Intel iMac DVD drive won't eject properly

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Anony-mouse - 20 May 2006 05:38 GMT

Hi,

we bought a new 17" Intel iMac a couple of weeks ago, but some CDs (not
all) refuse to eject properly. They do try to eject, but then get
sucked back in and re-mount on the Dekstop. The CD seems to be either
hitting the case or it could be that the drive simply doesn't have
enough power to push the disk through the dust flaps.

These are normal standard-sized CDs, not mini or strange-shapes. It
doesn't seem to matter whether they're CD-ROMs or CD-R / CD-RW disks.
All have a similar stick / don't stick tendency with no pattern I can
find.

I have discovered the trick of inserting a piece of firm paper or light
card between the dust flaps will allow the disc to eject.

I've seen a few similar problems on various Mac forums, but no
definitive answer. Does anyone here know if this is:

- a known problem that requires returning the iMac for
a replacement (iMac or just the drive) while still
under warranty?

- a design flaw in the iMac Intel iMac (I can't recall
having this problem with the stolen iMac G5 this new
one is replacing)?

Or is there some other way to properly fix it??
(It's very possible that simply trimming the dust flaps would solve the
problem, but I really don't want to do that with a brand new iMac
that's still under warranty.)

We've just had two more Intel iMacs delivered that I'll be setting up
next week, so it would be good to know if they need to be returned if
they display the same problems before I get too far into installing
everything on them (only to have to re-do the whole lot on the
replacement).

Thanks for any you can supply information about this problem.

_
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Anony-mouse says o_/O _/ \
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Alice Faber - 20 May 2006 06:59 GMT

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
>
> Thanks for any you can supply information about this problem.

I had the same problem with a MacBook Pro that I set up a few weeks ago.
I called Applecare (we pay for it, so why not?), and the guy on the
phone guided me through resetting PRAM, which did the trick (why, I
don't have a clue). The CD in question was a software CD that was
delivered to us with a label on it that I assume resisted the ejection;
the CD worked fine on other computers, and other CDs worked fine in the
MBP.

Signature

AF
"Non Sequitur U has a really, really lousy debate team."
--artyw raises the bar on rec.sport.baseball

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Anony-mouse - 21 May 2006 08:41 GMT

> > Hi,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
> the CD worked fine on other computers, and other CDs worked fine in the
> MBP.

Thanks for the reply.

None of my non-ejecting CDs have labels. They're all official printed
CDs or blank CD-R/RW discs. Resetting the PRAM might be worth a try,
although I can't really see how it would help.

I've done a little bit more investigating around some forums and I
beginning to think it's simply a design flaw in the Intel iMacs that we
have to put up with. :-(

Solutions seem to include the inserting a small piece of card / paper
in between the dust flaps as a guide, or tilting the iMac forwards /
backwards / sideways.

_
_/ \___
Anony-mouse says o_/O _/ \
"Eek-eek-eek!" \__/_|_/_|\____/

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Alice Faber - 21 May 2006 16:57 GMT

> > > Hi,
> > >
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
> CDs or blank CD-R/RW discs. Resetting the PRAM might be worth a try,
> although I can't really see how it would help.

It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me either, but the guy on the
phone said to try it, and I couldn't see how it would hurt...Thinking
back, part of what was going on was that the computer at some point lost
track of the fact that it even had a CD in the drive, and, of course, it
doesn't make sense to eject a non-existent CD from an empty drive. The
reset would have flushed the information that the drive was empty. Then
the drive would have "known" that it had a CD in it and been able to
eject the CD. Or something like that. YMMV.

> I've done a little bit more investigating around some forums and I
> beginning to think it's simply a design flaw in the Intel iMacs that we
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> in between the dust flaps as a guide, or tilting the iMac forwards /
> backwards / sideways.

Signature

AF
"Non Sequitur U has a really, really lousy debate team."
--artyw raises the bar on rec.sport.baseball

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Anony-mouse - 21 May 2006 21:54 GMT

> > Thanks for the reply.
> >
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> the drive would have "known" that it had a CD in it and been able to
> eject the CD. Or something like that. YMMV.

Ah, you had a slightly different problem to mine. My CDs all work fine
and show up on the Desktop (so far), so I can use the various options
to try and eject the disc, but the problem is that it won't physically
come out of the drive. It does actually eject, but gets blocked by what
seems to be either the case or the dust flaps, and so goes back into
the drive and re-mounts on the Desktop again. :-(

I think the dust flap material is too thick and/or the eject mechanism
on the drive simply isn't powerful enough (unlike the iMac G5 that spat
the discs half-way across the room!). Either that or the drive is
misaligned with the slot in the case.
_
_/ \___
Anony-mouse says o_/O _/ \
"Eek-eek-eek!" \__/_|_/_|\____/

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Alice Faber - 21 May 2006 22:00 GMT

> > > Thanks for the reply.
> > >
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> seems to be either the case or the dust flaps, and so goes back into
> the drive and re-mounts on the Desktop again. :-(

It started off that way. But after a number of attempts to trick the CD
into ejecting, it would neither eject nor mount.

Signature

AF
"Non Sequitur U has a really, really lousy debate team."
--artyw raises the bar on rec.sport.baseball

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Anony-mouse - 22 May 2006 07:27 GMT

> > > > Thanks for the reply.
> > > >
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> It started off that way. But after a number of attempts to trick the CD
> into ejecting, it would neither eject nor mount.

Hmmmm ... looks like I might have to keep an eye on it. I set-up one of
the other new Intel iMacs today and it worked perfectly with the couple
of software install discs and the one CD-R disc I had to use for that.
Maybe the problem one does need to go back to Apple for be fixed while
it's still under warranty.

If I get time I might find a disc that gets "stuck" in the problem iMac
and then see if it works in this new one, just to see if there is a
problem with certain disc makes.
_
_/ \___
Anony-mouse says o_/O _/ \
"Eek-eek-eek!" \__/_|_/_|\____/

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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / May 2006

Intel iMac DVD drive won't eject properly