Is my iMac's built-in DVD player dying?

[Highmac]

G5, as noted alongside. Now takes an age to read a MacFormat cover disk into Disktracker, and on the occasions that it does show as finishing the job it shows disk contents of around 125MB, instead of more than 4GB!

Sounds: Never easy to describe  It starts up with a sort of growl, then as it reads the disk it seems to be stopping and starting with a sort of kerchunk, kerchunk, kerchunk.  The Disktracker (early version running in Classic) progress bar shows the lack of progress - it will move a little bit, stick for a while and then move a bit more, though the kerchunk noise seems to be constant.

I'd just appreciate confirmation that this is not some sort of software or firmware problem before I get on to John Lewis's warranty department. Fortunately, when I bought it in January 2006 it came with a two-year warranty.

[chriskleeman]

Neil, I'd say the chances that drive is about to really go ker-KLUNK are pretty high.

Normally, mechanically incorrect sounds like that would indicate something is about to go really wrong, and pretty quickly.

I'd send it off for a look by the warranty dept, they'll probably just send you a new one.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Good luck!

Chris K

[rongold]

Problems with iMac Superdrives have been reported with increasing frequency. You're one of the lucky ones, since your problem surfaces before the warranty ran out. Lots of disussion of the issue at the iMac Discussiosn at Apple Support: http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?...5750896#5750896

I reported my problem (and that of the more than 25 others who have reported it at the iMac Discussion) via Apple Bug Reporter on Nov 1, with no response whatsoever to date. This is a first, as every other bug I have ever reported has gotten a very prompt response.

The only solution appears to be replacement of the Superdrive.

[gunug]

I haven't had one fail yet out of the 82 iMAC G5's we have here but there is on in our Youth Authority (jail) Program that is acting strangely.  The problem is that these are laptop type parts and are not as robust as those in desktop units like the towers.  I wish you well and I'll report on the one we have at the jail when I know something!

[Paddy]

I will second Chris' response - bad/unusual sounds usually indicate bad things going on. Off to the dealer/warranty repair, methinks. Good thing it's November 2007 and not February 2008!!

The one and only time I bought an extended warranty for one of my laptops, its hard drive died a MONTH after the warranty expired.

[Highmac]

Thank you, good people - just didn't want to make a fool of myself by rushing in too quickly

Paddy: Last iMac I bought, the G3, also came from John Lewis and had a two-year warranty (though that was for on-site repairs - it's now return to store for iMacs and portables). Ended up with a new motherboard at 13 months Lucky or what!!

I tend to stick with John Lewis for my Macs

[Highmac]

OK - update.....

Reckon I've sussed it.... I'd been catching up on cataloguing magazine cover disks and hadn't mentally registered the changeover from CD to DVD last year... so Disktracker was suddenly having to read 4.5GB or so from each disk against a few hundred MBs. No problems from a movie disk and when I actually opened an MF disk and folders (as against just scanning it) it behaved immaculately.  

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions!

[chriskleeman]

Glad to hear you figured it, glad to know I was wrong, (again)!!!

Chris K