iBook G3 combo drive rejects disks...

DCinDC

Registered
After having new software installed by an Apple C.T. and shipping via UPS, the combo drive on my iBook G3 either rejects all disks (audio/video/data), or, if it allows the drive tray to stay closed, no icon for the disk ever appears on the screen desktop. No music, no video, no ability to copy files, nada.

I'm on good terms with the Apple C.T. -- he's a friend -- so I believe him when he says it was working great when he shipped it. He packed it very well, and no obvious signs of damage to the UPS box. IF it had been dropped, even with all the cushioning, could it have somehow messed up this drive?

This is a 12", 700mhz model A1005, 12.1 16VRAM ibook.

Thanks for any ideas on what may be wrong or what could be done to revive the drive. BTW, it obviously is still spinning -- I can hear what seem to be pretty normal whirring sounds eminating while trying to mount the disks. Most get rejected and the tray pops open somewhere between 20 seconds to 2 minutes. Some stay in indefinitely, but as I said, no interactivity ensues with the disk and no disck icon appears onscreen.

THANKS -- D.C.
 
I had a similar problem with a 400 MHz iBook for awhile. For some reason, once I put in a CD and closed the tray I had to give it an extra "push" immediately after, otherwise it wouldn't mount, or the computer would spit it back out after a minute or two. Never made sense to me why this worked, but basically I dropped the CD in, closed the tray, pushed the tray gently in after it clicked closed, and waited for it to mount before releasing. The problem went away after a day or two, so I'm not sure what the deal was.

Also, It could be the case that the drive data cable may not have been properly put back together. (i.e. it's not securely fastened to the LB) I've taken a bunch of these computers apart, and have forgotten to properly ensure that all connectors were secure on a couple of occasions, which usually resulted in another tear down.... One way to check if this is the case is to go to your System Profiler and make sure that the drive is showing up correctly....
 
Debaser -- Thanks for the info. I will certainly give your suggestion a try. Hey, whackier things have solved problems for me in the past! :eek:)

I am pretty sure the drive is showing up in the system profiler. As I said, it does spin so the machine seems to know the drive is there. I'll check again tonight, tho. -- DC
 
Back
Top