Important Note: This is a part of the original Emergency Handbook. It has been renamed the Troubleshooting Handbook and substantially revised. Click Here to go to the current Troubleshooting Handbook.

Problems with Hard Disks, CDs and Other Storage Media is part of Chapter 2: Problems Using Your Computer, pp. 29-33 of the Emergency Handbook which shipped with iMac and other Macintosh computers.

1) Problems With Hard Disks:

Only one document called " Where have all my files gone? " appears on the hard disk.

• If no files appear on the hard disk except for a single document called "Where have all my files gone?", you started up your computer from a CD with system software earlier than Mac OS 8.1. To see the contents of your disk, you must start up your computer from a disk with Mac OS 8.1 (or later).

Use PC Exchange to mount these partitions as individual volumes on the desktop. (PC Exchange is a control panel that is part of system software.)

Note: If the disk contains both Mac OS and DOS-format partitions, PC Exchange will recognize only the Mac OS partition.

Can't resize Mac OS, DOS, or ProDOS partitions.

• To resize or reformat multiple Mac OS, DOS, or ProDOS partitions, you need to use third-party software designed for partitioning hard disks and removable media cartridges.

2) Problems With CD Drives and Discs

CD disc is jammed.

The normal way to remove a CD disc from your computer is to drag the disc's icon on the desktop to the Trash. You can also select the disc's icon and choose Eject from the Special menu. Removable discs are usually ejected when you shut down your computer.

If a disc is jammed, shut down your computer. Locate the small hole in the middle of the CD-ROM disc drive tray, and carefully insert the end of a large straightened paper clip. Push gently until the disc is ejected. Do not use excessive force.

Icon doesn't appear on desktop.

• Make sure that the disc label is facing up and the disc is centered in the tray.
• Make sure the tray is closed all the way.
• Try restarting your computer.
• Make sure that the Apple CD-ROM and Foreign File Access extensions are turned on in the Extensions Manager control panel. Then restart your computer.

Warning: Turn off your computer before you attempt to remove a jammed disc. If you don't, you may damage the CD-ROM drive.

• Try starting up your computer from the system software CD that came with your computer. Insert the CD and restart while holding down the C key. (See Chapter 3,"Starting Up From a CD," on page 45.) If only the hard disk icon appears on the desktop, then there may be a hardware problem with your CD-ROM drive. If the CD-ROM disc icon appears above the hard disk icon, reinstall your CD-ROM software. The easiest way to do this is by reinstalling your system software. See Chapter 5, "Reinstalling Your Computer's Software," on page 53.
• The disc may use a format that the Macintosh cannot recognize. Ask the disc's manufacturer for a disc that a Macintosh can recognize.

Disc is vibrating in the drive.

• Make sure the disc is centered in the tray.
• Some CD-ROM disc labels have artwork that is noticeably thicker on one side than the other and can cause the disc's weight to be slightly off-center. This uneven distribution of weight coupled with the high rotation speed of your CD-ROM drive can cause some discs to wobble in the drive and make your computer vibrate. The vibration does not damage the CD-ROM disc or the computer and affects very few CD-ROM discs. If you can feel or hear that the CD-ROM disc is vibrating in the computer, you don't need to do anything special; continue to use the CD-ROM disc as you normally would.

Tray won't open.

If a CD-ROM disc icon appears on your screen:

• Select the disc icon and choose Put Away from the File menu, or drag the icon to the Trash.

Note: You won't lose information on the CD by dragging its icon to the Trash.

If the AppleCD Audio Player is active, choose Eject CD from the File menu or click the eject button in the AppleCD Audio Player controller.

If you see a message that a disc can't be put away because it is being shared, turn file sharing off in the File Sharing control panel in the Control Panels folder, available in the Apple (K) menu.

If no CD-ROM disc icon appears on your screen:

• Restart your computer. Immediately after you hear the startup sound, press the Open button on your CD-ROM drive.
• The signal to open the tray may not be reaching the computer. Manually remove the disc, as described in the online documentation that came with your computer. If neither of these suggestions works, your CD-ROM drive may be damaged. Contact an Apple-authorized service provider or Apple for further assistance.

Can't eject disc.

• If file sharing is on and you are having trouble ejecting a disc, turn file sharing off in the File Sharing control panel in the Control Panels folder, available in the Apple (K) menu.

"This is not a Macintosh disk: Do you want to initialize it?" message appears.

• Make sure that the Foreign File Access extension is installed and turned on. Use the Extensions Manager control panel in the Control Panels folder in the Apple (K) menu to turn it on, then restart your computer.
• Make sure the CD-ROM software is installed. (The CD-ROM software is already installed on Macintosh computers that come with CD-ROM drives.) The easiest way to install CD-ROM software is by reinstalling your system software. (See Chapter 5, "Reinstalling Your Computer's Software," on page 53.) Restart your computer after reinstalling system software.
• The disc may use a format that the Macintosh cannot recognize. Ask the disc's manufacturer for a disc that a Macintosh can recognize.

Computer ejects disc unexpectedly.

• Make sure the disc is lying flat in the tray and the disc label is facing up.
• The disc may need to be cleaned. (See the online documentation that came with your computer.) If there are visible scratches on the shiny side of the disc, you may be able to remove them with a CD-ROM disc polishing kit (available from your audio CD dealer). If the scratches can't be removed, you need to replace the disc.
• The disc may be damaged. Try another disc in the drive, and try the original disc in another drive. If the original drive reads other discs or if the original disc also doesn't work in another drive, the disc is probably damaged. You need to replace it.

3) Pro blems Using ISO 9660 or High Sierra Discs

Files can't be opened.

• Discs in the ISO 9660 and High Sierra disc formats have version numbers attached to file names. Some application programs need these version numbers in order to work with files. To make the version numbers available to programs on your computer, drag the CD-ROM disc icon to the Trash. When the tray opens, hold down the Option key and push the tray back in. Continue to hold down the Option key until the disc is mounted in the drive. The program you are using should now be able to locate file names on that CD-ROM disc.

Important: If you're using a small (8 cm) disc, make sure it's centered within the tray's inner ring and the computer is absolutely level. An improperly seated small disc in your computer may result in damage to the disc, the CD-ROM drive, or both.

• Make sure that the Foreign File Access, ISO 9660 File Access, and High Sierra File Access files are present in the Extensions folder in the System Folder on your hard disk. If these files are not present, reinstall your CD-ROM software. The easiest way to do this is by reinstalling your system software. See Chapter 5, "Reinstalling Your Computer's Software," on page 53.

4) Problems Using Photo CDs

Icon doesn't appear on desktop.

• Reinstall the CD-ROM and QuickTime software. The easiest way to do this is by reinstalling your system software. See Chapter 5, "Reinstalling Your Computer's Software," on page 53.

Color icons for individual images don't appear.

• Your computer may be low on memory. To view color icons, restart your computer and then reopen the Photos folder. See Mac OS Help (choose Help from the Finder's Help menu).

Image is scrambled, colors are displayed incorrectly, or no image appears.

• The program you are using may not be designed to work with large (high-resolution) image files. You can open the image with another program or you can assign more memory to the program. See Mac OS Help (choose Help from the Finder's Help menu).

System " freezes, " or " bomb " message appears.

• Restart your Macintosh. (If you need help restarting your computer, see Chapter 1, "Problems Starting Up." ) The program you are using may not be designed to work with large (high-resolution) image files. You can open the image with another program or you can assign more memory to the current program. See Mac OS Help (choose Help from the Finder's Help menu).

Problems Playing Audio CDs

See " Problems With Sound and Video " on page 41.

To view the other sections of Chapter 2: Problems Using Your Computer, click on any of the links below:

• article 43039: Problems with Applications, Documents and Memory
• article 43041: Problems with USB Devices
• article 43042: Problems Printing
• article 43043: Performance and Other Problems
• article 43044: Problems with Networks and File Sharing
• article 43045: Problems with Sound and Video