This fix has been proven temporary. Many users have used it and had a working drive. After reboots, however, the drive firmware is corrupted again. Only try this method as a last resort.
A more detailed post on this issue is coming soon.
A little backstory… Many months ago, Apple released a software update titled “SuperDrive Update 2.1″ for MacBook and MacBook Pro computers. Unfortunately, the update was flawed. It bricked many drives, and severely limited the function of others. Here’s a quick article on the matter:
Following close on the heels of our recent report that Apple’s SuperDrive Firmware Update 2.1 for MacBook and MacBook Pro is causing widespread failure of optical drives (as witness, for example, the plethora of reports on Apple’s own discussion boards), Apple has apparently pulled the update from circulation. The previous information URL … now leads nowhere. Neither does the download link.
My drive was damaged in that it no longer would recognize CD-R media (blank CDs). Back in July, I sent my MacBook Pro to Apple for a SuperDrive replacement, and they sent it back with a new installation of Tiger. Although I was outraged, that fixed my problem for a few months – until I installed Mac OS X Leopard. Again, my drive would not recognize cd-r media, and would report voltage errors in disk utility.
Again, Apple has shown us the company that they are. They refuse to officially acknowledge the issue to spite the outcry of thousands of users whose computers have been damaged.
Luckily, a very talented hacker (in a good sense) has released a tool to fix the problem. In this thread on Apple’s discussion boards, someone re-posted the fix. In hopes of spreading the remedy, I’m reposting it here. Continue reading ‘Possible MacBook Pro SuperDrive 2.1 Fix’
While at the Academy today, I realized via the web that my Macintosh had finished its pilgrimage to Texas and back. It came home in a nondescript box with its problem, ejection of blank CDs, addressed.
Addressed is the only word I can come up with. Right now, I’m very angry with Apple, Inc. My complaint, under warranty, was that my system was unable to handle blank CDs, and would simply eject them. I assumed, after troubleshooting in Mac OS X’s safe mode with and without a technician, that there was something wrong with the SuperDrive (disc drive). I was told the drive was getting replaced at the factory, and sent it away. Today, I was given a computer that seemed foreign to my own; it’s the same exact machine, with all of the same exact hardware, but with a reinstalled Mac OS X. My hard drive was wiped, reformatted, planted with an OS, and sent home.
If I didn’t keep a backup of all of my data, I would be in a world of hurt right now. So, why am I angry, you ask? I am competent enough to reinstall OS X myself. Simply give me that solution. I shouldn’t be told it’s a hardware issue and have to lose my computer for several days because Apple wants to reinstall my Operating System. That’s simply ridiculous.
It’s understandable to reinstall the OS on a system that’s sent in. However, I could have simply done that myself had I been told to; I would have been glad to. Furthermore, there’s a huge opportunity cost here. I lost days of productivity by not having my machine, and had to use a PC to take care of routine tasks. Obviously, that was a painful process. It’s frustrating when your favorite company screws you over.
Continue reading ‘Apple Outrage’
The SuperDrive in my MacBook Pro is dead, but luckily, under warranty. After spending about thirty minutes on the phone with Apple Support, it’s decided that I’m going to have to send in the unit for a SuperDrive replacement. The support person I had was very nice and could tell that I knew what I was talking about – always a huge relief in a time of stress.
I thought about commandeering my spare computer, a PowerMac G4 Cube that I bought for $250 about a month ago as a gift for my Mom, but decided against it. Although I’m miffed, this might just be a blessing in disguise. I need some time away from computers, right? Actually, during this time, I’m going to buckle down on some college research and start doing some admissions posting very soon.