cd drive inaccurate

my cd drive on my Imac (late 2009, running newest software) keeps ejecting dvds it recognizes CDs just wont keep the DVD in or recognize it, has anyone else ever encountered something like this? if so any help would be greatly appreciated! please and thank you!

G'day and welcome to the forums.

Sign it is failing as DVDs generally requitre more intensive scanning. Slot loader D optical drives do have a high failure rate which is why Apple dropped them. Try a cheap external drive. On my iMac use a Samsung SE-208 USB bus powered and whilst I do not generally endorse Samsung products, it was cheap and works well. You may like to invest in a can of compressed air and trying blowing any dust out.

While slot loaders are notorious for early deaths...

Reading DVDs on my '06 MBP quits about once a year. Power it down, take a can of compressed air, 3-4 quick bursts in different directions through the slot and she's been good to go for another year.

And maybe add the occasional use of one of the CD/DVD cleaning disks with the tiny lens cleaning brush, and one with Mac directions to get the correct cleaning, often "music" tracts. Along with the compressed gas.