Physical problems ejecting a CD (Not a normal eject problem)

[Nny0]

Hi,

First off, it's a Macbook 4,1. Problem history:

I had placed a burned DVD (burned on a PC) into my macbook, and then after watching it I couldn't remove it. I had looked up on google about how to eject it (Stick a business card in there, eject upside down, etc etc) and none of them worked. It's been almost a year since this happened, since I rarely use my Macbook I just didn't care too much.

I'm now looking to sell my Macbook, so needless to say I'd like to fix the issue. After again googling and trying (and failing) with the business card tricks and such, I had also read about how sometimes DVDs are too big for the drive. Since it was my first time trying to play a burned DVD in it, I figured that'd be the case.

So, since I'm accostumed to taking apart laptops and computers, I just said **** it, I'll take it apart and manually remove the CD; Hopefully the problem is the CD, and the drive will work after that. So thanks to this guide, I took apart my macbook, removed and took apart the CD drive, and removed the CD. After putting everything back together, I checked to make sure the CD drive was still be read by the computer (it is), and then tried to insert one of the mac install disks. But it wouldn't insert. Since my macbook was still half-apart, I again removed CD drive, tried to figure out if something was blocking it (couldn't figure anything out), and put it back in. This time I tried messing around with the business card first (the card could insert into the slot perfectly fine), so I then again tried to insert the CD; this time, it went in, but I had to FORCE in it hardcore. I figured it might be because it was still acting like it still had the CD from before in it.

So the CD is read, everything seems fine, I go to eject the CD...same problem, it won't eject.

I then took my macbook back apart, and this time set it up so that the CD drive was propped up (kept the keyboard disconnected so that I could go inside while it's on and such. It ejected perfectly.

So, it's a problem with the case? The film? Something else? ANYBODY have any idea as to what's blocking it from ejecting? It obviously seems to be something physical in that area, but I don't see anything and the business card is able to go in and out easily.

I assume it's the film that's the problem. Is it ok if I remove the film, or will that really **** up the whole CD process?

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

EDIT: So I called in to mac support to see what they had to say. The lady on the other line was seriously dumb-struck and said she knows nothing about the insides of a mac. When I asked if anybody there would know, she said no. Wow, lol.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

By film, do you mean the fibers at the entrance to the drive that help keep the dust out?

I have a similar problem, because the person I got the computer from before spilled something on it (well, one of his siblings did) and so the fibers are much stiffer than they should be, making the drive think something is blocking the opening. If I get the fibers pre-bent in the correct direction, the disc will eject (but, of course, the disc has to be not spinning to do this safely).

 

[Nny0]

Yes, I meant the fibers. I wasn't sure how exactly to refer to it. And thanks, I'll try doing that. I would be bending them out of the mac right? Since it's for ejecting a CD out.

 

[Nny0]

got it to work! Moving the fibers helped a TON with the ability to insert a cd, but it still would not eject. So what I did was removed the CD rom again, inserted the tip of a VERY small flat head screw driver (which I had used to move the fibers out), and then lifted up and down to try and make the CD crease in the case bigger (Removed the CD rom to make sure when I did this, I didn't go to deep and end up messing it up). I'm not sure if it actually made the crease bigger, or if it messed with the fibers more in the right direction, but now it's able to eject*

*Well, most of the time. Other times it pops out and then pops back in. But the very fact it pops out (which makes it grabbable) is a TON better than previously where it was completely stuck inside.

Thank you VERY much. I was afraid this would kill the resale value, so I'm VERY happy that it's fixed.

I certainly wonder if all the problems people have with CDs getting stuck (And, from googling around to try and find a fix, it seems it's a very common occurnece) is in lines with this.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

Glad I could help!