A real way to get the optical drive to "EJECT NOW"?

[Loa]

Hello,

Very often, after I get a bad burn (it's very rare, but it does happen), I get a stuck DVD. I can't open the DVD tray unless I either restart the computer or wait a &$?# long time before it gets done trying to read an unreadable DVD. Even the terminal won't allow me to open it.

Is there a way to get the DVD tray opened "immediately"? Sucks to think that we don't have control over that.

Thanks

Loa

 

[Sdashiki]

use a terminal window:

drutil tray eject 1

should eject right away

 

[ActionableMango]

Stick a straightened paperclip through a vent hole where the physical eject button is.

You also have to remove the paperclip really quickly because the drive door cover hits the paperclip when it drops down.

 

[Loa]

Hello,

use a terminal window:

drutil tray eject 1

should eject right away

Tried that the last time: didn't work. :-(

Stick a straightened paperclip through a vent hole where the physical eject button is.

You also have to remove the paperclip really quickly because the drive door cover hits the paperclip when it drops down.

I'll give this one a try next time, but I remember trying it a long time ago, without success...

Hopefully I won't have to try it (I hate getting stuck DVDs after a bad burn), but I'll report back if I do!

Thanks

Loa

 

[wonderspark]

Which of the many holes around the drive do you poke a paperclip into? I'm not sure exactly where the hole is on the drive, since I can't see it behind the cheese-grater.

 

[wonderspark]

Ah, I found it. Pulling the door down, I see the hole, but it looks like a pain to go through the second cheese-grater in there behind the front one.

 

[Voch]

Try rebooting while holding down the mouse or trackpad button. A leftover from the old days where this forced the floppy to eject.

 

[ActionableMango]

I'll give this one a try next time, but I remember trying it a long time ago, without success...

It definitely worked for me on my MP 5,1. The hard part is of course finding the right hole.

I used this method while using Windows before I had installed the boot camp drivers. (The eject button on the keyboard doesn't work until you install the boot camp drivers.)

 

[yellow]

The hard part is of course finding the right hole.

I cannot resist...

"That's what she said.."

 

[darlenea]

Help getting door open

Ah, I found it. Pulling the door down, I see the hole, but it looks like a pain to go through the second cheese-grater in there behind the front one.

How do you pull the door down? (MacPro 2010) If mine is stuck I cannot get the door to move. Thanks

 

[wonderspark]

How do you pull the door down? (MacPro 2010) If mine is stuck I cannot get the door to move. Thanks

I just "roll" it down with some pressure using my fingertips. Maybe eat some stick candy with your fingers and then try it.

Hahahaha, just kidding!

 

[ActionableMango]

How do you pull the door down? (MacPro 2010) If mine is stuck I cannot get the door to move. Thanks

The door cover should always move, it's just spring loaded. I can do this even with the computer off.

 

[chrono1081]

make sure your program isn't keeping the drive to itself.

I get this with MakeMKV a lot. I can't eject even after the program is closed but if I sit there and open up the processes there is one (I forget the exact name but you can tell its makemkv related) and if I stop it I can then eject the disk.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Try rebooting while holding down the mouse or trackpad button. A leftover from the old days where this forced the floppy to eject.

He doesn't want to resort to a reboot. It helps to read the entire post here at MR as things thread topics don't always tell you the whole story. Oh and welcome.

I cannot resist...

"That's what she said.."

LOL. I was going to say "isn't it always."

 

[Loa]

Hello,

make sure your program isn't keeping the drive to itself.

I tried looking for that, but even after quitting or force-quitting Toast, I can't free the drive, nor find the specific process that's using the drive.... :-(

Activity monitor if a fun little tool, but lacks any serious power.

Loa