Apple Portables: Troubleshooting the slot load optical disc drive

1. Be sure to check your disc to make sure it is flat. You can check this by putting the disc upside-down on a flat surface. If the disc is bowed up on any side or in the center, do not use the disc as it may get stuck in the drive.
2. Make sure you are inserting the disc far enough for the drive mechanism to activate. Discs must be inserted at least three-quarters of the way into the drive, and often nearly all the way in, before the drive will pull them in.
3. Make sure the disc is completely inserted in the drive. The disc-insert cycle runs the motor for about 6 seconds. If, for whatever reason, a disc is not completely inserted, the drive will reverse and push the disc back out of the drive.
4. Since the entry slot can be tight at first, give the drive 1 or 2 seconds to accept the disc and pull it in on its own. If the drive struggles with injecting discs or injects them part-way then stops, inserting a disc multiple times should correct the issue.
5. Reset the Power Manager (PMU) or System Management Controller (SMC).
6. Do not use discs that have anything attached to them or dangling from them (such as "sweeper" or cleaning discs).
7. If the drive repeatedly does not insert media fully, or accept media at all, please contact Apple, contact an Apple-Authorized Service Provider, or make an appointment with an Apple Retail Store for additional troubleshooting, evaluation, or service.

1. Check the disc's surface for scratches and dirt, since these things can prevent the disc from appearing on the desktop.
2. Reset the Power Manager (PMU) or System Management Controller (SMC).
3. Ensure your drive can read the specific type of disc being used. For example a "combo drive" can read a DVD-R and burn a CD-R however it cannot burn a DVD-R. The utility System Profiler may provide additional information regarding what media your computer supports.
4. If the discs continue to not be recognized, please contact Apple, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or make an appointment with an Apple Retail Store for additional troubleshooting, evaluation, or service.

1. If the drive ejects discs slowly or appears to be struggling, insert and eject a single disc several times.
2. If the drive does not eject discs using the F12 or eject key on the keyboard try dragging the disc icon to the trash. If the disc will still not eject holding down the trackpad button during startup should also eject a disc.
3. Reset the Power Manager (PMU) or System Management Controller (SMC).
4. If the disc still does not eject, for additional troubleshooting, evaluation, or service please contact Apple, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or make an appointment with an Apple Retail Store.

1. Please refer to Apple Portables: Noises from the optical drive, and compare the sample files provided to the noises you are experiencing. Due to the way optical drives function, some noise and vibration is expected.
2. If after reviewing the article in step 1, the drive appears to be noisy beyond the samples provided when you insert or eject discs, try inserting and ejecting a disc several times to correct the issue.
3. Try other discs to see if the issue can be isolated to a single disc, or type of disc, as opposed to the drive itself. If a disc is weighted unevenly, such as discs that have a labels or stickers, it can cause additional noise and vibration when spinning up in the drive.
4. Reset the Power Manager (PMU) or System Management Controller (SMC).
5. Vibrations due to the optical drive being in use may be exacerbated by using the system on a surface that is not hard and level. Make sure all the plastic feet on your computer are present as this could create an uneven surface.
6. Be aware that the drive should only operate horizontally, and noise may increase if you try to use it at an angle. Picking up or moving the machine while a disc is being read may result in the disc becoming unbalanced. Any damage sustained to the drive or the disc as a result of operating it in this manner is not covered by the products warranty.
7. While a certain amount of noise and vibration is expected, if you believe the noise or the vibrations being generated by the drive are not normal, please contact Apple, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or make an appointment with an Apple Retail Store for additional troubleshooting, evaluation, or service.

If media is getting scratched after being used in the drive please contact Apple, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or make an appointment with an Apple Retail Store for additional troubleshooting, evaluation, or service.