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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Problems Reading Dvds
Danny Mac - Jul 31, 2005 - 1:41 pm
Hi there
I am new to the forum and I really hope you can help me. I have a Powermac 867Mhz G4 with superdrive. Suddenly last week it suddenly stopped reading DVD's. It reads CD's without problems, but when a DVD goes in I can just hear clicking for a long while before it is spat out again. I run the hardware test disc v1.2.1 on the Mac which came up with the error code "disp/13/2"... Do you have any idea what this means, and what I should do next? How I can get my computer to read DVD's again (especially as i want to upgrade my OS to tiger which comes only on DVD — I currently run 10.3.5)? I would really appreciate your help.
I am new to the forum and I really hope you can help me. I have a Powermac 867Mhz G4 with superdrive. Suddenly last week it suddenly stopped reading DVD's. It reads CD's without problems, but when a DVD goes in I can just hear clicking for a long while before it is spat out again. I run the hardware test disc v1.2.1 on the Mac which came up with the error code "disp/13/2"... Do you have any idea what this means, and what I should do next? How I can get my computer to read DVD's again (especially as i want to upgrade my OS to tiger which comes only on DVD — I currently run 10.3.5)? I would really appreciate your help.
philippe99 - Jul 31, 2005 - 1:57 pm
Dan, welcome on macosx.com
(1) first of all, never update an os if you face a software malfunction
?? "disp/13/2" is related to Video Ram; error on video card ??
could you give me the full text of the error the AHT found ?
(2) the first I would try is to clean the lens of the superdrive; use a CD lens cleaner as the one we use for cleaning the car cd player
(3) zap the PRAM
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
(4) run fsck to deep check the system
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Regards
Philippe
(1) first of all, never update an os if you face a software malfunction
?? "disp/13/2" is related to Video Ram; error on video card ??
could you give me the full text of the error the AHT found ?
(2) the first I would try is to clean the lens of the superdrive; use a CD lens cleaner as the one we use for cleaning the car cd player
(3) zap the PRAM
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
(4) run fsck to deep check the system
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Regards
Philippe
Danny Mac - Aug 2, 2005 - 8:00 am
Hi Philippe!
Thank you so much for getting back to my query. The AHT pretty much said disp/13/2 and that was it apart from alot of stars and the word ERROR, something like this ****ERROR****Error***.... i will reproduce exactly what it said tonight (i'll run it again).
Meanwhile I will try your other suggestions and let you know how I get on.. I really appreciate your help. This forum is a lifesaver...hurrah!!
Dan.
Thank you so much for getting back to my query. The AHT pretty much said disp/13/2 and that was it apart from alot of stars and the word ERROR, something like this ****ERROR****Error***.... i will reproduce exactly what it said tonight (i'll run it again).
Meanwhile I will try your other suggestions and let you know how I get on.. I really appreciate your help. This forum is a lifesaver...hurrah!!
Dan.
Danny Mac - Aug 3, 2005 - 5:39 am
Hello again Philippe,
I tried all of your suggestions last night. I cleaned the lens, I zapped the PRAM and then ran the AHT again. This time the AHT passed the Video RAM, yet DVD's are still not recognised by the superdrive. Should I still run the fsck? And if so, do I need to back everything up? Will it wipe my Hard Drive or just perform a check?
Best wishes
Dan
I tried all of your suggestions last night. I cleaned the lens, I zapped the PRAM and then ran the AHT again. This time the AHT passed the Video RAM, yet DVD's are still not recognised by the superdrive. Should I still run the fsck? And if so, do I need to back everything up? Will it wipe my Hard Drive or just perform a check?
Best wishes
Dan
philippe99 - Aug 3, 2005 - 8:36 am
Dan
(1) no fsck (File System Check) will not wipe or ersase data; this command checks the catalog and related files.
(2) Reading CD = ok. What about burning CD-R ?
(3) The DVDs you try to view are they commercial movies or DVDs you burnt in the past ?
Philippe
(1) no fsck (File System Check) will not wipe or ersase data; this command checks the catalog and related files.
(2) Reading CD = ok. What about burning CD-R ?
(3) The DVDs you try to view are they commercial movies or DVDs you burnt in the past ?
Philippe
philippe99 - Aug 3, 2005 - 8:41 am
Dan, could check here
http://www.apple.com/hardware/superdrive/
if your drive does not need a firmware update ?
Philippe
http://www.apple.com/hardware/superdrive/
if your drive does not need a firmware update ?
Philippe
Danny Mac - Aug 3, 2005 - 1:21 pm
Hello
(1) Great, I think I will still leave this as a last resort tho, as I don't quite understand how to do it,
(2) Reading CD=ok, burning CD-R I haven't tried for a while but I think it's ok? Will trial it and let you know,
(3) The DVD's are commercial movies. I did try burning a DVD some time before the problem arose, and it wouldn't work.
I am going to see if I need to update my firmware..
Best wishes
(1) Great, I think I will still leave this as a last resort tho, as I don't quite understand how to do it,
(2) Reading CD=ok, burning CD-R I haven't tried for a while but I think it's ok? Will trial it and let you know,
(3) The DVD's are commercial movies. I did try burning a DVD some time before the problem arose, and it wouldn't work.
I am going to see if I need to update my firmware..
Best wishes
philippe99 - Aug 3, 2005 - 2:26 pm
I never heard about a SD failure on a PMG4: on iBook and PB, I had view two at my macintosh club.
The best would be to have a external FW/USB burner (someone around you) and test it to see if it is software or hardware related.
Burn a CD-R, if it fails -> SD (burning lens <> from reading lens) is out !
Philippe
The best would be to have a external FW/USB burner (someone around you) and test it to see if it is software or hardware related.
Burn a CD-R, if it fails -> SD (burning lens <> from reading lens) is out !
Philippe
Danny Mac - Aug 4, 2005 - 5:55 am
I took your advice and updated my firmware last night, as it was an old version. I burnt a CD-R without any problems. Still no joy with DVD's tho...
philippe99 - Aug 4, 2005 - 11:59 am
Ok, my last idea, before stating the SD -DVD part- is dead
Could you log in as another user; create one if necessary
Try to play DVD and post back
Philippe
Could you log in as another user; create one if necessary
Try to play DVD and post back
Philippe
Danny Mac - Aug 7, 2005 - 10:04 am
Hi Philippe
Sorry about the long delay. I tried creating a new user account and still no joy playing DVDs....any other suggestions? I haven't managed to trace a portable DVD drive to test yet....
Dan
Sorry about the long delay. I tried creating a new user account and still no joy playing DVDs....any other suggestions? I haven't managed to trace a portable DVD drive to test yet....
Dan
philippe99 - Aug 8, 2005 - 3:51 am
Yes, Dan, you can try with an external DVD writer; if with this one, it succeeds, you can say that the SD -DVD part- is dead.
I find nothing on the Web about you specific issue
Please post back you tries
If you external DVDWriter not seen by the Apple built-in burning stuff, have a look to
http://www.patchburn.de/
Regards
Philippe
I find nothing on the Web about you specific issue
Please post back you tries
If you external DVDWriter not seen by the Apple built-in burning stuff, have a look to
http://www.patchburn.de/
Regards
Philippe
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