I have a 20" early 2009 iMac 2.66GHz A1224 and the optical drive has stopped accepting discs of all kinds. It just spits them out. I think part of the mechanism probably got bent or distorted when it tried to eject a disc that seemed to jam on the way out. Since then, all it does is eject anything I put in it. So, I am just going to go ahead and replace it myself. The only advice I need is in selecting a replacement drive that will actually work. Other folks I've talked to say that the replacement unit has to be pretty specific, but I am not sure I totally believe that, but I want to see what this forum thinks about this. I have found a myriad of units online that say they are compatible with my iMac, but I just want to make sure I make a selection that will work.
I do realize I don't really need to do this. I do have an external drive that works great. But I enjoy these kinds of projects, and I'd like to keep this Mac in top shape. My AppleCare expired in May, so I can either spend $200+ for a pro to do it, or I can do the work myself for the price of a drive and my time.
I am not "trained" per se, but I have worked on electronics as a hobby my entire adult life, and I feel this would not be that difficult to do. I've gotten pretty proficient at this kind of thing. I reviewed some great repair guides and it looks like the process is very straightforward -- pull up glass, remove alum bevel, unplug iSight, unplug display cables, unscrew display, more display cables, unadhere the drive temp sensor, unplug drive cable, remove optical drive and bracket. All I need are the suction cups to pull the glass off and I'm in business.
So if someone can guide me in selecting the proper replacement unit, I would be very grateful!
I do realize I don't really need to do this. I do have an external drive that works great. But I enjoy these kinds of projects, and I'd like to keep this Mac in top shape. My AppleCare expired in May, so I can either spend $200+ for a pro to do it, or I can do the work myself for the price of a drive and my time.
I am not "trained" per se, but I have worked on electronics as a hobby my entire adult life, and I feel this would not be that difficult to do. I've gotten pretty proficient at this kind of thing. I reviewed some great repair guides and it looks like the process is very straightforward -- pull up glass, remove alum bevel, unplug iSight, unplug display cables, unscrew display, more display cables, unadhere the drive temp sensor, unplug drive cable, remove optical drive and bracket. All I need are the suction cups to pull the glass off and I'm in business.
So if someone can guide me in selecting the proper replacement unit, I would be very grateful!