How to Fix a MacBook (Pro) SuperDrive That Continually Ejects Discs

Issue

So, your SuperDrive has decided to stop working (perhaps after upgrading to Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard)? Maybe it spits out discs after spinning them up, making some noise, but not actually doing anything? or perhaps it simply doesn’t read discs like it should? Well, here are the steps to get your SuperDrive working again:

Steps to Fix the Issue

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1. Clean the SuperDrive’s slot with compressed gas

   You’ll want to perform this step first. Why? Because if you spend two hours attempting to get your drive working only to discover that a dozen seconds or so with a can of compressed gas would have fixed your issue, you’ll be a bit disappointed with yourself. What you’ll want to do with the compressed gas is fairly simple: Stick the end of the nozzle/tube into the SuperDrive’s slot and then spray compressed gas (being careful to keep the can right side up, as the liquid inside the can could damage the SuperDrive’s internals) the full length of the slot; next, spray the compressed gas in short bursts every centimeter or so along the SuperDrive’s slot (again putting the nozzle/tube just inside the slot’s covering).

   Didn’t fix your issue? Try 2.

2. Reset the NVRAM/PRAM and SMC

   Some settings on your Mac are stored in [glossary slug="NVRAM"]NVRAM[/glossary] or [glossary slug="PRAM"]PRAM[/glossary], which your Mac uses will depend on its model, but you can find reset instructions for both here: About NVRAM and PRAM. In addition to the NVRAM/PRAM, your Mac has a system management controller (SMC), which stores some settings related to system hardware. Instructions for resetting to SMC can be found here: Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC).

   Didn’t fix your issue? Try 3.

3. Delete the Finder’s preference files

   Some people have reported successfully fixing SuperDrive issues by deleting the Finder’s preference files (don’t worry, the Finder will automatically make new ones). You’ll want to delete two files: "com.apple.finder.plist" and "com.apple.sidebarlists.plist". Both of these files are located in Users > [Your User] > Library > Preferences. You can choose whether you want to move the files to a new location (or simply append ".old" or something similar to the file names) or delete them, either way should work. Once you’ve deleted both preference files (n.b., the ".sidebarlists" one might not exist, that isn’t necessarily a problem), you’ll need to relaunch Finder. You can accomplish this by restarting your Mac or by bringing up the force quit menu with Command + Option + Esc (if you go this route, simply select Finder and click Relaunch; n.b., Finder will probably be at the bottom of the list).

   Didn’t fix your issue? Try 4.

4. Visit an Apple Store

   At this point, you are probably facing a hardware issue. Take your computer in to an Apple Store and have one of Apple’s service technicians look at the machine. If they determine that you do, in fact, have a hardware issue, get them to give you a quote on replacement/repair. Take this quote and get a comparison quote from an Apple-authorized service provider. The second quote will probably be lower.

   Your other option, of course, is to purchase an external DVD burner. Personally, I use this one: (no longer available) and could not be more pleased with its performance.

   New recommendation: OWC Mercury Pro (16X Blu-ray, 16X DVD, 48X CD Read/Write)

Original Article Contents

This article was updated to include more extensive troubleshooting/repair steps. The original content of the article can be seen by clicking here.

Background and Issue

Over the past day or two I’ve been configuring an older MacBook Pro (5,3) to quintuple boot (i.e., OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Ubuntu). Along the way, I’ve run into issues with the SuperDrive ejecting CDs/DVDs after spinning up and making the usual "I’m trying to read the disc" noises. Unfortunately, I didn’t happen to resort to my networking knowledge and check Layer 1 (i.e., the physical hardware) first. So, after wasting time attempting to see if there was a software issue or other problem and then attempting to boot from USB flash drives, USB hard drives, and a few other methods, I found a very simple solution: compressed gas.

Short Answer

If your SuperDrive is ejecting CDs/DVDs, try cleaning it with compressed gas. The issue may be as simple as dust on the lens. Just grab a can of compressed gas and spray it into the slot on the SuperDrive (be careful to keep it right side up as the liquid contents of the can could potentially damage your SuperDrive’s internals). First, go the length of the drive’s slot spraying compressed gas into the slot; then, spray compressed gas into the slot in short bursts every centimeter or so.

Additional Steps

Once you’ve completed this simple cleaning procedure, your drive should be able to read CDs/DVDs again without problem. If this doesn’t fix your issue, then you’re left with two other possibilities: 1. it’s a software (e.g., driver) issue or 2. it’s a hardware issue. As a software issue is very unlikely on a Mac (for a number of reasons), the latter is, unfortunately, likely the culprit if cleaning doesn’t resolve your issue. Your best bet is to take the computer to an Apple Store and get them to confirm that there is a hardware issue. Once they’ve confirmed that your SuperDrive is defective, see how much it would cost for them to replace it (perhaps you’re in luck and it’s still within warranty). After you have their quote, go get a quote from an Apple-authorized service provider. More likely than not, the authorized service provider will be the less expensive route. [/su_spoiler]