macbook pro thinks it has a cd in it, but it doesn't.

my macbook pro thinks it has a cd in the slot, but it doesn't. cd/dvds have gotten stuck before, but last time the cd came out fine. the eject button on the keyboard does nothing. if i eject from itunes, it sounds like its working fine and tries to eject a cd. when i try to put a cd, dvd, dvr in the slot it goes in but not all the way (the drive doesn't try to take it) and the mac never makes a sound.

i have tried all the suggestions (paper clip, credit card, canned air, etc etc) except for 'resetting smc', as i do not know what that means. what will resetting smc do?

my mac is no longer under warranty and i am broke, so i am trying everything i can before taking it in to apple. any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!

if i can fix this, i shall never watch The Simpsons on my macbook again, promise!

Try powering on and holding mouse button down - that should eject any disk.

And if you do not use a mouse, look for the eject button on the keyboard, like an arrow with a separate base, or hit the F12 key.

thanks for the responses. neither of these things worked.