Is your MacBook Pro or Air failing to burn CDRoms or DVDs and giving you this error message?
Well, it could be that your drive is failing – requiring an expensive replacement.
Or it could be that it needs a bit of old-fashioned TLC.
Before you give up and take it back to the Apple store, try this simple trick:
1) Get a credit card and a fine, lint-free cloth – ideally the same as the cleaning cloth that you get with your eye glasses from the optician
2) Fold the cloth over the short edge of the credit card and smooth it out so there’s no lumps or bunches
3) Gently insert into the CD/DVD slot and move from side to side and in and out an inch or so (concentrating on the left side where the laser lives)
4) Remove and try to burn a DVD or CDRom
If the laser lens is dirty it seems that the software will return the ‘failed to calibrate the laser power level’ message. After all, it can hardly say ‘Hey, I think there’s some dust built up there over the last 3 years dude, give it a waggle with a credit card and cloth…’
Well, it worked for me – hope it does for you.
Thanks, worked great!!
Great isn’t it? So simple. Funny how Apple could never just come out and tell you that themselves – of course, it would seem so ‘low-tech’ and badly designed…
Thank you so much! So simple. I read it on other forums, but your photos reassured me – I was somewhat apprehensive about sticking anything other than a CD inside. Thanks again for sharing
The aim was to reassure, glad to have helped!
Wow! Thank you, Sam. Another happy person.
I could kiss you – thank you!
I know, that’s how I felt when I came across this ‘cure’ myself. Glad to have been able to help
OH, THANK YOU A THOUSAND TIMES!
I was freaking out.
After I did your little ‘trick’ – - my disk burned perfectly!
God bless!
Richard
He heh. The internet at its best – sharing information to empower people and make them happy. Now go click on my sponsors and make me a couple of cents’ revenue, dammit
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I had already had that momentary nightmare “it’s time for a new mac’ breakdown and voila….your idea help me out so much! Gracias! xxo
You’re welcome. So much fun to help out!
I F***ng Love You Man!!
Sorry for the language but you saved me from frustration!
God bless you! Merry Xmas to you and the family!
That was definitely a Christmas present from you!
You’re welcome, man. I posted this knowing that it would make somebody’s day the way it did when I found out how to do it. All I did was make it just a little easier to find
OMG – genius. Ridiculous that it actually works, but genius. THANK YOU!!!
Worked great, this 4 the tip.
Best regards
Radu
Amazing thank you so much!! Need this to work very badly and it did
Great, isn’t it? Pity I wasn’t able to cure my ‘swollen battery’ so cheaply. That cost me £100 dammit.
thnku so so much sir , u saved my macbook from opening it thnks alot Allah bless u
You saved another man’s life tonight! You’re the man, Sam!!!
Groovy Mann. Glad to have helped
I have a Mac pro, that means a disc trey so I can’t use a credit card, anyone has any idea of what I can do? Help!
Hey Juan, did you try blowing compressed air into the drive? I just tried it and it solved this exact drive problem on my Mac Pro. More info at the following link:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1754011?start=0&tstart=0
See 7th post down.
All the best!