No longer able to read audio CDs

[TBoliske]

I have a late 2009 iMac running OS 10.9.5 and iTunes 12. Whenever I load an audio CD into the optical drive I get the message "The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer". The drive reads DVDs fine and an external drive running 10.10 w/iTunes 12 reads audio CDs without issue.

I've repaired permissions, resest the SMC, and checked iTunes preferences all without any luck in fixing the issue. Short of downgrading iTunes, is there anything I've forgotten to investigate? TIA

I should also add, that I purchased a third-party drive and it produces the same message.

 

[sharon22]

Even though your question looks simple, it may be the toughest question on this forum. It would be like going to your car mechanic and saying, "when I open my door, the dome light won't come on." There could be a bazillion reasons.

Here's what I suggest.

Make sure there's no CD in the drive. Then, go into Applications/Utilities and fire up "Console." Make sure the "show ALL system messages" is selected.

Now, while Console is running, insert the CD.

Watch and read whatever Console says, maybe there is a clue there. If it's nothing obvious, then copy-and-paste what Console says, right here in the forum.

We'll get it figured out!

 

[TBoliske]

Sharon,

Thanks for the suggestion to use console. Here is the log.

11/17/14 10:10:48.651 AM ReportCrash[1357]: DebugSymbols was unable to start a spotlight query: spotlight is not responding or disabled.
11/17/14 10:10:48.802 AM diskarbitrationd[26]: unable to probe /dev/disk6 (status code 0x0000000B).
11/17/14 10:10:48.869 AM ReportCrash[1357]: Saved crash report for cddafs.util[1356] version 252 to /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cddafs.util_2014-11-17-101048_Robert-Boliskes-Computer.crash


The only thing that seems odd is the first line regarding Spotlight. I'll check to make sure it is active, retry a cd, and reply back.

 

[TBoliske]

No luck with Spotlight. However, here is the crash report generated when inserting a cd.

 

[sharon22]

Sorry it took so long to answer. This is the key: "status code 0x0000000B"

If you google that, it's a hardware issue.

There is ONE thing you CAN try... but it's a one-in-a-gazillion shot:

There are 3 things that can be reset on a Mac:

1.) SMC (System Management Controller)
2.) PRAM (Parameter Ram)
3.) NVRAM (Non volitile Ram)

On some macs, you can reset all 3, on others, just one or two of the 3 things. You have to google your mac model and get instructions. For example:

mid-2007 iMac reset PRAM
mid-2007 iMac reset nvram
mid-2007 iMac reset smc

The PRAM, NVRAM, and SMC are interfaces/pathways/whateveryouwanttocallits for a user to "reset" temporary hardware artifact/issues.

In my opinion, it NEVER HURTS to try those resets (and, heh heh it NEVER HELPS, either, because it's all really voodoo just to keep us from phoning up and pestering Technical Support Representatives... LOL)

So try those.

And, then also try DIFFERENT audio CD's. Another "shot in the dark" is that let's say you tried only 3 CD's, and none of them work, so now you say "all cd's don't work," but there is a SLIGHT chance that all 3 of the cd's you tried were manufactured by the same company, and there may be a weird algorithm used on those CD's that make them unreadable by your specific mac.... so please do try a few other CD's. And, DVD's too, if it's also a DVD reader.

 

[TBoliske]

I have tried multiple CD and DVD discs. It reads the DVDs, none of the CDs. This includes CDs that have previously been imported to iTunes.

SMC has been reset, the others are next on the list.

I added a third party external DVD/CD drive and it displays the same errors and symptoms.

On a whim, I attempted to reset Spotlight indexing via terminal and got the following: no valid sudoers.

 

[sharon22]

It's looking more like a software issue, rather than a problem with your Mac's hardware (especially since it reads DVD's fine, and, most importantly, you have the same problem with external drive).

Let's now make 100% sure it is a software issue by doing this:

Create a new user (go to System Preferences / Users and Groups) and name the new user something simple, and give it Admin privileges.

Now, log out, and log yourself back in as the new user you just created.

When you log in, you will be in a fresh, clean, new environment, exactly how Apple created it when the computer came out of the box.

Now, try your audio CD's.

If they don't work, post your console messages. Don't worry about Spotlight, you can fix that by opening up System Preferences, click on Spotlight, click on Privacy tab, then drag your hard drive into the Privacy window. Click "ok" on the message that appears. Then, reverse the process by selecting your hard drive and clicking the "minus" sign to remove it from privacy. That will make spotlight rebuild everything. But, please don't worry about that for now, let's get the CD thing fixed.

 

[TBoliske]

Here is the console message from a test admin.

11/19/14 8:20:31.935 PM ReportCrash[691]: DebugSymbols was unable to start a spotlight query: spotlight is not responding or disabled.
11/19/14 8:20:32.443 PM diskarbitrationd[22]: unable to probe /dev/disk6 (status code 0x0000000B).
11/19/14 8:20:32.951 PM ReportCrash[691]: Saved crash report for cddafs.util[690] version 252 to /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/cddafs.util_2014-11-19-202032_Robert-Boliskes-Computer.crash


As you can guess, it didn't read the CD.

I've also done a second reset of the SMC and reset the PRAM. Even attempted a fsck. The fsck didn't do anything either to solve the problem.

 

[TBoliske]

Sharon,

Thanks for providing assistance in solving this issue.

Updating to 10.10 has fixed the problem. That doesn't answer the question as to why it happened.

 

[sharon22]

I'm glad that worked! Please consider yourself lucky that it was a software glitch, and not a hardware issue requirinig a trip to the Service Center!