imac is really frustrating me when it comes to burning discs..

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Hi guys, I am having some serious stress with my iMac when it comes to burning discs.

If I wish to burn a folder of photos etc on DVD, the iMac does this beautifully and effortlessly, but sometimes, I don't need the large size capacity of a DVD to burn data on, and a regular CD would have more than adequate storage.

As soon as I pop my blank CD into the drive, the iMac whirrs a few seconds, then spits the disc out. I have checked, re-checked and re-re-e-re-re-re-re checked that the disc is blank, and tried using other discs from the same spindle of brand new blank CDs.

For what it's worth, the CDs are TDK branded, CD-R80 700MB 80 min ( up to 52x speed).

My iMac's specs are as follows:

27' iMac OS X
Version 10.7
Processor 2.66 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory: 16GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Startup Disk Macintosh HD
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 MB
Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (11A511)



Like I have mentioned, I have no problems whatsoever with burning DVD's, it's only Cds that the Mac won't even accept, let alone record to.

Thanks in advance!!
 
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chas_m

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Two possibilities:

1. Something about the TDK discs the optical drive doesn't like.

2. Something wrong with the unit.

Pretty easy to test: buy a blank disk or two from some other brand.
 
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Apple retailer I went to uses Verbatims... they do massive amounts of CD and DVD burning because they also run a recording studio. They swear by them.

Also said to make sure you by -R and not the +R's
 
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Had that happen in the past with a MBP and Apple replaced the optical drive after that it would burn anything.
 

Raz0rEdge

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Definitely try different brands and -R's as suggested..I've been using the regular BJ's-brand CD's and DVD's and they both work great on my iMac..
 

chscag

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Like I have mentioned, I have no problems whatsoever with burning DVD's, it's only Cds that the Mac won't even accept, let alone record to.

I agree with chas_m here. That machine should be able to handle CDs as well as DVDs. Try what he suggested. If that doesn't work, make an appointment with your local Apple store genius and take the machine on in. The drive may well be defective.
 
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I believe those units have two lasers, one for CDs, one for DVDs. From what I've read online it's a difference in the wavelength (apx 650nM/s for the former, 750nM/s for the latter). It's definitely likely that one laser is not working properly, but the other is. I agree with the advice above - have a technician look at it.
 
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I've had the same problem with my new Mac Pro (mid 2010) since I upgraded to Lion. I burn and sell a lot of photo discs. I've tried numerous different brands of blank CD's with the same result. But get this: if I burn a DVD first and then put a blank CD in and try to reburn, it works beautifully. So I don't think there's a problem with the laser.
Anyone ever hear of this or have suggestions?
 

chscag

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Still sounds like an optical drive problem to me. Since you have a Mac Pro it should be easy enough to substitute another optical drive in the machine and see if it makes a difference.
 

dtravis7


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Apple retailer I went to uses Verbatims... they do massive amounts of CD and DVD burning because they also run a recording studio. They swear by them.

Also said to make sure you by -R and not the +R's

Verbatim's are excellent. I have never had a bad burn with one.
 
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chas_m

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Also, just for the record, there's no such thing as a CD+R. We were talking about the inability to burn *CDs*.
 

dtravis7


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Also for the record I have had Excellent luck with Imation CD's. Not DVD's, just blank CD's.
 

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