White imac won't read discs

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Hello,

I have had this mac since oh, about 2006. I have had many problems and about four Re-formats. Today, I have another problem. My imac will not read ANY kind of disc! If I insert a disc into the drive it makes a slow, grinding kind of noise(Not like physically grinding, it's the noise it makes when it loads but really slow and long). It then makes a few noises that sound like it's trying to load the disc (several high and low noises-High...low...High...low...High low) then spits it back out. I remember the day it stopped working (Few weeks ago). I was playing BIA: HH and I took the CD out so I could install swat 4. At first, I thought the disc was dirty, but after awhile, I realized it was the computer. I have tried putting discs in every few days with no success. Please help!

I have a white imac 2.0ghz from 2006 ( just before the aluminum ones came out) I have windows xp installed via bootcamp, and no discs work on that side either.

-William
 

pigoo3

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Could be that your optical drive is either dirty or dead...not much else goes wrong with them.

- Nick
 
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Agree with Nick.
 
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That's what I thought. So what does I do? We have apple-support...er...Applecare so do we just take it in? (Why can't macs just work right?)
 
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It's unfortunate that you have had many problems with Mac. Your problem sounds like your laser eye or some other mechanism in the CD drive is dead because I've had many devices with a CD drive on them that do that high - low repeatedly noise and can't read the disc. You can either take it in and tell them what's happening and they'll replace it for you or you can buy a CD drive and try to do it yourself. I'm not sure if they will charge you for a new CD drive if you bring it in or not.

I feel bad for those that have a lot of problems with their systems because I feel that definitely gives them a bad first impression of a Mac if they're curious and after that, think they're suspicions were right all along. As opposed to people like me who were Windows users for a long time, and get a Mac and it works flawlessly and I will never go back. Good luck.
 
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I'll take it in and hopefully they don't charge much. I don't think I can do it myself, being 14 and all.



Also, I actually had a PC for years and hated it. When my mom wanted to replace it though, I wasn't too happy. I thought it would be terrible! but I got the imac and thought it was amazing!

So I had suspected that it would suck, but it proved me wrong, and now after only one year, it's turning on me. I had a terrible time on my first pc, switch to mac, liked it, now hate it. So I guess it's not that I really hate macs, I just hate computers! But the reason I use PC more is because I use the computer for gaming (but I use PC on mac using bootcamp). So now that I'm not really biased on which computer is better since they both have their incredible strengths and weaknesses (Solution: Buy mac, install PC on it--Win win!). I guess I just hate Apple! I have always had terrible service and half the time I know more then the apple geniuses! (I usually get an indian fellow on the phone ("Ello, tank you for calling de apple support line") Like for example, I didn't know why my computer was lagging, so I called up apple using applecare and I asked him what the problem might be. (He told me the motherboard had overloaded and I would have to buy a new imac). Turns out, I just had too many programs running. So I hope you see that I'm not a fanboy, just victim of terrible service on both sides.
 

pigoo3

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That's what I thought. So what does I do? We have apple-support...er...Applecare so do we just take it in? (Why can't macs just work right?)

WOW...you still have Applecare on this iMac? You said you've had it since 2006...so you must have the 3 year plan.

If you have Applecare, why the heck are you suffering with these problems???...just take it in, and see what Apple will do for you.

Good luck,

- Nick
 
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TBH id lose the Super drive...every mac I have bought the super drive/s have been shocking in both mac books and mac pro.

Apple care will replace it for free but in my opinion give it 6 months and the issues will start again.
 

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TBH id lose the Super drive...every mac I have bought the super drive/s have been shocking in both mac books and mac pro.

Apple care will replace it for free but in my opinion give it 6 months and the issues will start again.

I couldn't disagree with you more! I have owned & currently own multiple Macintosh's with "Superdrives" and have never had a problem (knock on wood)!

Are they the best drives out there...probably not...but then I've never had a problem with them.

Have other people had problems with them...sure...but then someone somewhere has had a problem with just about every component in a computer.

Let's not let 2% or fewer folks that have had problems speak for the other 98% who have had no problems.:)

- Nick
 
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I do take it in to apple using applecare. They fix it, blame Windows xp, and in a few weeks there is another horrifying problem. I have learned to live with that.
 

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I do take it in to apple using applecare. They fix it, blame Windows xp, and in a few weeks there is another horrifying problem. I have learned to live with that.

When they (Apple) fixes it...what do they do?

Thanks,

- Nick
 
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I dunno... we drop it off for repair... come back in a few hours/days and they fixed it. Then they say it MIGHT be from having windows xp installed on bootcamp. Which is BS. Running PC on the mac (Through APPLE's product!) can not, and will not do anything to mess up the mac side. When they are selling you the mac they say that installing pc on it cannot harm it in any way shape or form... but when I took it in to be fixed last month I got the SAME GUY THAT SOLD ME THE COMPUTER! and he told me it might be PC's fault! Talk about contradictions of epic proportion.
 

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I dunno... we drop it off for repair... come back in a few hours/days and they fixed it. Then they say it MIGHT be from having windows xp installed on bootcamp. Which is BS. Running PC on the mac (Through APPLE's product!) can not, and will not do anything to mess up the mac side. When they are selling you the mac they say that installing pc on it cannot harm it in any way shape or form... but when I took it in to be fixed last month I got the SAME GUY THAT SOLD ME THE COMPUTER! and he told me it might be PC's fault! Talk about contradictions of epic proportion.

That does sound like a pretty lame answer to what's causing the problem from the Apple guy. It's disappointing to hear this, usually Apple does a better job than this.

Since your computer is still covered under Applecare...if it were me, and I had already taken in my computer multiple times for the same problem...I would insist or demand that they replace the Superdrive...since the repairs don't seem to work.

And if this requires you to get the manager involved...then so be it...since the repair guy may be a "bad Apple"!;)

Good luck,

- Nick
 
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The manager is the worst there. He is worse then all the (Bad apple's) there combined. He's like a Bad apple tree
 

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The manager is the worst there. He is worse then all the (Bad apple's) there combined. He's like a Bad apple tree

Very funny!:)

Sorry to hear about it. Any chance you have two Apple Stores near you?

- Nick
 
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There is king of prussia... but there is no parking, it's packed, and the last time I was in there I was assaulted by an employee.
 

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There is king of prussia... but there is no parking, it's packed, and the last time I was in there I was assaulted by an employee.

I know what you mean...I used to live & shop in the area North of Philly.

Like you said, there's supposed to be an Apple Store in King of Prussia & Ardmore.

The area around IKEA is pretty busy as well.

- Nick
 
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I dunno... we drop it off for repair... come back in a few hours/days and they fixed it. Then they say it MIGHT be from having windows xp installed on bootcamp. Which is BS. Running PC on the mac (Through APPLE's product!) can not, and will not do anything to mess up the mac side. When they are selling you the mac they say that installing pc on it cannot harm it in any way shape or form... but when I took it in to be fixed last month I got the SAME GUY THAT SOLD ME THE COMPUTER! and he told me it might be PC's fault! Talk about contradictions of epic proportion.

I think we missed something. My guess is they replaced the drive. If they didnt remove XP and bootcamp to fix it what did they do? You know you can hook up an external DVD drive and not over burdon the internal one.
 

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