[Schlockading]

Pretty much since I got my eMac about three years ago, my disk drive has had something or other wrong with it. Every once in a while, the burn would fail for some unexplained reason. Recently, however, some higher-capacity CDs (e.g. ones with a lot of photos on them, etc.) would do weird things like files would be strangely corrupted but then would open later unharmed. Eventually, those CDs stopped working all together. Also, burning any kind of CD became impossible without getting some sort of verification error or mid-phase burn error. Now, my disk drive is completely unresponsive; no matter what kind of CD you put in the disk tray, it thinks for about 30 seconds with various strange noises and then ejects it.

To me it seems like something with the reading of the CDs is messed up, not necessarily any of the data on the CDs themselves. Do you know if there are any quick fixes, like "cleaner" CDs, like with VCRs where you stick in a tape with solution on it and it cleans the playheads? Or should I get a new disk drive completely? Is this a complicated process?

[Tom_Diola]

First off you've got your Technology terms mixed up a bit. You're talking about your CD-Drive (not hard drive). And I think your emac is a bit older than 3 years . . .
You might just try to get some canned air and blow out your system. It's kind of hard to take your emac apart but I've taken apart similar systems and gotten them back together.
If you get the canned air read the label carefully - i.e. some say don't shake the can and for gods sake don't spray cold (frozen air into your hot - running machine). Maybe the inside of your machine is just filled with 3 years of dust!
Let us know how it goes . . .

[Schlockading]

Okay, CD drive. And yes, my eMac is three years old. I bought it in September 2005. Anyway, I've never heard of canned air, but I was thinking that maybe it was just dusty. I also looked up some things on Amazon and found some cleaner discs that have some sort of insertable brushes that spin around and clean the laser lens on the inside. Maybe I'll try one of those.

[Schlockading]

Okay, the canned air did not work. I also tried a cleaner CD. Ironically, the CD itself played on iTunes, yet when it had supposedly "cleaned" my drive, no other CDs worked afterwards. Any other ideas?

[albloom]

I found one free thing that has been known to help recalcitrant optical
drives. Apply the latest "combo" update from Apple Support. If, say,
you're running OSX 10.4, go to Apple Support and search for "10.4.11
combo." Download and apply.

Other "software" things might help: Disk Utility (for a very simple problem),
Disk Warrior, Drive Genius, TechTool Pro. If you have 10.2-10.4, download
the freebie applejack:

http://www.versiontr...fo/macosx/19596

Otherwise your optical drive is toast. Replace it.