How to get out a stuck cd out of my mac mini (not the actual model the one from 2010? (slot-in drive)

I tried everything on this page: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=mac/10.4/en/mh1750.html except Open Firmware (Intel macs doesn't support this).

Then I tried using the terminal but this didn't work either.

Every time I bootup my mac the drive tries to eject it but it can't. I ran the Apple Hardware Test (hold d on startup) and it sayed that all is fine. (it also tested the slot in drive).

And I put my mac upside down and booted it up (hoped that the cd could come out) but it didn't work. (same problem)

How can I get that out of my slot in drive? Mayby with a tweezer?

Any ideas?

PS: in finder there's no visible cd and in the diskutility there's nothing too


Recent Apple portable optical drives (i.e. anything < 5 yrs old and not a Mac Pro) no longer have the "paper clip" levers so your best bet is to take it to a technician that is able to open the mac and safely retrieve the stuck media. If you are curious, iFixit does publish fairly good mac repair guides so you decide to pay someone or DIY. You'll have better luck trying to trigger the eject lever deeper in the right hand side with something thinner than a ruler.

The mechanism is obviously stuck or obstructed if you hear it trying to eject when the software commands an eject.

Forcing things more often causes additional damage rather than somehow inducing the internal eject mechanism to work again. If you are gentle and can tickle the eject lever or gently guide the CD out, your chances of success are that much higher. The cases where a light touch won't work is a signal that permanent damage to the device or the media is imminent.

It's almost always cheaper to buy a USB external if the internal breaks, so factor that into your calculation if you just want to yank out the stuck drive no matter the long term health of your optical drive.


This article from Apple explains how to troubleshoot slot loading drive problems http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2801?viewlocale=en_US

Try rebooting the MacBook while holding the trackpad button down, it should eject the disk shortly after booting


On the right hand side of the drive, behind the slot, is actually a little switch you can hit with a paper clip that has been straightened.

You aren't really going to see it, but the best way is to take the paper clip, but it up against the side of the slot, then push in. It should hit a little switch, and continue to push a little more and the disk should slide out.

It would be somewhat like this older iMac article, but you won't be able to see it due to the fabric or whatever that is on the slot.

Just be very careful while doing this. Ive done it a dozen times between Minis, PowerBooks, MacBooks, iMacs, etc.

Edit: This link on MacRumors defines the process as well.