Superdrive problems, Mac OS X Mountain Lion

[eairlie]

So i have a couple of problems with my superdrive as follows:
Whirs while starting up and waking from sleep, trying to take in a disk, then eject one, and repeated.
doesn't recognise when i'm trying to insert a disk.
hardware:
late '09 iMac, with a PIONEER DVD-RW DVRTS09
came with Snow Leopard, upgraded to Lion and then Mountain Lion
Full dets from the disc burning option in system profile:
PIONEER DVD-RW DVRTS09:

Firmware Revision: Q909
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2000 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: To show the available burn speeds, insert a disc and choose File > Refresh Information
can provide more details if required.

I've tried installing the firmware update from apple for this drive, but when i attempt this it tells me i don't need the update.
is there anything i can do that doesn't involve a new disc drive or a visit to a genius bar?

 

[-Concept-]

If the firmware won't update then it's not a firmware issue. It sounds like your superdrive is burned out & you need to get a new one. They're cheap-ish and and you can replace it yourself if you know what you're doing.

 

[flux73]

So i have a couple of problems with my superdrive as follows:
Whirs while starting up and waking from sleep, trying to take in a disk, then eject one, and repeated.
doesn't recognise when i'm trying to insert a disk.
hardware:
late '09 iMac, with a PIONEER DVD-RW DVRTS09
came with Snow Leopard, upgraded to Lion and then Mountain Lion
Full dets from the disc burning option in system profile:
PIONEER DVD-RW DVRTS09:

Firmware Revision: Q909
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2000 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: To show the available burn speeds, insert a disc and choose File > Refresh Information
can provide more details if required.

I've tried installing the firmware update from apple for this drive, but when i attempt this it tells me i don't need the update.
is there anything i can do that doesn't involve a new disc drive or a visit to a genius bar?

I'm having the same problem, and only discovered it now because I'm trying to install Lightroom 4. I have a Mac Mini 2010 that I upgraded to Mountain Lion back when it came out. At first I thought the drive somehow died. But like yours, it still appears in System Information as:
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GA32N:

Firmware Revision: KC08
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 1024 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: To show the available burn speeds, insert a disc and choose File > Refresh Information

I don't think it's hardware. I have only used the drive 4 or 5 times ever and only to install software. It's in a Mac Mini that has never been moved and stays in a temperature controlled room 24/7.

If you do a search for "SuperDrive broken Mountain Lion", you will see NUMEROUS posts on the Apple forums that have the exact same complaint as ours. When there's that many posts about the same problem, it's no longer a coincidence.

A number of people have fixed it by somehow downgrading to Snow Leopard (which wipes out any of your data and all your installed apps). I just don't have the time to do that and think it's ridiculous that I should have to downgrade so SL just get my DVD drive to work.

Taking it into an Apple Store tomorrow. If they ask me to pay to repair it, I'm going to raise a holy stink. I'm bringing a copy of all the threads talking about this problem.

EDIT: Just realizing, shouldn't this thread be in the Mountain Lion forum?

 

[eairlie]

uh yea, i actually meant to put it in the generic Mac OS X section as my problem spans all three versions since snow leopard, my bad

did you have any success flux73?

eairlie