Superdrive not working anymore

11 Comments Published August 25th, 2011 in Apple, Errors, Hardware, OSX Tags: apple, burning, dvd, Hardware, lion, mac, MacBook, nvram, pram, problem, smc, Software, superdrive.

After installing OS X Lion I tried to burn a DVD in my macbook, and it turns out that this is what I get using Disk Utility:

I tried several DVDs (DVD+R, DVD-R, different brands, and tried to burn at different speed), with no luck. Also it refuses to read movie DVDs. But it can read the Snow Leopard DVD, so I hope that at least it can read common data DVDs.

I tried to reset the SMC and PRAM/NVRAM, no luck again.

Still remains to try some other burning software.

Reading support forums and searching on google has been a waste of time so far.
I don’t know if this is a side effect of Lion installation, or it is just a coincidence, but since now Apple didn’t ship any update. Only I find it quite suspicious that if you just search for “Lion superdrive” you find many people having problems with those two.

I used my DVD very few times, if it is an hardware problem it means that the claimed superior hardware quality of Apple is just another myth.

Big disappointment by Apple, either if it is a software or hardware problem. Super…drive.

11 Responses to “Superdrive not working anymore”

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address

1 sammyboy Sep 6th, 2011 at 17:54

I have exactly the same problem:
I noticed that my two MacBook Pros don’t read any discs properly after updating Snow Leopard -> Lion. They mount the disc image to the desktop but I am not able to open the folders or files in them. I can not even copy them to another media, because the process is interrrupted by an error message.

The older Pro is mid -09 and the other mid -10, neither one had any problems with their drives before Lion and both met the criteria for update.

I have to say that this is just unimaginable. There are a few other bugs still in Lion, but this is the worst.
Wait for a fix or downgrade to Snow Leopard, that’s the question to ask..?
2 Luigi Sep 6th, 2011 at 17:59

Thanks for your comment. Let’s keep in contact and notify ourself if a solution is found.

For now, I’m not planning to downgrade, since I like the changes introduced by Leopard and the dvd problem is not affecting my everyday routine.
3 Luigi Sep 11th, 2011 at 14:30

Some updates here:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16129489

btw, it didn’t work for me.
4 wza Sep 12th, 2011 at 09:25

same problem, incredible how hard it is to find a fix for this
5 Luigi Sep 12th, 2011 at 09:43

I come from being a Linux user for long time. I always found the way to make the hardware work, even if I had to search and hack. Here I can’t see much to do, just wait that the Apple monkeys fix it (paying big bucks for the iStuff, I have the right to be upset!). That’s the way it works with Apple.
6 Michael Nov 17th, 2011 at 16:31

Not sure this is a hardware related issue – my external superdrive on Mac Mini 2011 suddenly refused to accept CDs in the middle of a CD rip session. I replaced the drive with a Samsung external device – that brand new device copied about 5 CD’s and showed the same behaviour as my (presumably broken) superdrive. Now that is smelly, Apple.
7 Luigi Nov 17th, 2011 at 18:13

Hi Michael, please report this experience to the Apple forum, I think/hope Apple will monitor it…
8 Rheinhardt May 7th, 2012 at 21:37

Uninstalling my antivirus program Virusbarrier fixed the problem
9 Daniel Fields Jun 23rd, 2012 at 17:31

Has anyone found a solution to this problem?
10 Luigi Jun 23rd, 2012 at 18:45

Hi Daniel. I think that the Apple’s way is “buy a newer laptop”. Mine was was to replace the Superdrive with a secondary hard disk. This is the guide for MacBook Pro late 2008 secondary hard disk. Make sure you are reading the guide for your version of macbook.
iFixit ships from the USA, if you are not in USA, the Customs may charge additional taxes, like VAT and other ‘rights’.