Internal Optical Drive iMac Intel
J.J. O'Shea
does the following:
1 sometimes it declines to read a disc. If a disc is inserted into the drive,
the drive will whirr a few times, then spit it out. If the disc is reinserted
it will usually mount. Sometimes a disc might have to be reinserted two or
three times to get it to mount. The disc in question might be a CD or DVD, it
makes no difference. Commercial disc or burned disc, including discs burned
on that particular machine, no difference.
2 if I want to burn a disc, it will sometimes work... and sometimes it will
write the lead-in, write the data, and then _fail to write_ the lead-out,
making the disc a coaster. This applies to all types of discs, CD-Rs, DVD-Rs,
DVD+Rs, double-sided DVDs.
3 lately it has been failing to write the lead-out more often than not. It's
also been reporting a spindle error.
I suspect that the drive is not long for this world. Anyone know how much
Apple is likely to charge to replace it in a machine _not_ covered by
AppleCare? I suspect buying a new external drive would be cheaper. I've got a
Lite-On external drive for some of my WinBoxes, and that drive appears to
work properly on that machine. The Lite-On software is all Windows software
(and Windows software which knows not Win7 at that...) but Toast detects the
drive and so does iTunes. I'd prefer a drive with Mac software and a FireWire
connection instead of USB. Anyone have any good candidates? About the only
one I can see is a LaCie box, and the USB-only version of that costs about
twice what the Lite-On cost.
It should be noted that the optical drives on my iMac G5 and my eMacs, all of
them original equipment, work fine and they're older devices. The optical
drive in my beige G3 is _not_ original equipment (it's another Lite-On,
actually) but it's nearly a decade old, and it's running fine, too.
--
email to oshea dot j dot j at gmail dot com.
Jolly Roger
J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up.
Funny. One of my Mac mini DVD drives is completely dead this month as
well!
--
Send responses to the relevant news group rather than email to me.
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my very hungry SPAM
filter. Due to Google's refusal to prevent spammers from posting
messages through their servers, I often ignore posts from Google
Groups. Use a real news client if you want me to see your posts.
JR
Bream Rockmetteller
> In article <hcfgf...@news6.newsguy.com>,
> J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>
>> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up.
>
> Funny. One of my Mac mini DVD drives is completely dead this month as
> well!
They bought me an iMac at work a few years ago and the spring seems to
have broken on the optical drive so that, in general, it works, but you
just can't get the disc out.
It's been replaced with an awesome Mac Pro.
I brought the iMac home and, lo and behold! the optical drive is able
to eject discs again!
Will wonders never cease...
--
Bream Rockmetteller
Donaldson's Dog Joy
509-450-0301
Richard Maine
> They bought me an iMac at work a few years ago and the spring seems to
> have broken on the optical drive so that, in general, it works, but you
> just can't get the disc out.
I have a CD player in one of my cars like that. Oh, I'm sure I could get
the CD out, but the odds of ever getting another one in afterwards don't
seem so good. :-( It was a good CD, but getting a bit boring. :-) We
don't tend to use the CD player much any more anyway. Sure isn't worth
what it would cost to get it replaced (being a built in one).
--
Richard Maine | Good judgment comes from experience;
email: last name at domain . net | experience comes from bad judgment.
domain: summertriangle | -- Mark Twain
Király
> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up. Basically it
> does the following:
<snip>
Have you tried cleaning the lens? I'd try that before replacing the
whole unit. A lens cleaning has revived a failing optical drive for me
more than once.
--
K.
Lang may your lum reek.
Jolly Roger
m...@home.spamsucks.ca (Kir�ly) wrote:
I tried it with mine and it did no good what-so-ever. I'm afraid the
thing is just dead. : ( If I find myself needing to mount a CD in that
machine, I'll either use an external drive or swap the internal drive
with another of my Mac minis.
J.J. O'Shea
(in article <I_%Gm.50025$Db2.48305@edtnps83>):
I'll try that. Apple says that it would cost between $350-600 to replace the
internal unit. External units start at about $50. If a lens-cleaner doesn't
do the trick I'll be buying an external unit.
Richard Maine
> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:12:40 -0400, Kir�ly wrote
> (in article <I_%Gm.50025$Db2.48305@edtnps83>):
>
> > In comp.sys.mac.system J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
> >> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up.
> > Have you tried cleaning the lens?
> I'll try that. Apple says that it would cost between $350-600 to replace the
> internal unit. External units start at about $50. If a lens-cleaner doesn't
> do the trick I'll be buying an external unit.
That's likely to be the best option (after the lens cleaning, of
course). One other option, though, is to find an Apple repair shop that
will work on a time&materials basis. Apple tends to charge a fixed rate
for pretty much anything that involves opening the box. I suppose that
has an advantage of leting you know the max cost. It has the
disadvantage that it is also the min cost and it tends to be sort of
high for simple repairs.
My daughter once had a Macbook pro with a fan that was sounding ill.
Worked fine, but I figured that right after she went back to school on
the other coast, the fan would probably die and need replacing before
the heat killed the rest of the machine. Seemed a lot more convenient to
fix it before the fact. Apple wanted... gee I don't recall exactly, but
it was something really ludicrous that wasn't too far below what it
would have cost me to buy a whole new machine; if it wasn't $1000, it
was close.
The Apple genius even recommended that I take it elsewhere instead and
gave me a list of nearby certified Apple repair places. I did so and
they did the job for something much more reasonable - I think it was
around $100, which isn't cheap, but at least isn't ludicrous. Having
opened up one of those cases myself, I understand that it ain't going to
come from free or very close to it.
Jolly Roger
J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:12:40 -0400, Kir�ly wrote
> (in article <I_%Gm.50025$Db2.48305@edtnps83>):
>
> > In comp.sys.mac.system J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
> >> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up. Basically
> >> it
> >> does the following:
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > Have you tried cleaning the lens? I'd try that before replacing the
> > whole unit. A lens cleaning has revived a failing optical drive for me
> > more than once.
>
> I'll try that. Apple says that it would cost between $350-600 to replace the
> internal unit.
Why go through Apple when you can do it yourself much cheaper? OWC sells
replacement SuperDrives for Mac minis for $88:
<http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/mac-mini/superdrive/>
Richard Maine
> In article <hcidn...@news5.newsguy.com>,
> J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
> > >> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up.
...
> Why go through Apple when you can do it yourself much cheaper? OWC sells
> replacement SuperDrives for Mac minis for $88:
>
> <http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/mac-mini/superdrive/>
Note he said iMac. While it might be the same drive (I didn't check, but
it is likely), replacing the drive in an iMac isn't entirely trivial.
Doable, but not trivial. I did open up one of my iMacs once, but I'd be
hesitant to recommend it to someone else who wasn't already confident
about it (i.e. anyone who would need a recommendation from me.)
I've opened up minis a few times (mostly to upgrade ram); it's easier.
Larry Gusaas
> Jolly Roger <jolly...@pobox.com> wrote:
>
>
>> Why go through Apple when you can do it yourself much cheaper? OWC sells
>> replacement SuperDrives for Mac minis for $88:
>>
>> <http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/mac-mini/superdrive/>
>>
>
> Note he said iMac. While it might be the same drive (I didn't check, but
> it is likely), replacing the drive in an iMac isn't entirely trivial.
> Doable, but not trivial. I did open up one of my iMacs once, but I'd be
> hesitant to recommend it to someone else who wasn't already confident
> about it (i.e. anyone who would need a recommendation from me.)
>
> I've opened up minis a few times (mostly to upgrade ram); it's easier.
>
OWC has no listings for SuperDrives for Intel iMacs. In contrast to the
price for a Mini, a replacement for my MacBook would cost US $159.99
--
Larry I. Gusaas
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Canada
Website: http://larry-gusaas.com
"An artist is never ahead of his time but most people are far behind theirs." - Edgard Varese
Barry OGrady
<try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:12:40 -0400, Kir�ly wrote
>(in article <I_%Gm.50025$Db2.48305@edtnps83>):
>
>> In comp.sys.mac.system J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>>> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up. Basically
>>> it
>>> does the following:
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>> Have you tried cleaning the lens? I'd try that before replacing the
>> whole unit. A lens cleaning has revived a failing optical drive for me
>> more than once.
>>
>>
>
>I'll try that. Apple says that it would cost between $350-600 to replace the
>internal unit. External units start at about $50. If a lens-cleaner doesn't
>do the trick I'll be buying an external unit.
Is there something special about the internal unit that you can't
replace it yourself with a standard unit?
=-=-=
Barry
See the website Gladys hates
Find out why she fears it so
http://members.iinet.net.au/~barry.og
sbt
<god_fre...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:29:02 -0400, J.J. O'Shea
> <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>
> >On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:12:40 -0400, Kir�ly wrote
> >(in article <I_%Gm.50025$Db2.48305@edtnps83>):
> >
> >> In comp.sys.mac.system J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
> >>> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up. Basically
> >>> it
> >>> does the following:
> >>
> >> <snip>
> >>
> >> Have you tried cleaning the lens? I'd try that before replacing the
> >> whole unit. A lens cleaning has revived a failing optical drive for me
> >> more than once.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >I'll try that. Apple says that it would cost between $350-600 to replace the
> >internal unit. External units start at about $50. If a lens-cleaner doesn't
> >do the trick I'll be buying an external unit.
>
> Is there something special about the internal unit that you can't
> replace it yourself with a standard unit?
>
Well, it needs to be a slot-loader rather than the far more common (and
less expensive) tray-loading drives. Additionally, you need to
ascertain that it is warranted to function properly in a vertical
orientation.
--
Spenser
Jolly Roger
nos...@see.signature (Richard Maine) wrote:
> Jolly Roger <jolly...@pobox.com> wrote:
>
> > In article <hcidn...@news5.newsguy.com>,
> > J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>
> > > >> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up.
> ...
> > Why go through Apple when you can do it yourself much cheaper? OWC sells
> > replacement SuperDrives for Mac minis for $88:
> >
> > <http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/mac-mini/superdrive/>
>
> Note he said iMac. While it might be the same drive (I didn't check, but
> it is likely), replacing the drive in an iMac isn't entirely trivial.
> Doable, but not trivial. I did open up one of my iMacs once, but I'd be
> hesitant to recommend it to someone else who wasn't already confident
> about it (i.e. anyone who would need a recommendation from me.)
>
> I've opened up minis a few times (mostly to upgrade ram); it's easier.
My bad. For some reason I read "Mac mini". You're right - it's a bit
harder with an iMac, but definitely not impossible.
J.J. O'Shea
(in article <jollyroger-2C571...@news.individual.net>):
> In article <hcidn...@news5.newsguy.com>,
> J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:12:40 -0400, Kirï¿œly wrote
>> (in article <I_%Gm.50025$Db2.48305@edtnps83>):
>>
>>> In comp.sys.mac.system J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>>>> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up. Basically
>>>> it
>>>> does the following:
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>> Have you tried cleaning the lens? I'd try that before replacing the
>>> whole unit. A lens cleaning has revived a failing optical drive for me
>>> more than once.
>>
>> I'll try that. Apple says that it would cost between $350-600 to replace
>> the
>> internal unit.
>
> Why go through Apple when you can do it yourself much cheaper? OWC sells
> replacement SuperDrives for Mac minis for $88:
>
> <http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/mac-mini/superdrive/>
>
>
The only thing worse than opening up an Intel iMac is opening up an eMac. And
eMacs use conventional optical drives, horizontally mounted. iMacs use
slot-loader drives, vertically mounted. Slot-loader drives are significantly
more expensive than tray-loader drivers (I can get a tray-loader for $30-40
without a problem, and probably could get one for less if I tried) and
vertical-mount slot-loaders are more expensive still. I'm really not looking
forward to opening up the back of an Intel iMac, not just for swapping out
one component. If I did, I'd yank the hard drive as well and put in a
higher-capacity one. Right now the hard drive is fine. Should there be a
problem, though, then I'd open up iMac and replace both the hard drive and
the optical drive.
J.J. O'Shea
(in article <311020092003589070%dogb...@chaseabone.com.invalid>):
> In article <nqqpe5hupk4gtng0d...@4ax.com>, Barry OGrady
> <god_fre...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:29:02 -0400, J.J. O'Shea
>> <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:12:40 -0400, Kirï¿œly wrote
>>> (in article <I_%Gm.50025$Db2.48305@edtnps83>):
>>>
>>>> In comp.sys.mac.system J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>>>>> The optical drive on one of my iMacs has decided to go tits-up.
>>>>> Basically
>>>>> it
>>>>> does the following:
>>>>
>>>> <snip>
>>>>
>>>> Have you tried cleaning the lens? I'd try that before replacing the
>>>> whole unit. A lens cleaning has revived a failing optical drive for me
>>>> more than once.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> I'll try that. Apple says that it would cost between $350-600 to replace
>>> the
>>> internal unit. External units start at about $50. If a lens-cleaner
>>> doesn't
>>> do the trick I'll be buying an external unit.
>>
>> Is there something special about the internal unit that you can't
>> replace it yourself with a standard unit?
>>
>
> Well, it needs to be a slot-loader rather than the far more common (and
> less expensive) tray-loading drives. Additionally, you need to
> ascertain that it is warranted to function properly in a vertical
> orientation.
>
>
That's one of the problems right there. A regulation tray-loading optical
drive costs on the order of $30 for a unit comparable to the Apple internal
unit or maybe $20 for a slower unit. Slot-loaders start at about $60 and head
upwards fairly fast.
The other problem, of course, is that Apple _really_ doesn't want John Public
to open the back of an Intel iMac as a look at the (unofficial) take-apart
guide <http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/intel_imac_take-apart.html> shows
all too clearly. Note that Apple doesn't seem to have let loose the official
take-apart guide. The boys at xlr8yourmac aren't kidding about the 'almost
cryptically difficult' part. The only other Mac which gives this much trouble
to open up is an eMac, and that's largely due to the very large CRT with the
very large charge on it which can be dangerous if you don't discharge it
properly... and which can sometimes still retain a charge even if you do
discharge it. And at least for my eMacs I have Official Apple Take-Apart
guides.
George Kerby
On 11/1/09 7:24 AM, in article hck26...@news3.newsguy.com, "J.J. O'Shea"
<try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:32:31 -0500, Jolly Roger wrote
> (in article <jollyroger-2C571...@news.individual.net>):
>
>> In article <hcidn...@news5.newsguy.com>,
>> J.J. O'Shea <try.n...@but.see.sig> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:12:40 -0400, Kir�ly wrote
Our iMac G5 throws the disk out so forcefully that I shout "PULL!" before it
ejects.
George Kerby
On 11/1/09 1:06 PM, in article schram-A3EA56....@news.aioe.org,
"Chris Schram" <sch...@webenet.net> wrote:
> In article <C712F223.37A09%ghost_...@hotmail.com>,
> George Kerby <ghost_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Our iMac G5 throws the disk out so forcefully that I shout "PULL!" before it
>> ejects.
>
> That brought back a fond (?) memory. Remember Zip drives? I still have a
> few around the house, one of which lives on an old Performa and gets
> used maybe once a year. That particular drive ejects its disk completely
> out of the drive and onto the table.
>
> And so the topic drifts.
<G!>
John Smith
> That brought back a fond (?) memory. Remember Zip drives? I still have a
> few around the house, one of which lives on an old Performa and gets
> used maybe once a year. That particular drive ejects its disk completely
> out of the drive and onto the table.
Shane Badham
When I bought my iMac just one year back, I decided to keep my external
optical drive. Boy, am i glad I did!. When the slot loading drive won't
erase a DVD, I can rely on the external tray loading drive to work.
My personal opinion is that slot loaders are suspect.
--
Thanks and regards, Shane.
"A closed mouth gathers no feet!"
Email: Beware the invalid word! shane at wonk dot demon dot co dot uk
Website: http://www.wonk.demon.co.uk/