My Mac mini Core non-2 Duo (2006 era) is acting strange. First iPhoto started to crash immediately upon launch with an EXC_BAD_INSTRUCTION error, then when I stuck in some DVDs to try to reinstall iLife '09 and then Snow Leopard itself I realized that the Superdrive isn't working at all.
About the iPhoto problem: I am pretty sure it's not a data problem as it happens after deleting the iPhoto preference plist, after switching to a new library with iPhotoLibraryManager, and also happens with a brand-new user account. On the other hand, after several hours of frustration iPhoto then decided about a half hour ago that it would play nicely and now loads with my complete original iPhoto Library.
About the Mac mini problem: I've repaired permissions, no dice. I repaired my external/backup drive in Disk Utility, which found nothing awry. I verified my bootup/internal drive, and Disk Utility similarly found nothing wrong.
Inserting a blank DVD-R produces some mechanical sounds from the Superdrive but it isn't spit out, isn't recognized by the Finder or other apps such as iPhoto, and is impossible to eject outside of rebooting and holding down the left mouse button for a solid minute.
Inserting a commercial DVD that worked fine--iLife '09, Snow Leopard install and Leopard install discs--produces a few mechanical rumblings from the drive followed by the disc being spit out in about 10 seconds, without it mounting in the Finder or anything else happening.
Inserting a bootable DVD (eg Snow Leopard install disc) and holding C down on startup produces the rumbling sounds and an ejected disc after which startup proceeds from the internal HDD.
Thoughts? I'm not sure where to go from here as I can't mount or boot from the OS X install discs so can't do what I'd usually do, an archive and reinstall. I think I may have to suck it up and head in to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store. Now that I think of it I might as well try doing Install Over Network from Jessica's iBook's optical drive here goes nothing
About the iPhoto problem: I am pretty sure it's not a data problem as it happens after deleting the iPhoto preference plist, after switching to a new library with iPhotoLibraryManager, and also happens with a brand-new user account. On the other hand, after several hours of frustration iPhoto then decided about a half hour ago that it would play nicely and now loads with my complete original iPhoto Library.
About the Mac mini problem: I've repaired permissions, no dice. I repaired my external/backup drive in Disk Utility, which found nothing awry. I verified my bootup/internal drive, and Disk Utility similarly found nothing wrong.
Inserting a blank DVD-R produces some mechanical sounds from the Superdrive but it isn't spit out, isn't recognized by the Finder or other apps such as iPhoto, and is impossible to eject outside of rebooting and holding down the left mouse button for a solid minute.
Inserting a commercial DVD that worked fine--iLife '09, Snow Leopard install and Leopard install discs--produces a few mechanical rumblings from the drive followed by the disc being spit out in about 10 seconds, without it mounting in the Finder or anything else happening.
Inserting a bootable DVD (eg Snow Leopard install disc) and holding C down on startup produces the rumbling sounds and an ejected disc after which startup proceeds from the internal HDD.
Thoughts? I'm not sure where to go from here as I can't mount or boot from the OS X install discs so can't do what I'd usually do, an archive and reinstall. I think I may have to suck it up and head in to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store. Now that I think of it I might as well try doing Install Over Network from Jessica's iBook's optical drive here goes nothing
