While creating my mom's new website a video DVD with a self-printed paper cover got stuck in my MacBooks internal drive.
When pressing the eject button (usually mapped on the F12 key), the disc is moved a tiny bit and pulled back inside immediately afterwards. You can probably see only a very tiny bit if it, but that part can't be caught by regular tweezers or other tools available in a typical household.
I also unsuccessfully tried some tips for removing a stuck DVD floating around the web.
The solution is quite simple: Try to use the shutter of an old 3,5" floppy disc and bend both ends of the shutter slightly outwards, so that the disc can easily slip between.
Now you have a tool that is thin enough to go a bit deeper into you Mac's slot-in drive. Press the eject button and try to catch a tiny part of the disc with your newly build tool. You should have a fairly good grip on the disc and you can start to pull it out – slowly!
It worked and my MacBook's drive hasn't taken any damage.
Warning:
This can easily ruin your disc or drive. When in doubt contact your local Apple service provider!
Update:
A commentator (see below) suggested a method that you should try out before mine:
I tried all of the above tips without success. Then I lifted the macbook so that the smartdrive opening was facing the ground, pressed the eject button and as the drive tried to eject the DVD , I gently shock it up and down to give the DVD a little G-force. The DVD popped out!
Did it work? Consider donating a hot cup of coffee if this tip saved you from opening your Laptop or even bringing it to your Apple Service provider. Thanks!
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Hi! I have exaclty the same
Hi! I have exaclty the same problem but i can’t remove it! what exactly did you insert into the cd slot? i didn’t really understand. And did you push the eject button to?
he,s talkin bout the metal
he,s talkin bout the metal part on a floppy disk
Seriously, try turning it to
Seriously, try turning it to the ground and shaking if while it’s trying to eject. I was very skeptical, but was just getting so frustrated that the DVD wouldn’t come out that I just shook hard, and it slid right out. I’m so freaking happy.
my macbook permanently tried
my macbook permanently tried to eject the disk. every 20 seconds or so. but the cd got stuck every time and it didn’t get far enough, so i couldn’t grab them with my figers or normal pincers.
hence I build my own ultra-thin pincers out of the shutter of an old 3,5” disk. however you have to bend the tips of your pincers outwards, otherwise the cd will only touch your and you aren’t able to pull it out. wait a sec. i’ll sketch it. :)
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This worked for me: If you
This worked for me: If you computer keeps trying to eject the CD and give the message that “there was an error in reading the CD”, hit “ignore: - then keep the computer on for about 10 minutes - turn your computer upside down and hit the eject but couple times. good luck!
I had this problem the other
I had this problem the other day and tried everything including the mouse button trick to holding the computer upside down. Taking a flat, thin piece of cardboard paper (from a package of AA batteries), I slid it in the drive above the stuck CD and hit eject. Came right out.
Thanks! this worked like a
Thanks! this worked like a charm!!!!
Wow, nice. Finally, a use
Wow, nice. Finally, a use for all of those floppy disks I’ve got in a closet somewhere.
My current method has been really small tweezers, but this sounds like less of a hassle.
Also - nice choice on the music. Dredg is great!
I had a paper stickered DVD
I had a paper stickered DVD stuck in the smartdrive. Sounds weird but the following worked for me. I tried all of the above tips without success. Then I lifted the macbook so that the smartdrive opening was facing the ground, pressed the eject button and as the drive tried to eject the DVD , I gently shock it up and down to give the DVD a little G-force. The DVD popped out!
You are a genius! All of the
You are a genius! All of the other options made me tense (which means, I didn’t try them) but this worked first try. Thank you so much!!
not going to lie but you are
not going to lie but you are a technology god
With all respect .When the
With all respect .When the disk is stuck in Mac book the eject key is not highlighted in the Disk Utility nor in the file eject or anywhere else press. I CANNOT FOLLOW the above tricks when there is nothing to press
Every MacBook has an eject
Every MacBook has an eject button on the keyboard. On the far upper right.
This works great. I made the
This works great. I made the mistake of thinking a mini cd would work in the drive. (Probably a stupid idea to begin with.) The Macbook never thought there was a cd in the drive, thus wouldn’t even try to eject the disc. The shakey shakey shakey technique had it out in 30 seconds. Thanks!
I used a seam ripper (sewing
I used a seam ripper (sewing tool for ripping out stitches). I stuck it in the into the cd slot about a half inch from the center. When I could feel the stuck disk, I stuck the point of the ripper a little ways into the disk and could drag it out a little. Very carefully. Did this a few more times, then could reach the disk with a pair of tweezers.
This worked when nothing else had taken care of it.
I found another way, but it
I found another way, but it might be risky. I used two small rulers, stick it at both sides the left and the right, and slowly (carefully) pushed the ruler in and pushed it out a little. I do not know why, but after that, I took out the ruler, turned on my computer, and my macbook just ejected it! (Automatically) I do not know if it is safe or not, but my macbook still can read disk and things.
Brilliant! The shutter
Brilliant! The shutter worked like a charm - on a flat-panel imac, no less!
The last time this happened (we have a couple hundred 20” iMacs), Apple told me I was out of luck, and we ended up destroying the optical drive (squeezed it sideways, bending the frame until it gave up the disc) to get the media back. Fortunately, it was under warranty, and the onsite tech did the honors. I prefer this method! ;)
Thanks!
I’ve had a stuck dvd for 3
I’ve had a stuck dvd for 3 days. Everytime I started up the computer, you could hear the dvd player trying to work, but then it would just stop. Also, the dvd was NOT showing up as being in there (eg, on the desktop or menu bar). The solution that worked was turning the Macbook Pro upside down, and pushing eject. The dvd came right out. Thanks for the help!!!
I had a similar problem and
I had a similar problem and had no luck with all the tips listed here. Then I used a crochet (for crocheting, size 1) to pull the DVD out. I had to wait for the computer to try to eject the disk a lift the part that normally holds onto the center of the disk so I could insert the crochet instead. Then I just pulled (hard) and it eventually came out. The reader seems to be fine, but I don’t dare trying the DVD again as it is a bit bent.
Another great way to remove
Another great way to remove CD/DVD’s from a MacBook is to use two plastic cards (like credit cards without stamped text on it), slide both cards in carefully, press both cards as near the slot as possible and pull backwards. This will at least wotk for the new MacBook..
/David
Thank You very much. The
Thank You very much.
The ‘mechanical’ trick of using a good old floppy shutter WORKED perfectly. A near perfect ‘tweezer’. I used it on a brandnew Macbook Pro 13” bought in August ‘09. DVD and drive survived without any damages.
Worrisome though that Apple did not consider making any provisions to remove a stuck disc manually. Pressing mouse buttons while re-booting does not do anything really and one walks away feeling helpless and silly.
Obviously any drive can get a hick-up - especially Mac’s, just google it…
Bye.
Wow! I was trying to get a cd
Wow! I was trying to get a cd out of the drive for two hours and when i tried this…. Poof! I could pull it right out! Thanks a lot!
Me too! Awesome relief. I
Me too! Awesome relief. I have a three year old who just put the clear protector disc in the drive, and the drive wouldn’t even recognize it. I just about tore into the little guy, even though he didn’t realize that it wasn’t the same as the other cd’s. I thought I would do some looking to see if there’s something, and I stumbled on this post. Bless you, bless you, bless you!!!