How to open DVD drawer

[willrob]

This is a simple question, but it has me stumped. I open the DVD drawer on my dual G4 via the keyboard button, and close it the same way. But that only works when OSX is booted.

If I want to boot from the OSX install CD I can't open the drawer unless the computer is already on and booted into OSX. Also, if I boot into OS9, which I do periodically, I have no way to open the CD drive door at all— the keyboard button doesn't work in OS9.

It used to be that a straightened paperclip inserted into a tiny hole next to the drive would open it, but that tiny hole is no longer available on the pioneer DVD drive (106) I have. I do however still have the straigtened paperclip.

william

[galactica]

This is a simple question, but it has me stumped. I open the DVD drawer on my dual G4 via the keyboard button, and close it the same way. But that only works when OSX is booted.

You sure about this.............. it works for me in OS9

[quote]
If I want to boot from the OSX install CD I can't open the drawer unless the computer is already on and booted into OSX. Also, if I boot into OS9, which I do periodically, I have no way to open the CD drive door at all— the keyboard button doesn't work in OS9.[quote]

In any computer, if you boot off a cd, you cant just open the drive because the system is running off the cd.

your button should work in OS9!

It used to be that a straightened paperclip inserted into a tiny hole next to the drive would open it, but that tiny hole is no longer available on the pioneer DVD drive (106) I have. I do however still have the straigtened paperclip.
william

where is this drive located? is it Master or Slave
fully supported by OS as in it will burn from iTunes / iDVD?

[willrob]

It's an internal Master drive which works with all the iApps.

I know I can't expect to open the door if the CD I'm booting from is in the drive. I want to open the door and insert the booting CD prior to the hard drive launching. I want to avoid the second boot or restart. On the old 8500, I could turn the power on, press the button next to the CD drawer and the drawer would open to receive a booting CD. Now I have to be fully booted into OSX before I can get the keybaord button to work.

But in OS 9, I can't open the bay door from the keyboard in any manner, system booted or not. It is possible that when I installed the drive (a replacement for the slower 104 that shipped in the box), I didn't connect the cables fully. But it does work fine in 0SX.

I have my high tech paper clip handy if only they had left that little hole where it used to be.

william

[galactica]

intersting.. i can only tell you that my combo drive (with the eject key) works in OS9 as does also the Superdrive (Option + Eject Key)

if you go to your Hardware profile, is the drive FULLY SUPPORTED?!

[willrob]

Yes, it is fully supported. Am I right to assume that the option-eject key is for the second drive in your G4, and not the OS9 version of opening and closing?

Do you know of a way to open the door before either system boots? Or are you forced to do what I do: boot the system and then resart with the C key held down or use the Start-up disk preference to choose the system disk in the drive. I guess another option is to hold down the Option key and select a system to boot into. The big issue for me is the inability to open the drive bay door with merely the power on and no system booted.


william

[galactica]

option - eject is for the 2nd optical drive yes...

to be honest i guess that is the only option avaliable

what mac is this?! what model?

[The village idiot]

Got a tip this morning, try holding the mouse button down when you boot. This is supposed to open the drive so that you can insert a disk, before the system boots.

[galactica]

Got a tip this morning, try holding the mouse button down when you boot. This is supposed to open the drive so that you can insert a disk, before the system boots.

I seem to remember hearing something about this as well!

[willrob]

I'm using a dual 1Ghz G4.

I'll try the mouse button technique next time I restart. Normally I use a Wacom Tablet instead of the mouse, but it has to wait for its drivers to load before it's active. But I'll plug the mouse in to see if it does the trick. Of course the Apple Pro Mouse doesn't have any buttons, so the tip must imply pressing down on the mouse as if one were clicking.

william

[galactica]

Of course the Apple Pro Mouse doesn't have any buttons, so the tip must imply pressing down on the mouse as if one were clicking.

william

Apple Pro Mouse is nothing but one big button

[willrob]

I tried the "mouse button" tip.
The good news is the drawer will open before the system boots and you can drop a start-up CD into it.
The bad news is, there doesn't seem to be a way to close it again. The keyboard button isn't activbe yet, and various clicking of the mouse do nothing. I tried a gentle pushing in of the drawer, but it didn't feel like it was going to close and I didn't want to force it.

william

[galactica]

you need to get this mac looked at!!!!!!!!!!!
I am shocked that a 1.0 Ghz G4 Tower would have so much problems like this. Pushing the drive closed until it grabs and pulls in automatically should be fine.....

All this occured when you have the Pioneer 106 installed right?
Is yours the DVR-106 or the DVR-AO6?

[willrob]

>>I am shocked that a 1.0 Ghz G4 Tower would have so much problems like this. Pushing the drive closed until it grabs and pulls in automatically should be fine..... <<

It's the only problem I have, and I'm not sure it's abnormal. Can you open and close your CD drawer prior to booting either OS9 or OSX? The mouse click tip will open it, but can you close it without pushing? Mine is really stiff when I try to push it close, and I'm of the school that one shouldn't force mechanisims.

>>All this occured when you have the Pioneer 106 installed right?
Is yours the DVR-106 or the DVR-AO6?<<

I never attempted this with the Pioneer 104 drive. The current one is the DVR-106.

I suppose that I can live with booting first, putting a CD in the drive and then restarting. But I can imagine that someday corruption of the OS might make it unable to boot, and then reinstalling a new system will be tricky.

william

[galactica]

yep
dual 1.25 g4 MDD has been dual bootable and supports the Eject key in both OS9 and OSX