New MBPro, CD/DVD not working right, send the machine back, right?

Hi,

I was having a great time with my new Mac, until I tried importing music with the CD/DVD player. I had a feeling something was wrong the first time I put a CD in. I was expecting it to be a little loud for some reason, maybe I read a post about it, but it was not only very loud, but it sounded wrong, like something was hitting up against something in a way it shouldn't be. It played and imported ok a few times, then it started acting wrong. I would put in a CD, the window asking me if I wanted to import popped up, I clicked 'Yes', then the window disappeared, the import window with the CD tracks disappeared and the library of iTunes was the only window open. Then it wouldn't recognize that there was a disk in the machine and I couldn't eject it. At one point, I couldn't shut the machine down without holding the power button down. This happened three times yesterday. I called Apple twice yesterday about it and I have an appointment tomorrow at the store.

I just got this machine last Wednesday. I know I only have a 14 day period in which to return the computer. I don't feel like I should have to repair a week old computer. If there is a hardware problem, which I can't imagine that there isn't, then I think sending it back and getting a new one would make the most sense. But wow, really inconvenient and frustrating. I have already spent much time setting it up and moving files over to the new machine. Plus, I remember reading a post that someone mentioned to be careful of what you leave on the hard drive?

At any rate, I don't at the moment have an external drive to move everything I put on it. I can't send away for one at this point. I will probably have to buy one locally, since I don't want to use an online service to upload to. I suppose they will offer to sell me something at the Apple Store. The phone tech already mentioned the Time Capsule...which is about $300. isn't it? Last time I was looking into external drives I was thinking of a windows based drive. I also have to have one that will work with my old windows machine too. I am also wondering about cleaning the hard drive so none of my information is still on it.

Anyone have any experience with having to do this?

Thanks in advance..
Adam

 

you can buy external hdd for much less,1tb hard drive is about 200$

 

Adam.... PM me with your email address

I just had my new 17" Macbook Pros Superdrive totally crap out. I made a short video and was wondering if yours was having the same problem. I can send it to you.

 

Can't you post this video somewhere? I'm kinda interested too since I ordered 1 a week ago . Just curious..

 

yeah post it on youtube if possible

adamm321 and Airman, by any chance you guys ever move your computer while the CD is still in the CD drive? if you do... do you move it when the computer is on or off/sleep?

 

Hey adamm321, yeah, my new 15" MBP is going back tomorrow. The RPM's hardly go up at all when I'm trying to import music. (I read in your post that you expected it to get louder, and yes, it should). Sometimes it DOES ramp up, but usually it does not. It's very random. (see my posts on here). Anyways, after several calls to Apple, they have indicated to me that they think it's defective. Everything else about the machine is awesome, and I am really enjoying it. I'm curious though, when you are importing music, what is the rate transfer multiplier? Near the top of the screen, above the list of songs, in brackets it will indicate a number with an "X" after it. ie (5.2 X). Mine has shown various numbers ranging from about "3 X" to about "20 X". When it's at the higher numbers, the optical drive really revs up, and a long CD will only take a couple minutes, however, at the lower speeds, it sometimes takes over 20 minutes to transfer. Wierd and inconsistent, that is why it is so difficult to diagnose. Fortunately, I have put very little information on it, and my situation is different than yours. Good luck, but I would be sending it back if it were my unit. For that kind of money, it SHOULD work properly out of the box. My problems may be attributed to the fact that FEDEX left it at a house in a different village, with a different street name than mine, all day on some ladies front porch with no signature in SUB ZERO temperatures up here in Canada. Yes, that's right... NO SIGNATURE !!! I freaked, and launched a complaint with FEDEX, but have heard nothing. Oh yeah, the way-bill and shipping information was 100% correct on all of the labels on the carton. HMMMMMMMM ????

 

I'd call FedEx again and mention the words "Lawyer" and "lawsuit".

 

No I never move the MBP around with a disc in the drive. The Superdrive is a Mat****a wow NBR is lame nowadays.... a (M-A-T-S-H-I-T-A) and seems to do this when trying to burn DVDs. 75% of the time they will fail it has randomly worked whilst making the noise however. I should get a corporate callback something early this week as I was being assisted with a different issue and probably getting an exchange for that anyways.

I don't have a Youtube account thats why I was just going to email it. However I've uploaded it to Rapidshare so everyone can see it. It sounds like a vacuum cleaner or probably a bit more like a dying cow.

Link:

http://rapidshare.com/files/100127929/MOV02623.MPG.html

(Open the video with Quicktime or VLC only.... preferably Quicktime)

 

LOL. The sound is definitely of a dying cow. That drive belongs in a Gateway.

 

Good lord sounds like someone mowing the lawn.

 

Thank you for that, The Mat****a thing IS funny though

 

Not to us Panasonic guys, where the word has been censored in links... Makes a great resource into "You guys suck. That link is broken".


(Panasonic and Matsu****a are the same company, by the way)

 

Finally back with an update. Sorry to take so long.

Here is the story. I took it to the Apple Genius Bar. They attempted to insert different CDs. The tech actually had to put his head down on the keyboard to listen to what was going on inside it, since it was a Saturday and very mobbed and noisy in there. He said the sounds were normal and something about gears pulling the CDs in etc. He asked me if it was on a flat surface when I was trying to use the CD/DVD drive and did I move it while the CD was in there. I explained the whole thing to him about three times. Yes, I did have it on my lap, and I could have shifted position while it was on my lap, not thinking, but I hadn't actually picked it up and moved it while it was running.

So he ran a diagnostic on the hardware and declared it in fine shape.
So, I agreed that I would take it home and continue trying to use it and see if I had any more problems. I was feeling unhappy when I left the Apple store, muttering about how you should be able to use it without having to be so careful of it blah, blah, blah. But on the way home, I realized that I won't need to have it on my lap or move it while the CD or DVD is in the machine and playing. I just have to put it down, leave it alone, import the music once and then when it is all on the hard drive, I can listen to it on my lap and move all I want to.

On Sunday, I left it on a flat surface, fed it the CDs, imported about ten of them in a row, without a problem at all. So, I am pretty convinced that was the problem. It does not like being moved, or wiggled while the discs are spinning. I don't seem to remember having this kind of trouble with my last laptop, but...that's the way it is, I guess.

Does that about fit with everyone else's experiences?

adam

 

jrsryder....I just imported another CD. No problem. Although it is noisy as the disc is being pulled into the machine and getting in position, it is quiet after that. It starts out with a burn rate of about 8x but it seems to pick up speed as it goes thru the album. 16x midway and finished at 24x.

adam

 

Update!:

My Superdrive is still a dead cow and now my logic board is dead.


I'm getting a replacement.

 

Sorry to hear you are having problems with your machine Airman...Glad you will be able to get a replacement. You are bound to have better luck with the next one.

adam

 

Thanks Adam

 

That sounds like the mechanism inside isn't even fastened. Lots of vibration and noise.

 

I hate it when I get a dying cow stuck in my laptop.

Are they going to replace it with the new penryn based MBP?
also, do you have applecare?

 

lol... the only gateway I've ever owned (this was 10 years ago) had a M-A-T-S-H-I-T-A cd drive in it.

But yeah, sucks about the drive crapping out Airman.

I like the idea of a slot loading drive, but they are tempermental. It does not perform well when not on a flat surface, and god help you if you start moving your laptop!

The noise of sucking it in used to bother me for a while. I even had a disc get stuck in there the first week I owned it. But then I went on ripping about 80 CDs and didn't run into the problem again.

 

Yes I had Applecare on it thankfully.

They are replacing my 17" 2.4GHz Hi Res Macbook Pro with a 17" 2.5GHz Hi Res (LED Backlit) Macbook Pro. (with multi-touch)

So all is well.

I hate to say it but I will probably just end up selling it though I've been having way too many problems with the Macbook Pro series. (hardware issues)

So don't be surprised if you see it up for sale in the next few weeks.

 

Yeah, mine usually stays at the lower transfer rate (approx. 3.5X to 8.5X) for the entire duration of the transfer. Like I said, sometimes it does transfer at higher speeds, and when it does it will start from the beginning at those higher speeds, and stay at that rate for the entire tranfer. It never starts at a slow rate and then "builds-up" to a more acceptable speed. No worries though, my new replacement should be delivered next week, and hopefully it is fine.