|
|
DVD Drive Issues?
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Rock
Status:
Offline
|
|
Hello, have a Core2 Duo 2.2ghz Macbook Pro (2 gigs, 120gig HD, etc.). Anyways, haven't noticed any significant problems with the DVD drive – I watch movies all the time on DVD. So I wanted to reinstall Snow Leopard because I've been having some slowdowns, put my DVD in... waited, waited, spun, then spit it out. Again.
I figured "oh maybe you need Leopard installed first or something?" and put in my Leopard disc... same thing, spun and bit, then spit out with no error message.
I said "FETCH!" and figured my drive was gone. I stuck in a DVD... and DVD Player popped up and it played, no problem. A CD was also fine.
Anyone know what gives? Is this a DVD drive problem? Do the Installation discs require a more reliable drive and not open if the drive seems suspect or anything? I'm confused, help!
Thanks
greg
|
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status:
Offline
|
|
When a DVD drive is weakening, one of the signs is having trouble accessing the 2nd layer. Try to play a movie DVD from a dual-layer disc. Any movie in the 2.5-4 hour length range will use dual-layer discs. Example: the Lord of the Rings extended editions. Extended versions of other movies will often qualify too.
Try to access chapters near the end of such movie discs, see if the drive takes a long time to load them, or outright fails.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status:
Offline
|
|
Also, my failed DVD drive started failing burning DVDs.
Does yours still burn w/o a problem ?
-t
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Rock
Status:
Offline
|
|
Hmmmm don't know if I have any dual-layer DVDs... that sounds like a reasonable answer though. Crap crap! Last thing I want to do is have to put in a new DVD drive into this old(er) computer....
greg
|
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Rock
Status:
Offline
|
|
Arrrgh... any recommendations on a replacement drive?
Snow Leopard is really acting up on me – getting a ton of spinning beach balls ever since I installed it - and I need to clean and reinstall before the semester starts rolling.....:s
greg
|
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Rock
Status:
Offline
|
|
Well I took the most technical of steps, as learned from the original Nintendo: I blew into the drive.
The result? After a 20-second delay, it now recognizes MacOS X install discs. But when I click on "Install" and then try to restart from the DVD (because I want to do a clean install), it just ends up restarting normally and ejecting the disc.
Sigh.
greg
|
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior User
Join Date: Dec 2005
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton
Last thing I want to do is have to put in a new DVD drive into this old(er) computer....
If your drive really is about to go then you can buy an external DVD drive and use that until your computer dies or until you replace it. They cost around $50 which I believe is cheaper than replacing the internal drive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Rock
Status:
Offline
|
|
Yeah, that's what I've been looking at. I might just have to go external. I don't know; my power cord also just started to fray and needs to be replaced, so it just annoys me to spend close to $150 on this thing when I'd probably be replacing it this year anyway...
greg
|
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Hong Kong
Status:
Offline
|
|
Unfortunately, the dust doors on these slot-loading drives are far from perfect.
Most likely, the fix for your drive is a simple one. No need to replace the drive. Just use a drive cleaning disc. If that doesn't work, open up the machine and clean the lens with a q-tip moistened with lens cleaning solution.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Professional Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Status:
Offline
|
|
How about blowing compressed air into the slot? Can't hurt at this point, can it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mac Elite
Join Date: Aug 2003
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by amazing
How about blowing compressed air into the slot? Can't hurt at this point, can it?
nah just open that thing ... easy..
|
blabba5555555555555555555555555555555555555
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Rules
|
|
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|