yes
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO
Media: No

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Answer 6

Nov 18, 2006 6:53 PM in response to Paul Philpot

Welcome to the wonderful world of failing, no spinning, spitting out super drives! This has been a MAJOR iMAC/Apple superdrive problem for 3 years now! And Apple does nothing!

My G4 iMAC 17" flat panel super drive crapped out 1 week after the warranty expired 2 years ago. I tried everything offered on these boards, I never found a fix and instead use an external burner. I am considering buying a new iMAC and decided to check these boards to see if the newer iMACs suffer the same problem. Lo and behold - I guess I shouldn't be surprised! Maybe it's time to leave Apple. Someting needs to be done.

G4 iMAC 17" flat panel - 3 years old Mac OS X (10.3.9) Did have: SONY DVD RW DW-U10A Internal Super drive

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Answer 7

Elberto

Level 1

103 points

Nov 19, 2006 10:58 AM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

Hello,

I am having similar problems with my iMac G5 combo drive (spitting out cds onto the floor, not mounting disks and burn errors) - I don't think this problem is only related to superdrives.

After trawling though the discussions here and on other parts of the forum, I decided the only course of action was to call applecare, which fortunately I was able to buy at the time I bought the computer.

After a very short conversation with the technical support person, they agreed to send me a new drive, which I will fit myself.

Repairing permissions will not fix malfunctioning hardware, neither will any of the other options. The only thing to do is get the drive replaced. Applecare have always been quick and efficient whenever I've had to use them. Good luck in getting it fixed.

iMac G5 17" 1.8Ghz (ALS), Powerbook G4 15", 1.67GHz Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 8

Rod Hagen

Level 7

32,000 points

Nov 23, 2006 5:01 PM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

Hi Abhilash,

Its worth trying the CD cleaner disc routine again a few times, but if that doesn't do the job (if the lens is dirty enough then it wouldn't be able to operate the cleaning disc properly anyway and it is also possible that a mechanical or electrical failure has occured ) then I suspect that will need to have the drive replaced.

If you have Apple Care then the replacement will be covered by that.

If you don't then it is a reasonably simple job to do yourself. See http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/imacg520inchOpticalDrive.pdf for instructions.

You should be able to obtain a replacement drive through Apple, though an equivalent drive may be available cheaper through other sources.

Another option to consider is simply using an external FW burner. This will provide a substantially faster drive than the original internal one. I have a Pioneer 109 and and an LG4163 (Dual Layer 16x drives) , both fitted in external FW boxes. For speed and versatility they both beat the pants off the iMac G5's own internal drive, not just for burning discs, but for things like CD read speed and the like, too. My internal drive still works fine, but I almost never use it these days.

Cheers

Rod

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Answer 9

HeadShot

Level 1

13 points

Nov 24, 2006 5:50 PM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

The K04 is a little 'long in the tooth'. As Rod noted, the external FW solution is the best option. A slot load COMBO drive will cost $50+ and a DVD Burner will set you back at least $80. One other (highly unlikely) choice is to try & find a slot load CD-ROM for cheap @ auction.

I got my 17" iMac with a Combo and only use that for CD playing. I play ALL my DVDs & do burning on external Pioneer & NEC DVD burners.

On an iMac, it really pays to get AppleCare unless you 'trade-up' every twelve months.

iMac 17" G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8) iBook, Lombard, eMacs, & iMac G3/500

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Answer 10

tadlow

Level 1

11 points

Nov 27, 2006 10:07 PM in response to HeadShot

My imac G5 is one year and 2 wks old, and the drive also appears to have failed. yesterday on a newly purchased music CD, today on a newly purchased software CD.

for a machine barely one yr old, that I paid top dollar, I find it humorous that the common theme here seems to be go out and pay for a new external drive which is better and faster. I expected more from apple.

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Answer 11

Dec 3, 2006 7:15 AM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

I have the iMac 20" before isight model. The drive would burn CDs read most CD's, Hardly burn a single DVD. Most of the DVD's would fail burn some would not read at all. Called Apple support ( I have appple care) They blamed it on the media. Probably spent $100 trying different media. No help. The Drive is a DVR-K04PB and only writes DVD-Rs at 4X. Apple doesn't even have their brand DVD-R at 4X anymore. I finally decidesd to ditch the crapy drive and purchase and install it myself with out any support from Applecare. I am glad I paid for the apple care, Not!. Anyway I purchased form OWC a direct replacement (supposed to be the exact drive Apple uses in the new imacs). It burns dual layer and will burn at 8X for single layer and also excepts dvd+r discs. Anyway I thought it was simply to install and the best part is I can now burn DVD's and they work. That $100 I spent trying different media. Now I can start using that media to back up my hardrive and make iDVD's. I am glad I took matters in my own hands.

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Answer 12

J_nathan

Level 1

0 points

Dec 19, 2006 10:21 AM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

Hello, I have the same computer (iMac G5 20'') and im am having the same problems. It wont even read dvds anymore. Spits out my cds and I cant burn anything.

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Answer 13

huxley

Level 1

0 points

Jan 7, 2007 1:58 PM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

Same here. After the drive started getting finicky and slow, it now has trouble recognizing any disk I put in. Interestingly, my drive never spins when it fails. It sounds like the laser head is attempting to read the disk as I can hear it moving back and forth, but the disk never spins. If it does start to spin, it reads and all is good. But 9 out of 10 times, it never gets that far and ejects the disk.

My iMac G5 is a refurb.

What has happened to Apple? I "switched" years ago and I am now having the kind of problems I remembered with PCs. I mean... a hardware problem?

I can't believe I am on a troubleshooting discussion forum for my Mac!

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 14

Jan 18, 2007 8:00 AM in response to Abhilash Bhachech

This isn't good enough and if apple don't fix my problem sharpish i will be getting rid and buying something that is actually built properly. Apple should concentrate on building computers correctly instead of making them look good.

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Answer 15

Jan 19, 2007 2:19 AM in response to andrewtayloruk

Nightmare !!!!
I have just started to have similar problems re:burning CD/DVD's.
At the minute my Superdive will still read all CD/DVDs but WILL NOT burn onto any media, like others i have spent a small fortune trying different brands, etc but to no avail.
I was hoping to find a solution on here, but looks like the only solution would be to buy a External burner which is a bit out of order.

Scott.

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