Can't eject CD drive on G5 - what to do?

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Hi there

I have an old G5 power pc mac tower. It has no operating system. I now have a OSX leopard cd for it. But when I turn on the computer I can't eject the disc tray to get it in.

It's really trying to open it just can't! I need to force eject it. Usually this is done by forcing a needle into an eject hole but Mac's don't have this. I know how to do it with an operating system on it (Disc Utilities) but how to do it without an operating system on it?

I have an external CD drive but I can't tell it to boot from that as I don't have an operating system on it I can't tell it where to boot from.

Stuck and it's so annoying! Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Chris
 
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Thank you but there seems to be no way to bring the flap down. If I start to prise it away it's clearly beginning to snap so obviously I've stopped. The Mac towers are beautifully made but it tends to be at the expense of things like this - or at least for the layman like me!!! Because I can't see how to bring that flap down without breaking it or ejecting the CD without using software!

Thanks again for your speedy reply
 
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Boot and hold down the mouse button and see if that works.
 
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I wouldn't think the the flaps oner the optical drive is that different to the MDD Macs, and I could always use something thin to force the flap open, then use the large paperclip and flat nosed pliers if needed to grab the tray and hold on when it attempts to open.

You mat need to slide in some thin plastic strips like from a cut up credit card if the disk is hung up and needs some guidance, and some judicial force is sometimes required, or power off the Mac after it starts to eject the disk to save fighting it sucking in the drawer. ;)
 

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Have you tried to hold "Option" down at startup? With the disc in the external drive?

I don't think that will work. It's been a long time but I don't think the G5s could boot with the option key held down. I think it had to be the C key.

Setting that aside for a moment Plexberry has a different problem. He can't insert the DVD to boot the machine until the drive door is open.

@Plexberry Try booting with the mouse button held down as Harryb suggested. You may have to try a few times before it works. If that does not work try the following. It worked on my old Mac Pro and I think it worked on the G5 as well.

1. Take your thumb and apply a small amount of inward pressure to the drive door.
2. The door should open slightly exposing a small gap at the top.
3. Slide your fingernail into the gap and pull down on the drive door. This should open the drive door and either free the drive to open or expose the hole allowing you to insert a paperclip into the hole.

I've done this a few times and it shouldn't require enough pressure to damage the drive.
 
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If I recall correctly, there was a control key sequence one could use to force eject any CD and an optional sequence if there were two optical drives installed to force the alternate drive to open.

Darned if I can remember them, but it worked on my MDD Mac with two optical drives.

EDIT:
Maybe this instead:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT2575
 

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Maybe we're going about this all wrong. Plexberry said he had an external disk drive as well and the install disk for OSX Leopard. If the install disk is bootable, and it should be and if you can get the disk into the drive using another computer then connecting the external drive and switching on the G5 should force it to look for a OS which it should find on the external drive.
I have done this with a MBP with no OS and a thumb drive with a bootable Mavericks installer. The MBP looks for an OS at start up it can boot from and finds it on the thumb drive. From there its just a matter of performing an install on the internal drive.
 

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I think I get what you're suggesting Rod and it's worth a try since it won't hurt anything. One thing occurred to me that might throw a wrench into the works. I don't remember if the G5 even looks at the USB bus for a potential bootable drive so it might not trigger the kind of search you were thinking of. Well worth a try though.
 
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Wow really did anyone bother to think the easy solution.

Remove the side panel off of the g5 computer go to www.ifixit.com and click on there repair guide link and search for your g5 tower once the lid is off remove the cd drive and honestly look at it is it a apple drive with a apple logo if it isn't then someone has replaced the drive before.

all you need is a ide cd drive that supports dvd thats it i wouldn't honestly bother though this machine can only run leopard as its last o.s and you can't really use internet because flash player no longer works for powerpc
 

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iFixit.com has repair procedures for most Macs, including some PowerMac Towers. If you pop off the side case you should be able to swing out the CD/DVD Drive and access the front plate.
As previously stated, should be indent to force eject.
 
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No PPC Mac, which includes the G5 ;) , will normally boot from any USB device, with the very odd exception. Just in case it was a thought and going to be used.
 

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No PPC Mac, which includes the G5 ;) , will normally boot from any USB device, with the very odd exception. Just in case it was a thought and going to be used.

We have had a few reports of users being able to boot from USB with a PowerMac G5, but I agree that normally the only way to boot from an external device with a PPC Mac is from Firewire.
 
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You still aboard Plexberry? How did the reboot and mouse key down go? There are other options if that did not work.

For what it is worth ther only G5 I ever got to boot from USB was the very last iMac G5 PowerMac, late 2005 Dual Core, sure would not.
 
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Yup, some USB drives were bootable with some PPC Macs, and I actually had one that worked well, a 3.5" desktop IOGear USB/FW and maybe eSATA I think, and it worked as a PPC Mac boot drive using USB or Firewire.
 

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Yes I may be wrong but the old Mac USB CD drive (without sliding tray) worked. You could start up with it plugged in and slide in the disk and it would ask what to boot from.
 
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Hi! Sorry for delay I've been a way for a couple of days. Firstly - wow - thank you so much everyone for your help and insight! I'm going to try them now!!! I shall report back :)
 
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Okay - I'll need to work on this tomorrow now due to other issues so I shall update then - thanks again everyone!!!
 
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Hi - so update: got open the tray by paper clip over the top of the draw, holding it down and then paper clip into drive hole. Then screw driver to gently prise the door forward (as pin hole only nudged it a bit) and got it open. Put in OSX boot disc (Leopard) but drive must be bust as didn't read it (little Finder face/folder with ? just flashing away). So I put it in an external cd drive via USB and as many on here feared - it wouldn't find it.

So what can I do? I have a broken internal drive and a fully working external one which it won't read from. If it won't read from an official apple disc via usb cd drive it won't read from a usb stick. I might need to start a new thread to get as many ideas but in the mean time anyone know how I can get an operating system on a G5 PPC with out using the internal cd drive?

Many thanks in advance - and thanks again for all your help before, most helpful!! :)
 

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