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Topic: Old Mac Mini Won't Load CDs or DVDs |
Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 12 May 2020 3:00 pm |
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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?
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"Gopher, Everett?"
Last edited by Ben Elder on 18 May 2021 8:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 13 May 2020 8:27 am
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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?
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Doug Taylor
From:
Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 13 May 2020 1:45 pm
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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 |
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John McClung
From:
Olympia WA, USA
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Posted 13 May 2020 2:46 pm
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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.
_________________
E9 INSTRUCTION
▪️ If you want to have an ongoing discussion, please email me, don't use the Forum messaging which I detest! steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net |
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2020 10:37 am
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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.
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"Gopher, Everett?" |
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John McClung
From:
Olympia WA, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2020 6:39 am
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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.  
_________________
E9 INSTRUCTION
▪️ If you want to have an ongoing discussion, please email me, don't use the Forum messaging which I detest! steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net |
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Al Evans
From:
Austin, Texas, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2020 2:10 pm
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| 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
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2018 MSA Legend, 2018 ZumSteel Encore, 2015 Mullen G2, G&L S-500, G&L ASAT, G&L LB-100, Godin A4 Fretless, Kinscherff High Noon |
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