[Mugge]

So I finally got around to getting SL, but the DVD won't load, it just pops out after a couple of attempts at spinning up. I tried with a movie DVD and it played nicely. I also tried with two different user account, one being the admin account.

Thinking the DVD was a bad one I then took the DVD back to the store, but the girl there managed to load it one of the new MBPs there. Mine is a rev. A. When I got home today I also tried with my iLife '09 DVD, and WTF?! It wouldn't load either, despite I used it to install iLife from a few months ago. Yet it will still load anything other than Apple discs.

I haven't been able to find any news about a new firmware update for my MBP. It's currently on version 1.2f10

WTF is going on here?

[FFL]

It sounds a whole lot like a problem reading dual-layer data DVDs, which is quite possibly the first sign of a failing optical drive. If you're OOW, the cheapest fix is probably an external FireWire DVD burner.

Have you tried the original factory DVDs that came with it?

Have you tried general fixes like repairing permissions and zapping PRAM?

[tomoe]

FWIW, I experienced a similar problem, but with my Leopard DVD. It did, indeed, end up being a failed optical drive.

[dmegatool]

Similar problem but with DVD-R. Blank DVD would load but it would spit out every single burned DVD-R... ended with a replacement.

[turtle]

Other than the obvious chance that the disk might be bad it's likely you drive.

[Mugge]

Originally Posted by FFL It sounds a whole lot like a problem reading dual-layer data DVDs, which is quite possibly the first sign of a failing optical drive. If you're OOW, the cheapest fix is probably an external FireWire DVD burner. Have you tried the original factory DVDs that came with it?

I haven't been able to find them sine I last moved.

Have you tried general fixes like repairing permissions and zapping PRAM?

Yes.

My dad has an external USB DVD burner, a LiteOn EZ-Dub. Would that work, or does it have to be FW?

I think I'm going to put up an advert for a broken MacBook with a functional optical drive. Shouldn't be too hard to replace the internal one.

[Wyatt]

The USB should work fine.

Buying a broken MacBook is probably more expensive than just buying a new drive. Check out iFixit for parts.

[edit] This drive works in your MBP:

http://www.ifixit.com/MacBook-Parts/...ve/IF185-040-1

They have instructions on their site too, if you need them.

[Mugge]

Thanks, Wyatt.

I've already checked out iFixit, but currently they don't have any drives in stock and the cost of shipping to Europe is also an incentive towards local scavenging.

[Wyatt]

Oops! Sorry, I forgot you were in Denmark. That's what I get for not checking your location before replying.

[AsLan^]

I had the same problem with my Rev A MacBook, I ended up using a G4 mini in target disk mode as an external drive which worked okay.

Okay as in it didn't give me any options for installation, it first said the program could not be run from that drive or something so I set the disk to be the startup disk and rebooted, Snow Leopard installation booted and I assumed it was going to ask me if I wanted to Archive and Install etc. but it just went straight into upgrade after I selected the packages I wanted to install.

[Mugge]

Aw, no need to get all embarrassed over such a little bit, Wyatt.

[Mugge]

Ok, it worked with the external drive. I'm now rocking with the Snow Leopard!

All settings transferred smoothly and f*** it's fast! Now all I need is a new optical drive.

[dmegatool]

Do you reallllllly need a new one ? I know that if mine would break now, I wouldn't replace it. In the last year, I only used it for installing OS's.

Probably depends on if you have acces to an external DVD or another computer...

[Mugge]

Well, I won't be paying much for it. I'm advertising for a cheap and dead MB/MBP to scavenge. Might take some time to find one, but I have a good scavenger friend that might be able to keep an extra eye out for me. The rest of the computer is in pretty good condition so it's I'm probably going to stick with it for a while.

[Mugge]

*bump*

So I got my hands on a spare Superdrive. Too bad it turned out to be of another model and a couple of millimetres too thick to fit in my MBP. Well, the guy who sold me it told me that if you opened the old drive and ran a piece of cloth over the lens it might just work, so I tried that. And it did the trick! Now the SL installer disc loads just fine.



But have any of you guys also had troubles with screws that are helplessly struck. I had to drill out four of them on my way though disassembly and now my Superdrive only has one bracket screw attaching it to the rest of the machine. And I busted tow Phillips 00 screwdrivers in the process. Maybe its just tension built up in the chassis over the years, but I'm more prone to blaming that blue stuff on the screws.

The latch mechanism is also out of alignment now so that I had to ease off the hooks with a small knife to get the lid open again. Looks like I'll have to take it apart again...