Help! CD Stuck

[X-Baz]

Hi. I'm not having a good month for CD drives - my Powerbook's internal Combodrive has died (tried resetting the powermanager but it still doesn't appear in System Profiler).

But even worse, my iMac (CRT G3 slot loader), with 6 years of loyal service has a CD stuck in it. I think my two year old has shoved a coin into the slot, but I can't be sure. I've tried normal ejects, ejects on startup, using a paperclip on the manual switch - but nothing works. The drive whirs as it tries to push the CD out but then gives up - presumably as the coin is physically blocking the slot (not that I can actually see whatever it is).

Anyone got any ideas?

TIA,
Baz.

 

[fayans]

Click+hold the mouse while restarting always work for me. Have you tried that?

 

[mad jew]

Well, the paperclip thing really shows that there's something physical stopping it from ejecting. Can you just jemmy it out with a screwdriver whilst holding in the paperclip. The paperclip part should ensure that it won't absolutely destroy the drive but obviously still be careful.

 

[neocell]

Anyone got any ideas?

TIA,
Baz.

At start up hold down command+option+O+F, it will boot into a dos like interface. Type 'eject cd' (without quotes) then type 'mac-boot'. Works every time for me when I have a disc stuck, and no fear of breaking anything by jamming a knife or what not into the drive.

 

[balamw]

As someone also with a two year old, all the tips talk about getting the CD out. How does he get the coin out, if there is one?

B

 

[mad jew]

As someone also with a two year old, all the tips talk about getting the CD out. How does he get the coin out, if there is one?

B

Well hopefully getting the CD out will dislodge the coin (or whatever it is) in the process.

In other words: buggered if I know.

 

[X-Baz]

weird - i've posted a couple of replies but they seem to have vanished into the ether! Let's see if this one works (using Firefox on XP, instead of Safari on OSX).

I'm pretty sure that the coin or whatever is physically jamming the CD from getting out, but I can't really see very well. So I'll give the OpenFirmware a go, and if not I'll have to hack at it with some blunt implement. I suppose as it stands, I haven't got much to lose.

 

[AppleinJapan]

Just do what i did two or three years ago (the paper clip thingy didn't work)

# Just get a pair of tweasers and rip it out........my cd drive was ok !

 

[X-Baz]

Done it!

Thanks for all your help.

I finally got it out. Worryingly, I don't think she had shoved a coin in - just that something had gone wrong somewhere. I used a piece of wood to poke about and found a piece of metal at the front of the slot. I could push down on this with the wood and then used the paper-clip - this forced the CD out to the mouth of the slot. I then grabbed it and yanked it out.

The piece of metal looked like it was part of the CD drive (the guard to prevent you slotting two discs in at once?). So it's out, but I've not dared put another one in there yet.