Why won't my Macbook/ iDVD accept a DVD?

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Level 1

59 points

Why won't my Macbook/ iDVD accept a DVD?

I need to make copies of a DVD of a relative's funeral that someone sent me. However, when I insert it into the CD/DVD drive, iDVD doesn't appear and the DVD ejects after a minute. (This has happened several times.)

I tested the DVD on a portable DVD player and it played fine all the way through, so the disk isn't corrupted or damaged. I also tested the iDVD on my Macbook on a commercial DVD and iDVD opened normally and began playing the commercial disk.

Can anyone tell me why the Macbook (mid-2008, OS 10.6.8) would refuse to read one good DVD but not another? I urgently need to make copies of this one and was going to try using Disk Utility, following instructions from Macworld, <http://www.macworld.com/article/1147093/backup_dvds.html> (can't afford to pay Fedex $15 a shot!), but I need to get my Macbook to "like" the DVD first! (Maybe the Macbook doesn't like funerals? 😉) Thanks for any help out there!!

MacBook

Posted on May 26, 2015 3:26 PM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

216,118 points

May 26, 2015 3:48 PM in response to Turtlewiz

You don't use iDVD to make a copy of a DVD disk. You use Disk Utility. So insert the disk and then launch Disk Utility. Select the dick in the right hand pane and create a disk image of it.

Once you have the disk image you can burn another disk. However, do not burn at the maximum speed. Burn at the slowest speed available, 2x - 4x, and use only top quality media, i.e Verbatim, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.

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Answer 2

Turtlewiz Author

Level 1

59 points

May 26, 2015 5:01 PM in response to Old Toad

Sorry, my message was confusing: I'm not trying to use iDVD to make a copy, I'm trying to get the image of the DVD I've been inserting to appear so that I can use Disk Utility to create a disk image. Since no icon of the disk ever appears on the screen or in the Finder sidebar, it's not possible to select it to use in Disk Utility. Any suggestions? Thanks.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

216,118 points

May 27, 2015 9:11 AM in response to Turtlewiz

Do you have any other non commercial disks that you can try in the drive. Also try the problem disk on another Mac with an optical drive. If it can read and play the disk then your drive is the culprit. In that case try using a cleaning disk, one with dry brushes - no liquids.

Just so we're on the same page the disk doesn't show up in the Disk Utility's left hand pane, right? Have you tried cleaning the disk?

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Answer 4

Turtlewiz Author

Level 1

59 points

May 27, 2015 4:34 PM in response to Old Toad

Hi, Old Toad: Thanks for your detailed reply and the image. This is an update (didn't want you to think I was ignoring your message!) (1) So far, I haven't been able to get the disk to register on either the Desktop or in the Finder sidebar under "Macintosh HD," which is what I meant. I've tried inserting it with Disk Utility open, but since the desk isn't being read, it doesn't show up in the sidebar as a destination.

(2) I cleaned the non-commercial disk as you suggested but that didn't do the trick. I then tried it out on another Macbook (2006, Snow Leopard), which also couldn't read it. I'll get hold of a dry-brush cleaning disk and report back. Is there a particular kind I should get? I looked on Amazon yesterday and saw that some will clean CD drives but not DVD drives. Or not DVD drives in cars. Or something. Thanks again for your help--I really appreciate it.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

216,118 points

May 27, 2015 5:36 PM in response to Turtlewiz

I then tried it out on another Macbook (2006, Snow Leopard), which also couldn't read it

That's a red flag that the disk is at fault and not your optical drive or software.

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Answer 6

Turtlewiz Author

Level 1

59 points

May 27, 2015 7:06 PM in response to Old Toad

That's what I thought, too. However, the disk works fine on my portable DVD player.

I can call the company that sent me the disk, but I don't know if they can send me a disk I can copy with Disk Utility. Can you think of anything else I could do, short of taking this disk to Kinko's and seeing if they can copy it? Again, I appreciate the suggestions!

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Answer 7

Old Toad

Level 10

216,118 points

May 28, 2015 9:00 AM in response to Turtlewiz

Just tell them you want to be able to play it on your laptop/desktop computer and can't even mount it.

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Answer 8

Turtlewiz Author

Level 1

59 points

Jun 3, 2015 5:01 PM in response to Old Toad

Dear Old Toad, mystery solved: apparently the person who made this rather expensive DVD either forgot or didn't know enough to record it in a universal format. Fortunately, a friend who works in animation says a tech he knows has the equipment to make a Mac-compatible version so I can read it and copy it with Disk Utility, or maybe even a universal version that the recipients will be able to read on any computer as well as a DVD player.

Thanks so much again for your help, including for the screen shot showing how to use Disk Utility for copying.

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Answer 9

Old Toad

Level 10

216,118 points

Jun 4, 2015 7:33 AM in response to Turtlewiz

Thanks for the feedback.

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