Super Drive Won't Work

[cjhdaddy1]

I have a G5 1.8 GHz with superdrive. The problem is now the superdrive won't spin up any DVD disk that's inserted. It will however spin up and work quite well with a musical CD, opens iTunes and works like a charm, so it's specifically DVD related.

It started with not playing DVD's, then slow burns with iDVD and has gotten steadily worse until now it doesn't do anything at all, won't even start spinning. And to make it worse, half the time when trying just to insert a DVD the door in front catches and I have to manually pull that door just a touch to get it to open.

I've tried resetting the PRAM, accomplished software and firmware updates and ran Norton Disk Dr., all with no luck.

I'd sure appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

[jman3001]

It sounds like you have 2 problems. First, your DVD Superdrive sounds like it may be bad and Second, you've got a door problem with your DVD/CD door opener.

You can buy a new Superdrive for pretty cheap and they're easy to install. But the door problem is a bitch to fix. I had a door that just wouldn't slide on my (2003) G5 2X2. I took it to an Apple Repair Facility because it was still under warranty, and they told me I would have to completely replace everything for the door assembly or send the Mac back to Apple and get another one.

To make a long story short, I took the Mac home, played around with the door mechanism for about a half an hour, and got it to start working properly. Something that the Certified Apple Repair Morons couldn't figure out, I fixed in less than an hour.

Also.....Which OS are you using?

Have you run the Apple Hardware Test?

Which version of DVD player are you using?

Did you repair permissions and check to see if your Mac OS needs repair?

It's a lotta stuff to check, but necessary for getting the answers.

[cjhdaddy1]

Hi,

Thanks for your help. I'm running OS X 10.3.9 and DVD player 4.0. I have now ran disk permissions with the utilities application and both verified and repaired the permissions.

I've not done this, but I see in the utility application you can verify and repair the disk. The buttons are greyed out so I assume that's something I don't want to do. Is that right?

Can you tell me how to run the Apple Hardware Test?

I mentioned CD's work, and CD-ROMS seem to be working as well, it's only the DVD's that won't play.

[albloom]

Apple Hardware Test is a boot CD that came with your Mac.

Disk Utility will certainly grey-out any options for "repairing"
a read-only device. We're talking the disc here, not the drive.

If you haven't exercised the DVD capabilities of that drive, it
might be just a tad "rusty." Try a commercial DVD lense cleaner
before spending the bucks to replace your drive.

[jman3001]

Yeah definitely. You will need to mount the Apple Hardware Test to test the different functions of you Mac. That disk should have come with your original Mac purchase.

You also have to use your OS X.3 install disk to run your Repair Utility for your Main HD. You can't repair the OS you're currently running, so you have to leave your Main HD to repair your OS. Either the Install Disk Utility or your back-up Firewire HD that hopefully holds your system on it.

If your DVD Superdrive is handling CDs just fine and NOT working with DVDs, it may be a cleaning situation, but more likely it's Software related (DVD player), or Repair related.

If repairing and software fixing doesn't work, then it's probably your DVD Superdrive that's malfunctioning.

[cjhdaddy1]

If you don't mind I need a little more help....

I've ran the disk repair and permissions with only minor problems found and repaired.

I restarted the computer to run the Apple Hardware Test from the Software and Install CD that came with the machine. When restarted I see a refresh arrow, my HD and a next page arrow. I see the little clock spin for about 45 seconds and then that's it and the only next option the computer will let me do is the next page arrow. Has the actual Hardware Test ran or is that not working correctly?

I heard reinstalling your OS might help. I restarted with the original OS CD's and when I choose my destination (HD) it says I can't reinstall as I'm running a newer version of OS X. Any way around this?

Finally, is there a way to simply remove and then reinstall only the DVD Player and iDVD software?

Thanks a bunch any and all who answer.