superdrive - does not play audio CDs

[eric]

so, not sure if this is a hardware or software problem...

the superdrive in my core duo macbook will not play an audio cd. it burns regular cds and dvds and will play dvds. when i put in an audio cd (even very old ones that certainly do not have copy protection) it seems to spin up about three times and then gets spit out.

i have tried swapping the program that opens when you put in a cd (between itunes and audion).

i have tried renaming the "com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist" (wasn't sure if this was for the cd player or soundcard/speakers). also tried finding a specific cd player plist - and could not.

i have run onyx to clear all my caches many times since the last time i remember being able to play/rip a cd.

i have the recent 10.4.9 update, but i'm pretty sure this was happening before then - i just thought i was dealing with an ornery cd a month or so ago.


is there anything else i could try before bringing it in to the apple store - and do you think this is something that will be covered under the normal 1 year warranty, or should i first buy apple care and then bring in my macbook?

 

[eric]

i should also note.

i've tried switching the cd action to "ignore". no effect.

also, no audio cds actually seem to mount (on the desktop/finder sidebar).

 

[eric]

ok, googled a bit and got a few more ideas. none of which have panned out.

tried watching the console to see if it displayed any errors upon loading a cd. nada.

tried running disk utility and viewing the disk utility log then loading a cd. no luck.

checked the system log, nothing.

repaired permissions, even though i've heard that is usually completely ineffective (did this through onyx, and performed a system optimization while i was there). still spitting out audio cds like they're gristle.

and ran a thorough cache cleaning just to be sure. still nothing.


i'm wondering about preferences.plist, but that makes me nervous. will all of my system prefs go out the window? i'm guessing that's likely.

 

[D3v1L80Y]

Try resetting the SMC:

Resetting MacBook and MacBook Pro System Management Controller (SMC)

 

[eric]

no dice.



does it seem like it would be a hardware issue? would a reinstall of the OS be in order? I've got a big enough ext HD to copy everything i really need off the macbook if i had to, but i don't necessarily want to. though i guess if i'm looking at possible replacement, i'd better do that anyway in case they decide to replace the whole unit and not just the superdrive.

 

[bobtomay]

Before going through re-install, am wondering if it will read data cd's or not?
Just from my experience troubleshooting and reading on hardware forums -

If it will read data CD's but not audio, with all you have done already, then I "might" suggest a re-install prior to calling Apple if you are so inclined. If it will not read any type of CD, I would call Apple prior to spending the time on a re-install as it is almost assuredly hardware failure. (Probably laser alignment. Just do not recall seeing many fixes for this except getting a new drive, although it has been at least a couple of years since I've been involved in tech support at all.)

 

[MacHeadCase]

I'm wondering if it's because the system doesn't know which app will open the CD with... It might be a shot in the dark though...

I'm at school, on a Panther 10.3.9 Mac now, so can't check this out but I know that in MainMenu there is something in the scripts that will rebuild the LaunchServices.

Not sure what the equivalent in OnyX would be either. Have you already run that task in OnyX?

 

[eric]

bobtomay, it does read data discs (on cd-r anyway). and it has been doing that in weeks leading up to this - as i burn them and they complete, they do automatically mount. i checked anyway just now, and they do still mount.

MHC, onyx does have an option to do this, it just scared me a bit...
i'll give it a shot though...

 

[eric]

well, i thought it fixed it, but i just stumbled upon what i think is the drive's death warrant.

i found a cd that worked.

many others, including a few that did not work yesterday still did not.
then i put the one that worked back in and it worked again.

so, i'm thinking a picky drive which would be hardware, not software.
the backups continue...

 

[MacHeadCase]

Darn!

Did you have a look at the Apple Support site?

I just found this, dunno if it'll help or not: MacBook Pro, MacBook, PowerBook G4, iBook G4: Troubleshooting the slot load disc drive.

 

[eric]

yeah, i checked the search/link you pm'd and didn't find much that was useful. this link too, i covered pretty much everything there, including the smc/power mgmt reset (courtesy of DB).

luckily my mall happens to be the mall of america (bloomington, mn) where we've got a big apple store. if i get some time today before work, i may try to drop it off, otherwise i'll stop by on saturday. i'm kind of hoping they just swap it out for a nearly identical one with a 2.0 c2d proc.

i've got everything i need backed up i believe:
document, picture, movie, and music folders.
mail and safari files and prefs.
and some other misc stuff including widgets.

 

[MacHeadCase]

Yeah that's a good idea to take it back. Makes no sense at all that you can't play most of your audio CDs. Jeez! *Rolleyes*

If you can, bring along some CDs that don't play in case they try to turn you away.

Good luck, Eric! Keeping my fingers crossed for ya that it gets resolved somehow.

 

[eric]

alrighty then, wish me luck (uh, again... )!

i'm heading home from work now, and when i wake up from a short nap, i'm headed to the apple store. next time i post, it will be from one of the following:
- my macbook with a new superdrive
- a new macbook that i'll be dumping my backups back on to
- my wife's HP notebook

thanks again guys, for all your help!

 

[eric]

well, she's back.
i brought it in saturday and my genius agreed with the bad superdrive prognosis, he figured that or maybe a bad logic board. he was very impressed with the level of troubleshooting that was done . i actually even brought the printout of this thread to show him with all the steps highlighted. i also put in a good word for this place.

sad thing was that they said it would be likely the end of the week before i saw my macbook again. well, after a couple macless nights, i got the call this morning to come and get 'er. they replaced the superdrive under warranty and it now reads audio cds just fine.

one thing that came out of this...
i realized i'd had my switch date wrong all along. i figured it was mid/late october, but it was actually sept 18.

thanks again for all your help!

 

[MacHeadCase]

Kewl! Now you'll be able to keep us company! LOL

Glad you got your MB back, eric!

 

[eric]

and i'm super glad to have it back.

i actually really missed it. i even had access to my wife's 15" HP notebook, but didn't use it at all.

 

[bobtomay]

Think I would go through withdrawal if I had to be without mine for a few days. My desktop beats this thing speedwise in several areas and have it hooked up to a new 26" Sony screen (replacement for a Polaroid that went out). Have had the Sony sittin in there for 2 months now and I don't know if it's got 1 hour up time yet.

It's just too cool to be able to sit in my recliner in the LR, can watch the big screen, sittin in the same room as my wife instead of me sitting at the opposite end of the house from her all the time.

Where I sit and position my MBP, the 15" screen is nearly identical to the size of the 55" TV. The sides and bottom edge of the TV line up with the sides and top edge of my MBP, so it's like having dual screens. I should have bought a notebook a long time ago. Even caught myself thinking about sellin my rig, the screen, and the Xbox 360 (with HD DVD).

 

[eric]

that's one reason i stopped buying desktops a few years back. i just hated being confined to a desk in a separate room. bought myself a 15" HP pavillion notebook and never looked back. the macbook was just the natural logical prograssion.

 

[katiekins]

Bummer.

I was excited when I came to this forum, cause it sounded like it would lead to success! Everywhere else I've read has also ended up in the drive being replaced. I'm having the same problem, and unfortunately my warranty is up. Drive just doesn't like certain audio CDs.

 

[katiekins]

LOL!!! I take that back. I've bought 3 CDs recently (within the last 3 months) none of which would mount. I tried this one today that I just got, put it in several times. It would whir and sound like it's making progress, but nothing. Then I posted above, tried it again, and it mounted. hehe...Mac Forums rocks!