Ejecting CDs and Zips from desktop but not machine

[gcoyne]

Lately (since X.2.4 update) I've noticed that (too) often I will eject a CD or a Zip cartidge and it will dissapear from the desktop but not the machine. Sometimes I get a message that the item can't be removed because it's still busy (almost all the time I get that--I just try again and it eventually kicks out), but when it leaves the desktop, my only recorse is to reboot.

This is on both my machine at work and home. The former is a dual 1.25 with 1.75 GB of RAM and home is a G4 733 with 640 MB of RAM. Both have X.2.4.

So, I guess my questions are two:

1) Other than rebooting to get the CD or Zip to show up on the desktop so it can be ejected, are there any other "tricks" to eject the item.

2) Are there any ways to prevent this from happening?

3) As long as I'm asking questions, let me add this: Often when copying files to a Zip, after the copying is completed and I try to eject the disk, the computer says the disk is busy, can't do it. After performing a variety of operations which may include swinging a dead chicken around in the air, the disk will eject just fine (unless it dissapears from the desktop as mentioned above). Is there any way to eject a disk when it's done?

Thanks for helping...

 

[bobw]

Finder>Preferences>Show these items on the Desktop

 

[hulkaros]

Originally posted by gcoyne
Lately (since X.2.4 update) I've noticed that (too) often I will eject a CD or a Zip cartidge and it will dissapear from the desktop but not the machine. Sometimes I get a message that the item can't be removed because it's still busy (almost all the time I get that--I just try again and it eventually kicks out), but when it leaves the desktop, my only recorse is to reboot.

This is on both my machine at work and home. The former is a dual 1.25 with 1.75 GB of RAM and home is a G4 733 with 640 MB of RAM. Both have X.2.4.

So, I guess my questions are two:

1) Other than rebooting to get the CD or Zip to show up on the desktop so it can be ejected, are there any other "tricks" to eject the item.

2) Are there any ways to prevent this from happening?

3) As long as I'm asking questions, let me add this: Often when copying files to a Zip, after the copying is completed and I try to eject the disk, the computer says the disk is busy, can't do it. After performing a variety of operations which may include swinging a dead chicken around in the air, the disk will eject just fine (unless it dissapears from the desktop as mentioned above). Is there any way to eject a disk when it's done?

Thanks for helping...

Try these ASAP:
-OS X.2.4 Combo Update. If you don't have it, download, borrow it from a friend or something and install it again in order to refresh everything
-When you record, move, copy, etc things from and to, the Zip, Floppies, CDs, etc your Mac in order to speed up things caches some stuff without you knowing anything... After doing the usual process wait up to a minute or something at the most and then voila: Any kind of disk ejects immediately
-If, for whatever reason, ANY disk jams inside more than 2 minutes, Log Out and Log back In... Most of the time this ejects everything
-Try during this kind of work not to have any apps crashing and if you don't know how to separate a working app than a crashed one, simply go to Apple Menu, select the Force Quit or press and hold: Command (Apple key) + Option (Alt key) + Esc (Escape key) and you will see the apps which do not respond... Even if you have Finder running just fine... Press Relaunch Finder and confirm it one more time... Some times when Finder crashes this is the way to go...
-The final solution should be the restart and while your Mac does the startup sound press and hold either the mouse button (the left button if you have a multibutton mouse) or the eject key from your keyboard and any possible cds will eject
-Another way to go is via the Terminal by typing commands by I think this will not be your case at least for now

I'm sure that following these "solutions" you will see that no ejecting problems will occur and if I miss something, let me know, I would gladly try to help you, if I can...