Help needed: DVD/CD (optical) drive issue. Disk unable to eject.

[xxthedeathlordxx]

I have a mid-2009 15-inch MacBook Pro (Model 5,4) running OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. I have a very important DVD in the DVD drive, and it is irreplaceable. I put it in the drive, and the drive did not recognize that the DVD was in the drive. I've tried all the tricks, (/user/bin/drutil eject, command+e, tilting, left button while restarting, TrayEject script, etc.), and it won't even try to eject the disk, since it doesn't think one is in there. I also can't open DVD/CD menus to try to eject it. No whirring or anything. There is no paperclip hole, and this is a slot load drive. Since the computer thinks that nothing is in the drive, I can't even get it to try ejecting.

I need to find some way to physically remove the disk, no matter the damage to the drive. I can't risk taking the computer apart, though. Since the drive doesn't even spin or attempt to eject when i try to eject, that complicates things, and I've not been having any luck with the credit card trick since the drive more or less is unresponsive to any feedback other than putting a disk in.

Please help me, this DVD is incredibly important and is irreplaceable.
Regards,
An Apple User

 

[chscag]

Welcome to our forums.

Since you've tried all the known tricks to eject the disk, probably the only way you're going to remove it is by removing the drive itself. Removing the drive is not difficult as there are kits which are sold to replace it with another hard drive. Very common way to have two hard drives.

Instructions for removing the drive can be found at www.ifixit.com and probably also YouTube.

I definitely do not recommend tearing the drive apart while it's in the computer as that will likely incur damage to your MacBook Pro and may also damage the DVD.

 

[techiesteve]

First remove the MBP's base, then disconnect the battery for additional safety, then the OD, its very easy. When the OD is out, remove a series of small philips screws around the cover, then if present any tape. Lift off the cover and gently remove the DVD. Don't try forcing the cover up so there is gap above the gate to remove the DVD, that might damage the DVD. It really is very simple.

 

[Horsa]

Isn't it ridiculous that machines can be built with no mechanical "emergency eject" system to cater for such contingencies? There really is nothing worse than having a dumb machine that insists it knows better than you do!

@xxthedeathlordxx - once you've got that precious disk out of the laptop, I'd do two things:

1. Buy an inexpensive external usb optical drive, so you never have to trust that pesky slot-drive again
2. Assuming the disk is readable, make a backup copy of it.

 

[badshoehabit]

Have you tried this? If you can’t eject a disk from Mac


If you can’t eject a CD or DVD

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu
   
   > Log Out, then log in again. Try to eject the disc again.
2. If you still can’t eject the CD or DVD, choose Apple menu
   
   > Restart. While your computer restarts, press and hold the mouse or trackpad button until the disc is ejected.

 

[southchatham]

Have you tried this? If you can’t eject a disk from Mac


If you can’t eject a CD or DVD

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu
   
   > Log Out, then log in again. Try to eject the disc again.
2. If you still can’t eject the CD or DVD, choose Apple menu
   
   > Restart. While your computer restarts, press and hold the mouse or trackpad button until the disc is ejected.

This, plus if their is an Admin account use that to try and eject the disk. I have had to do this on a G4 Mini.

 

[pm-r]

I need to find some way to physically remove the disk, no matter the damage to the drive.

Have you tried wrapping some double-sided adhesive tape around a strip cut from a credit card or thin wooden tongue depressor, and maybe a pair of long tweezers also with protective tape wrapped around them.

Otherwise it's as Charlie suggested, remove the optical drive and do a cesarean section procedure to remove the disc.

It sounds from all your procedures you have done that the optical drive is actually dead, but it's rather surprising that it got pulled into the slot-oad drive in the first place if that is the case.

Have you double-checked and can you see that there is a disc actually still in the slot load drive???


- Patrick
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