Now I'm a little confused. (Not the first time in the process!)

When I removed the EMI shield from the original drive - as directed in the Apple manual - a plastic face plate came off from the original drive with it. This would be the black plastic front plate of the drive. Apparently, this face plate was stuck with a mild adhesive to the EMI shield strongly enough to pull it out.

I removed the plate from the shield, and given that there WAS a face plate on the original drive, left that face plate on the new drive, and pushed the EMI shield over it - similar to the way it was on the original.

Soooo, is THAT the decorative plate you're both referring to? Should I open things up again and remove that plate, replace the EMI shield, and put things back in the computer housing?

The instruction manual doesn't mention the plate, but the image shown seems to include the plastic face plate (at least in the illustration demonstrating how to pull it off the original equipment).

Thanks!

I feel sort of dense, but there is a drive door ON the G 5 itself, that pops open when the tray comes out.

There is also a black plastic face plate on the drive. It covers the entire front of the drive, and has a couple of opening in it - like the opening for the eject button, and a little whole for emergency ejection of a disk (not accessible from the outside of the G 5, I don't think). It's basically the "front face" for the drive. I THINK that's what you're saying has to come off. I honestly can't remember if that's the part that has a door that flips down on it for the tray to come out, or if the tray and that door are under (not part of) the face plate.

I looked at the old drive face, and the plastic face plate just has an opening in the middle, through which the draw slides out. There is not a separate trap door that pops open, which is what I'm imagining you're talking about (?).

But maybe it's the face plate that changes the dimensional dynamics not letting the new drive open fully out through the G 5's own trap door?

Trying not to dismantle everything until I understand what I should be removing.

Appreciate the help!

THANKS! Who'd have known!?

There is nothing in the instructions - either the Mac or Pioneer - that gives you a clue!

You guys are great!

I guess I'll try taking it apart again, and pulling that trayfront cover off.

Aye, next time it's OWC. Instructions would have made a BIG difference.

Thanks so much for your help. I pulled the front tray panel off, and well, basically busted it off. I tried to pull this way, that way, and from any angle I could think of. It finally popped off, but some bits of it snapped off.

No small feat, because the operation required taking the drive fully out again, and figuring how to get the tray open when it was disconnected, I poked a clip into the little whole to open the draw) and putting it back together. They really SHOULD include directions (and those screw in pegs) when you buy these.

But you guys were right, and now the draw slides in and out, and it plays CDs.

YEAH!

Thanks!