Can't insert CD into drive

Question

Level 2

178 points

Can't insert CD into drive

I cannot insert a CD into the drive slot of my 2011 iMac: it goes about half-way in and then hits a hard stop. There is no indication on the desktop or in any devices list of there being a mounted disc.

The eject button does nothing, nor does a restart with the eject button pressed.

I am not aware of having left a disc in there, and it would certainly not be a mini-disc as some correspondents have done. But how do I find out whether there is a disk in there, and if so how can I get it out?

Otherwise, what else can I try to attempt to bring the drive back to life?

Thanks.

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), i7 2.8Ghz, 12 GB RAM

Posted on Aug 20, 2015 2:19 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,558 points

Aug 21, 2015 4:17 AM in response to Paul Fryer

Check to see if someone has inserted a mini-disk into the slot. They won't mount and it is difficult to get them out. If there is something in the slot, I've heard of people using Post-It notes to retrieve things out of the slot.

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Answer 2

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Aug 21, 2015 12:51 AM in response to Paul Fryer

Launch the Terminal app, located in /Applications/Utilities/, copy & paste this command into the window that pops up, and hit the return key. If there is something stuck inside, this should eject it.

drutil eject -drive internal

If not, then a trip to an Apple repair station is in order.

27" i7 iMac (Mid 2011) refurb, OS X Yo (10.10.5), Mavs, ML & SL, G4 450 MP w/10.5 & 9.2.2

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Answer 3

Paul Fryer Author

Level 2

178 points

Aug 21, 2015 7:53 AM in response to Barney-15E

I don't think anyone has put a mini-disc into the slot, but I can't see into it to be sure. The full-size disc I am trying to insert goes in about half-way (the hole in the middle just disappears): does that suggest a mini-disc in there?

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Answer 4

Old Toad

Level 10

216,064 points

Aug 22, 2015 11:08 AM in response to Paul Fryer

The Apple external Superdrive is not compatible with Macs that originally came with an internal optical drive. Get a drawer loading drive so you won't have to go thru what you're going thru now.

Also the model I got has FW800, USB3 connections so it has fast thru put with older Macs (FW800) and with newer Macs (USB3).

I need a fast read as I rip a lot of audiobooks and USB 2 is just way too slow.

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Answer 5

Paul Fryer Author

Level 2

178 points

Aug 22, 2015 6:54 AM in response to Paul Fryer

I might be further ahead by buying an external drive, rather than paying for a repair. I will likely need an external drive in the future, when I upgrade my iMac to a newer model.

Are there any downsides to this? I think I read somewhere that the Apple external Superdrive isn't compatible with my vintage of iMax (mid-2011), but would like to be sure. If I go with a 3rd-party one (e.g. OWC), what do I miss out on? I am thinking particularly about booting, playing movie discs, and loading the OS (although that is all on-line now, so less of an issue).

Thoughts on this approach?

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