Help: iMac reads CDs but not DVDs

[steveroberts]

Hi Friends,

Out of the blue, my 2010 iMac no longer will read DVDs. Upon insertion, they just chug a bit then eject.

CDs seems to work fine.

Any suggestions on corrective action?

Thanks in advance.

SR

[decay]

one of the lasers is probably bad.

[kj4btkljv]

Could be a dirty laser lens, or a failed laser on the DVD reader - the CD uses a different laser than the DVD, by the way.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...0FU0EY1245

Jeff

[Zoidberg]

All things being equal, I would spring for a cheap external drive. I picked up a USB-powered Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive for about $40 on eBay last year, which is still going strong. Added Blu-Ray Player to the mix and I can finally watch BDs on my MacBook Pro.

[steveroberts]

Thanks all. Will try to clean first. If it fails, I'll go the external route.

SR

[Speedy]

I have a bad drive on my iMac. To install software, I boot a MacBook Pro into target disk mode, connect it to the iMac via FireWire and use the MBP CD/DVD drive.

[Rolando]

Only 3 things left to do:

[Bill in NC]

An external-powered USB CD/DVD burner is only about $25 delivered off ebay.

Speedy wrote:
I have a bad drive on my iMac. To install software, I boot a MacBook Pro into target disk mode, connect it to the iMac via FireWire and use the MBP CD/DVD drive.