Help my iMac!

[Neoliz]

Okay, so I got a 17" iMac the other day, installed Jaguar, Office, and some other programs, then put in The Strokes, after which the Superdrive wouldn't read any CDs or CD Roms, but it still reads DVDs. Any ideas why it's doing this? The drive whirs for awhile then ejects the disk again. Is it the music CD's fault? Anything I can do to fix it? I called AppleCare and they didn't have any answers.

[LimeiBook86]

Thats strange... did you install any audio software, that might have to do with something to do with it. Try opening iTunes then insert the CD

GOOD LUCK!:rolleyes:

[Sun Baked]

Hopefully it isn't one of the copy protected CD-Roms with the goofy scheme at the beginning of the CD that messes up Apple computers.

[vniow]

Originally posted by Neoliz
then put in The Strokes, after which the Superdrive wouldn't read any CDs or CD Roms, but it still reads DVDs.

Sorry, man, it's one of those copy-protected CD's. There's a site that lists the ones sold in the U.S., but I can't think of it right now, but I do remember that that was one of them. I hate those pieces of ***** more than anyone, but I don't know anyway to fix it. :(

[bombensington]

see the article here (http://www.mp3isnotacrime.org/archives/000166.php) regarding this

[vniow]

According to MacUser, if one of these music discs is inserted into an iMac, it will destroy the computer. The firmware on the iMac will be damaged, the CD cannot be removed to take it back to the store and get your money back, and the iMac must be taken in for repairs. I wonder if that's covered under warranty.

Ouch! Lucky your computer didn't completely fail. Looks like only the Superdrive needs to be replaced. These things need to stop. Hollywood and the RIAA are so paranoid about this whole digital music trading thing when what they could do instead of screwing their customers by doing this, they could put a small tax on CDRs and iPods and the like. I'd gladly pay an extra 5$ on a pack of CDRs or another 20-30$ on an iPod If it meant that I wouldn't have to worry about them knocking at my door or have my computer crash. Then the tax could be seperated between the RIAA, Hollywood and the artists, but no. They must take the way which will give them more money. There's a great article about this by Janis Ian. Do a Google search and you'll find it. I wonder if the artists have any control whether the CDs are copy-protected or not.:confused:

[bombensington]

here (http://fatchucks.com/z3.cd.html) is a list of corrupt cds.

this sucks. i just got a 20GB ipod on friday (to go along with my fp imac) and now i'm scared to start ripping my own cds, i see some of mine are on this list.

does anyone know what can be done to prevent/fix this?

[ShaolinMiddleFinger]

I read somewhere that if you etch out the rim of the disc with a permanent marker that the computer won't reject it. It worked on the Celine Dion disk.....


BTW: If you do plan on attempting this, it is a risk you are willing to take....I'm just giving you an option. Don't blame me.

[vniow]

Some of the CDs can be fixed by puting a line around the very outside edge of the CD with a majic marker, but if it only works for certain ones. bombensington, if you seriously want to rip some of your CDs and either can't do the marker thing or won't here's what to do: Since your iMac doesn't have an audio in port, you'll need to get an iMic from Griffin or something similar. Use a home theatre CD player or a portable one and hook it up to the iMic. Since your CD player will read the CD fine, you should have no problem. I don't know a whole heluvalot about iTunes, but if it has a WAV or AIFF line-in recording thingie in it, use it. You'll have to get a WAV or AIFF editor to split up the files into the seperate tracks and then encode them into the bitrate you desire. I recommend a home theatre CD player because some of the portable ones have the motor spinning a little too fast and it makes the songs sound a little high pitched. Anywayz, hope this helps. It's a little complicated and time consuming, but it's the only way I can think of if the marker thing doesn't work. :)

[bombensington]

Originally posted by edvniow
I don't know a whole heluvalot about iTunes, but if it has a WAV or AIFF line-in recording thingie in it, use it. You'll have to get a WAV or AIFF editor to split up the files into the seperate tracks and then encode them into the bitrate you desire. :)

Okay, iTunes does not have this. Anyone know of a program I could use for this? And just how time consuming do you think this may be?

[cb911]

there are a couple of shareware programs on version tracker you could use for that, and it will be quite time consuming. although if it is the only way it will be well worth it.

[Gus]

I recommend Sound Studio. I bought it and use it for the same thing, and also for some light live recordings with a professsional board setup.You can download it from the OS X Downloads page on Apple's website. It's very easy to use, and it works with the iMic. It is a demo, but a full-feature demo and it lasts for 14 days. Should be plenty of time.

Gus

[zorglub]

with CD SPIN DOCTOR (part of toast)

z:-)

[mnkeybsness]

what a bunch of crap...do not try recording music through a little mic...it will sound like crap and you will be pissed that you wasted your time doing it.

and that list that bombensington gave is a bunch of crap...i have ripped at least 4 of the cds on the "known corrupt cd" list and my powermac has not had a single problem to date. that list is total bogus

[firewire2001]

**** the riaa. thats all i can say...

someone aughta open up a lawsuit against them.

[mnkeybsness]

i think someone is trying to stop them from this bullsh**...not sure who...but i heard it somewhere...(i'm unreliable with this one)

[bombensington]

Originally posted by mnkeybsness
and that list that bombensington gave is a bunch of crap...i have ripped at least 4 of the cds on the "known corrupt cd" list and my powermac has not had a single problem to date. that list is total bogus

It's good news to hear that you didn't have any problems! I read on another site that not all of the cds released have this sort of copy-protection, but some do (i.e. maybe 100,000 cds of a particular album, that's one figure I saw). I have come across a few that wouldn't play on my computer but would in a regular cd player - but fortunately none that have *hurt* my computer. Thank goodness.

The cds that wouldn't play on my computer are all on that list, though, fyi.

I don't own a lot of the other cds on the list, so I can't vouch for them.

[LimeiBook86]

I wonder if it will work on OLDER Macs?;)