A year later...I'm regretting choosing Mac over PC...

You can't know how it pains me to say that, either! I was a Mac user long before I used a PC but after becoming a technical writer and working in the computer field, I ended up using PCs exclusively for several years. Last Christmas, my latest PC went belly-up so I thought I would finally go back to Mac. I treated myself to an expensive OS X with a 27" screen -- thought I had died and gone to heaven!

However, I have to say that now, a year later, I'm still spending entirely too much time trying to learn my Mac well enough to troubleshoot the too-frequent problems I encounter.

The latest is CD behavior: I don't understand why I often insert a CD to burn but don't see it appear on my desktop (and no indication of it in Finder) -- hence, can't even eject it. I have to go into Parallels so I can find it in Windows Explorer and eject it from there.

What could cause a CD to be "invisible" to the Mac OS yet show up (be writable, viewable, ejectable) in my XP OS?

Any help would be most gratefully received and thanks in advance.

Joshua Kors, is that you? J/K

Are you talking about a blank CD to burn TO? Not sure why it wouldn't show up unless it was some weird brand or something??
I don't do much CD burning, but I do know that after using one OS for a period of time it takes some adjustment to move to another OS. Be sure you look over the helpful tutorials on apple.com/support such as Switcher 101 and Mac 101. Also use the search function on these forums and you'll receive plenty of help ironing out your issues. OSX is quite different from "several years" ago when you last used a Mac. Don't get discouraged.

what version of OSX are you running

Mac OS x, Version 10.6.5

Processor: 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

You don't happen to have Parallels open when you insert this CD do you? If you do what is likely happening is that Parallels is directing the CD to Windows so it won't show up in OSX as you can only have the device connected to one OS at a time. I don't know about Parallels but Fusion has a series of icons at the bottom of the screen and you can right click on the CD looking icon to "disconnect" it from the VM. Once you do this OSX has control of the DVD player and it should start showing up on your desktop and let you eject. To test this you cuold shut Parallels down totally and then pop a blank CD in. It it comes up on the desktop then you just need to read a bit more on how Parallels works.

Sorry I didn't include specs originally. I do "know better".

And I have made use of several tutorials -- I'm not a total newbie and I've been using my Mac for a year now. I expected a certain learning curve but wasn't prepared for the frustrations of these various things that keep cropping up. The behavior seems to be too random to pin down -- for example, I have burned music CDs and several backup data CDs over the past year. But "sometimes" (and when? and why? AARGH) the CDs don't appear in the Mac OS, only the XP. The ones today are Memorex.

I don't mind troubleshooting and as a tech writer, I'm always glad to use Help files -- but I couldn't even find this topic in the Mac help. I could find topics about when a CD can't be ejected -- but not when the OS wouldn't even see it. And I've tried several CDs this morning, it's not an isolated case.

I think I'll now use the old Windows "cure" (reboot). Can't hurt, eh?

Thanks for all comments, even the ones reminding me to do my homework ;-)

Oh, I just saw the tip about shutting down Parallels first -- I wasn't aware of that and will try it now. Will report back to see if that solves the current problem.

Thanks!

Yep, just looked at the documentation and there is an icon in the lower left. If you right click on it you can disconnect the drive from the VM. Only one OS can control the device at a time so if you insert a CD and it doesn't show up in OSX it is likely attached to the VM. Just right click on the icon and disconnect and it should show up in OSX. Likewise you can reconnect drive by right clicking as well.

OMG! Shutting down Parallels enables the CD to appear on my Mac desktop.

Is this documented anywhere? I truly did try to find out the problem before posting to this forum. Maybe it's not documented but just considered "common sense"? It just didn't occur to me to try it, because everything else seems to be visible equally in both OSs...

Well, the immediate problem is solved and I thank you SO MUCH -- all of you who took your time to answer and give suggestions, and to you "DaFlake" for the tip to shut down Parallels.

WE are going to be using Parallels next year at work, so that tip may come in very useful.

Thanks DaFlake and Galson

No problem... Yes, it is in the users guide on-line; well the bit about being able to connect and disconnect. I don't know how well they explain it but it is what I mentioned above.

So, if you have Parallels open, you can simply right click the little CD looking icon in the lower right of you Parallels VM window and disconnect and reconnect your CDROM/DVD at will.

Glad I could help.

Galson said:

OMG! Shutting down Parallels enables the CD to appear on my Mac desktop.

Is this documented anywhere? I truly did try to find out the problem before posting to this forum. Maybe it's not documented but just considered "common sense"? It just didn't occur to me to try it, because everything else seems to be visible equally in both OSs...

Well, the immediate problem is solved and I thank you SO MUCH -- all of you who took your time to answer and give suggestions, and to you "DaFlake" for the tip to shut down Parallels.

Click to expand...

Some USB devices too, I'd imagine, keep it in mind just in case.

What you ran into was not really a Mac problem. I've been using my Mac for 1 1/2 years…I don't really use parallels much, no need. Many folks that hate Mac seem to use virtualizing software quite a bit. I'm not sure why that is the case. Some of the time it could be that the person has not yet "let go" so to speak.

Yup, USB as well. Say you connect an external drive that you want your windows machine to use but it is showing up in OSx only. You need to click on the USB icon and "connect" the device to the VM. It will dissappear from OSx. If you want to connect it back to OSx you need to disconnect it from the VM. Pretty simple really.

This just keeps the device from being accessed by two systems at the same time which can cause file corruption.

I virtualize mainly because of work. I love Apple but I am a Windows developer (C#, VB and ASP.NET). So, I need it...

One more question, if I may: DaFlake, you mention a CD icon in the VM window but I don't see anything like that. I'm not sure what "VM window" you mean -- when Parallels is running, the XP interface doesn't show anything on the Windows taskbar, system tray or Quick Launch, so I'm not sure where you see this icon.

Am I just not looking in the right place to see the VM window? Or perhaps this is a version difference? I'm on Parallels 4.0...

Thanks again for your help (and patience).

I can't speak for Parallels, but Fusion will ask you where you want the device directed to each time you plug it in unless you choose the "always" option.

Also, it's not a good idea to keep the VM running even when not in use. You have to remember that both Fusion and Parallels are eating memory and resources in order to run the VM.

I can only tell you more about VMware as I am not a Parallels user. However, I have heard they are very similar.

In VMware we have serveal modes to view windows in. One mode is via an application window on the screen and the other integrates it with OSx so that it is hidden. I believe that your is running the the second mode that I described.

Anyway, I highly recommend that you read this...

http://download.parallels.com/desktop/v6/docs/en/Parallels_Desktop_Users_Guide.pdf

but take a look at page 151 as it describes what I was kind of talking about. It does look a little different over Fusion.

Galson said:

You can't know how it pains me to say that, either! I was a Mac user long before I used a PC but after becoming a technical writer and working in the computer field, I ended up using PCs exclusively for several years. Last Christmas, my latest PC went belly-up so I thought I would finally go back to Mac. I treated myself to an expensive OS X with a 27" screen -- thought I had died and gone to heaven!

However, I have to say that now, a year later, I'm still spending entirely too much time trying to learn my Mac well enough to troubleshoot the too-frequent problems I encounter.

Click to expand...

I think (as you have found with the answers from Mac-Forums members)...that most (if not all) of your Macintosh issues can be more of a "not-knowing" sort of thing...versus a "Mac purchase regrettment" thing.

With anything new...sometimes there's a learning curve...but with a little effort (like posting questions on Mac-Forums)...hopefully all can be solved.

- Nick

I have the Parallels User Guide on my desktop, p. 151 was the first place I checked, but didn't truly grok it, at least in terms of the CD-ROM connect/disconnect issue.

As for my "regret" issue, yes, I totally understand that most of my problems arise from my ignorance and not from any failing on the part of Apple. My chagrin arose from the numerous issues I've experienced that simply wouldn't have occurred had I stayed with Windows. It's like cars: I might end up being happier with a crummy old used car that runs predictably than I would with a brand-new sports car that is beyond my knowledge level and ends up always sending me to a mechanic for help...

Anyway, I'm happy for all the "Mac-anics" out there, and thanks again ;~)

Galson said:

My chagrin arose from the numerous issues I've experienced that simply wouldn't have occurred had I stayed with Windows.

Click to expand...

If you use parallels a great deal…you're not really fully in the Mac world.

Think of it like dipping your toe in the water. Why not jump in and get the changeover completed? Most of the folks I run across that are having troublesome transitions to Mac are kind of just using windows on a Mac. So then why switch at all, why not try the device your purchased?

Virtual machines are in effect separate computers. When Parallels/Windows is using a device it's about the same as the device being plugged into another separate computer across the room. Separate.

What sort of programs are you using in parallels so much of the time? If you truly are trapped with one or two you can fine tune the parallels settings to smooth things out quite a bit. Other than installs, what are you doing with discs in parallels?

Galson said:

As for my "regret" issue, yes, I totally understand that most of my problems arise from my ignorance and not from any failing on the part of Apple. My chagrin arose from the numerous issues I've experienced that simply wouldn't have occurred had I stayed with Windows. It's like cars: I might end up being happier with a crummy old used car that runs predictably than I would with a brand-new sports car that is beyond my knowledge level and ends up always sending me to a mechanic for help...

Click to expand...

With anything new or different...even though you might think the transition would be easy...this is not always the case.

It's like relocating from the United States to Australia. You would think that since we speak the same language (English) that the relocation would be a snap...but not always the case! Different slang (billabong, sheila, bloke, etc.), different culture, different foods (Vegemite), automobiles with the steering wheel on the right.

The same can apply when migrating from a Windows computer to a Mac. Different culture among users, different slang, less upgradability, one button mouse vs. two, etc. So just a bit of a learning curve. But once someone catches onto things...a Mac can be just as "predictable" as a Windows computer.

- Nick

p.s. To our members "down-under"...just picked Australia as an analogy example...no "harm" intended!