MBP Won't Read Discs

Westyfield2 · 12 Mar 2010 at 19:43

Any ideas.

I need to read some discs, and it just inserts them and spins them slowly (not full speed) for a while before ejecting them.

Also tried it with Windows 7 disc and Mac OS X Snow Leopard disc - doesn't work with them either.

How can I get it back working?

Immsy · 12 Mar 2010 at 19:57

Do you have windows installed on it too if you have a windows 7 disk? Does it do the same in OS X and Windows?

Westyfield2 · 12 Mar 2010 at 20:07

Immsy said:
Do you have windows installed on it too if you have a windows 7 disk? Does it do the same in OS X and Windows?

I'm trying to install Windows on it. I made the partition in bootcamp but it just won't recognise the Windows 7 disc. Or any other disc that I throw at it now.

I've created another User account and it does the same in that too. Inserts the disc, spins it slowly with some quiet clicking noises, makes a noise that sounds like it's searching for something specific, then ejects it.

MagicBoy · 12 Mar 2010 at 20:10

Knackered drive? Tried something like a Audio CD?

Westyfield2 · 12 Mar 2010 at 20:19

Hmm, I'm doing lots of rebooting and re-inserting the disc and it did just pick it up in Mac OS and spin it fullspeed etc (mounted it and I could browse fine etc). Fired up Bootcamp assistant and it recognized the disc and rebooted. Once it rebooted to install the disc was gone again.

So it looks to be able to read the disc every one in twenty attempts or something?

I'm trying it with both my Snow Leopard disc and my Windows 7 disc (both genuine).

Westyfield2 · 12 Mar 2010 at 20:58

It's done it again; randomly decided to read a disc but only on this run.. Let the disc spin down or eject and it's gone again for another 20+ attempts.

I think only one phrase is appropiate: FML.

arty · 12 Mar 2010 at 21:13

This probably sounds utterly stupid, but have you tried holding the laptop up so that the optical drive is vertical instead of horizontal? The drive in my MBP only reads some discs in that position, otherwise it behaves exactly like yours.

I actually installed Snow Leopard a few weeks ago just like this

Is it me or do laptop optical drives basically suck? Anyway, might be worth a try. Good luck anyway

arty

MagicBoy · 12 Mar 2010 at 21:15

If you've got a big enough USB stick and another PC you can create a bootable pendrive to install Windows 7 off.