CD-ROM: "This disk is unreadable" Message

[zunigae]

Hello,

I have a 233 MHz PowerPC G3 iMac with Mac OS 9.2.2. Everytime I insert a CD, I get the message "This disk is unreadable by this Computer. Do you want to initialize the disk?"

According to Apple Support article TA21650, I need to make sure that these files are in the Extensions folder of my System Folder:

* Apple CD-ROM or Apple CD/DVD Driver
* Apple Photo Access (if you plan to use Kodak Photo CDs)
* Foreign File Access
* High Sierra File Access (not present in Mac OS 9.1 or later)
* ISO 9660 File Access
* Audio CD Access
* UDF Volume Access (not present prior to Mac OS 8.5)

All of these drivers are in the extensions folder of the system folder. However, I cannot find "ISO 9660 File Access" and "Audio CD Access" in the Extensions Manager. Since they aren't in the Extensions Manager, I assume they aren't enabled.

How is it possible that these drivers are in the extensions folder but missing in the Extensions Manager? Apple recommends re-installing the system software, but it won't read any CDs! I don't remember having any CD-ROM problems when I used it years ago.

I enabled 9.2.2 Base Extensions, and it still doesn't work. How can I get it to read CDs again?

Thanks,
zunigae

233 MHz PowerPC G3 iMac Mac OS 9.2.x 160 MB RAM

[DeltaMac]

The Extensions Manager does not display, nor control, every extension that you might have in your system. There are some extensions that should not be disabled, and won't even show in the manager. The important location is that those extensions are actually in your Extensions folder.
However, you may not be having a software issue. The CD-ROM drive may not be reading disks properly. If the drive is not working now, I don't have suggestions about how to locate a replacement.
Try an audio (music) CD, or try your OS 9 installer disk.
If neither of those are recognized, try cleaning the laser lens in the drive tray. I usually use a cotton swab, moistened with glass cleaner. Clean gently...
If you don't get any luck, then

[zunigae]

Thanks for the information. I cleaned the laser lens, but it still doesn't work. I guess I have a bad CD-ROM drive.

The iMac has USB ports. Any recommendations for an external USB CD/DVD drive compatible with Mac OS 9?

Thanks,
zunigae

[DeltaMac]

No, I wouldn't recommend using a CD drive over USB. The older USB 1.1 bus in your iMac will be dog-slow.
The bondi-blue (or any of the first iMacs) don't have a lot of options if the internal drive fails.