Old Mac Mini Won't Load CDs or DVDs

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 12 May 2020 3:00 pm

Stolen out of my car. Please close.

Physically won't. Nor will an outboard Superdrive attached to a USB slot in the back. Disks. Will. Not. Feed. In.

This is a used Mini I bought to use some old software (CD Spin Doctor with Toast 5--something I understand) and this is my first attempt to use it. It won't load music CDs or movie or instructional DVDs.

The HD window has a crossed-out pencil icon (No Write) in the lower left corner. Is this why disks won't load? Should I just convert the computer to a Mac Paperweight model?

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 13 May 2020 8:27 am

Without seeing the computer, it sounds like your operating system is missing some part that allows you to read/write discs. What version of MacOS are you using? Have you tried reinstalling the OS?

Doug Taylor · Post by **Doug Taylor** » 13 May 2020 1:45 pm

I seem to recall on an older MacBook I had the guy at the computer store told me the super drive would not work so I bought a generic external drive and it worked fine. You might check to see if your computer is compatible with the Super Drive. If not I would be surprised if a generic drive did not work. Here is a link to what is compatible

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202665

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 13 May 2020 2:46 pm

Ben, yesterday I had a CD that wouldn't be read by my 2011 MacBook Pro, kept getting spit out, even though there was the whirring reading the disc sound I usually hear.

I opened Disk Utility thinking maybe I could force it to mount, but somehow with that app open and threatening the disc, this time it mounted so I could add it to iTunes.

I think I also restarted the Mac before that step, that may be the factual solution, not sure.

The disc, by the way, was a 2003 solo CD from Dan Dugmore I bought used from Amazon, The Off-White Album, all mellow Beatles tunes. Quite a nice album, terrific tone using delays and reverbs.

Another time I had a disc that also wouldn't mount. Popped it into my ancient 2006 MacBook, where it mounted fine, I copied the files to a USB drive and imported them into my 2011 laptop using that method.

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 18 Jun 2020 10:37 am

I also have an old G4 desktop MDD that is (would be/was) compatible with my past-century software. However, its power button doesn't work all of a sudden. Changing the battery on the board is no help.

Bottom line: both units are going into e-waste if not eBay.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 19 Jun 2020 6:39 am

All tech hits end-of-life at some point.

I still have a box full of drives and media like SCSI, Zip 1 and 2, that needs to visit the electronics recycling graveyard.

Al Evans · Post by **Al Evans** » 19 Jun 2020 2:10 pm

John McClung wrote:All tech hits end-of-life at some point.

I still have a box full of drives and media like SCSI, Zip 1 and 2, that needs to visit the electronics recycling graveyard.

Oh yeah? I still have a magneto-optical drive way up on a top shelf!

--Al Evans