Mac Mini G4 DVD Drive Issues

[Cal J Harris]

So I just received my Mini G4. Currently as we speak I'm using an external DVD drive to restore a tiger install image to the drive so i can install a fresh tiger instead of the old leopard install. The Minis DVD drive is some what functional. By that I mean it will take in discs but then just spit them out after some time, I can't hear many noises it's not making anything that sounds bad I don't know if it's failing to read or just not attempting to read.

not sure if anybody knows if the issue might be something else otherwise the default is a dead drive and thus I need a new disc drive. However a quick eBay search has basically thrown up no results, I'm in the UK, is there any place I could find a working drive?

 

[timidpimpin]

Those slot load drives die quite regularly after a few years in my experience. One of my two G4 mini's has a dead one, and both my 09 Intel mini's have dead DVD. And optical drives in general of any form factor tend to die in stages. I had one where the DVD optics died, but CD optics kept working. Then months later the CD died also.

Externals are always good to own when you have any older mini's.

 

[Amethyst1]

Cw 8124 Panasonic for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Cw 8124 Panasonic. Shop with confidence.

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This is the drive used by the G4 Minis. However, you are not restricted to this one.

Mac mini G4 Combo Drive

I need to replace the combo drive in my Mac mini G4, and I'm seeking guidance on how to determine what drive will work. My mini is somewhat of an anomaly, as the box, and the serial number, shows that it should be a 1.25 gHz machine, but the System Profiler says it's 1.33 gHz. The Powermac build...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[timidpimpin]

Here's the best solution for PowerPC parts... just buy another identical system. It will be so much cheaper in the end compared to buying each part as needed. You'll have a spare for every single part, and it's not like mini's take up much room either, which is why I own 4.

 

[Amethyst1]

Here's the best solution for PowerPC parts... just buy another identical system.

... which might also have a dead optical drive. Just pulling your leg
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and it's not like mini's take up much room either, which is why I own 4.

Yeah, I have no idea how I ended up with three of these little buggers.

 

[TheShortTimer]

Those slot load drives die quite regularly after a few years in my experience. One of my two G4 mini's has a dead one, and both my 09 Intel mini's have dead DVD. And optical drives in general of any form factor tend to die in stages. I had one where the DVD optics died, but CD optics kept working. Then months later the CD died also.

I've had similar experiences and they don't die in order of age or use either. The slot drive on my G4 Mini is still going strong whilst the one on my 15" 2012 MBP (purchased late 2013) died a few years ago. My 2006 MBP has seen its 2nd slot loading drive die in 6/7 years and the 2nd drive had been purchased brand new. The slot drive on my MB 5,2 works fine and hopefully shall remain that way for many years yet. Meanwhile, my iBook G4 has a CD stuck in its slot loader. :O

Externals are always good to own when you have any older mini's.

I'd go further and state that externals are always good to own when you have a computer with a slot loading drive.

Here's the best solution for PowerPC parts... just buy another identical system. It will be so much cheaper in the end compared to buying each part as needed. You'll have a spare for every single part, and it's not like mini's take up much room either, which is why I own 4.

Good advice, recently I purchased a faulty iBook G3 for this very reason (and I'll be making a post about it soon), imho it's worthwhile to buy multiple identical spares/repairs systems, just to be on the safe side. The case of Spielberg purchasing a dozen Moviolas is one of my favourite examples of such preparedness (although he has now begrudgingly embraced Avid.)

 

[Cal J Harris]

May pick up another Mini or just buy a drive. Kinda got this one for a bargin considering its the only issue. Quite allot of BE Minis here going for into the £40/50s so for £24 I'm happy.

Got Tiger and Leopard up and running though imaging discs to drives. It's a shame the G4 can't treat my external DVD drive as something it can boot from.

To my surprise though I was worried during the Tiger install it asked for Disk 2... I'm like welp, ai only have 1 on the hdd.... But I put it in my external drive and boom Tiger picks it up and keeps going.

Had a read online, due to the fact I know the drive is not dead and tries to read I'm first going to try cleaning it. Funny story I got an Original Xbox a year back or so with a broken DVD drive...... All it needed was the belt cleaning so take the tray in and out.

 

[Cal J Harris]

Cw 8124 Panasonic for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Cw 8124 Panasonic. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

This is the drive used by the G4 Minis. However, you are not restricted to this one.

Mac mini G4 Combo Drive

I need to replace the combo drive in my Mac mini G4, and I'm seeking guidance on how to determine what drive will work. My mini is somewhat of an anomaly, as the box, and the serial number, shows that it should be a 1.25 gHz machine, but the System Profiler says it's 1.33 gHz. The Powermac build...

forums.macrumors.com

Will any CW 8124 Drive work? Looking on ebay they have many different ones both B and C and I keep seeing this thing about it has to be able to be set to Secondary or Slave I think. It would not be a major priority but the G4 Mini will not treat a USB DVD drive then same way a modern system will. Which is making it impossible for to for example, bott and install Mac OS 9 on the Mini using the modded version found on here.

So can I trust an CW 8124 drive will work with the Mini? I have one right here, Apple too, but apparently it was originally for iMac https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-67...959449?hash=item1cd3784759:g:dswAAOSwlLdcklBm

 

[Amethyst1]

Good point about it needing to be set to secondary device - my 2006 Mac mini has an CW-8124-C 678-8508G (the one you linked to) as well. Would have to crack open my G4 mini to see what version is in it.

 

[Cal J Harris]

Good point about it needing to be set to secondary device - my 2006 Mac mini has an CW-8124-C 678-8508G (the one you linked to) as well. Would have to crack open my G4 mini to see what version is in it.

I'm going to be opening mine for a RAM upgrade anyway so will probably check then too maybe try again to clean the drive. Got a decent amount of dust out by using a card wrapped in cloth but couldn't get far enough inside to get near the lens.

 

[MultiFinder17]

If you haven’t opened it, crack it open and give it a thorough cleaning. I just revived the ODD in a G4 mini I recently received. Same symptoms as yours. Besides, cleaning out a 15-year-old computer that’s probably never been opened can’t hurt

 

[Amethyst1]

Besides, cleaning out a 15-year-old computer that’s proba

You never know what secrets might be hiding in there.