Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

cd rom icon doesn't show on desktop (G4)

Sep 16, 2005 6:19AM PDT

Hi,

My CDRom Icon doesn't showup when I insert a CD into my G4. I see the CD player in the System Profiler but I don't know why it does nothing when I insert CDs. I even tried opening up the case and trying a new drive but that did not work.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Which G4 do you have
Sep 16, 2005 7:00AM PDT

iMac or laptop or tower? Guessing tower.

Are the CD's you are inserting Commericially produced or the result of a home burn?


P

- Collapse -
cd rom icon doesn't show on desktop (G4)
Sep 20, 2005 12:32AM PDT

It is a G4 Tower (733 MHZ) and all CDs don't show up, from OSX disc to Photoshop to Data discs...all legit apps that used to work.

- Collapse -
CD ROM drive
Sep 20, 2005 10:05AM PDT

I wasn't suggesting that these CD's were less than legitimate. Some CD players cannot read CD's that were burned in a home burner. Commercially produced CD's are pressed, not burned.
So, given the the first CD player may have failed, is the replacement supported by the OS?
Do you have a Firewire case you could try the CD player in?
Did I mention repairing the disk permissions? If not, do it and see what the result is. Check ALL the internal connections to the CD drive.

P

- Collapse -
Is your CD drive Apple supported?
Sep 22, 2005 11:14PM PDT

Your CD burner must be either supported by apple or you must use a third party software patch like perma burn so your drive is recognized by the mac.
Open Itunes and look under the burning tab. Is the drive listed and avbalible for burning? If not your going to need a software patch from the drive's maker.

- Collapse -
How does this help?
Sep 23, 2005 2:17AM PDT

The problem is that the CD icon do not appear on the desktop when a CD is inserted into the drive. The subject of CD burning was not mentioned. This machine did not come with a burner but may have had one added. However, the poster did not indicate that.
Adding a piece of software, like perma burn, is probably not going to help the CD's mount on the desktop. Even unsupported Burners are Read Supported by the OS. As the poster says, the drive appears in the system profiler.

P

- Collapse -
Icon
Sep 29, 2005 11:58PM PDT

Yes, the Burner is actually what came with the Mac...I have not installed anything else. The computer hadn't been used for a while and recently I just wanted to upgrade the OS and then I noticed the drive was no longer working. I was thinking of transferring the contents from the one of the new OS CD I have onto a flash drive (from a friend's computer) and copying them to the G4 so I could install the new OS and maybe that would solve it...any thoughts?

- Collapse -
That will not work
Sep 30, 2005 4:55AM PDT

Sorry, I just noticed this post. To install OS X you have to be booted from the CD. You cannot copy the files to the machine, via a thumbdrive, and expect it to boot. There are thousands of files that you can't see, let alone copy.

Sorry.
I believe I would now look around for a firewire CD enclosure and go with an external drive.


P

- Collapse -
will try
Oct 3, 2005 3:17AM PDT

Thanks all for the help!

- Collapse -
Zap the PRAM
Oct 4, 2005 11:56AM PDT

I had a problem with my burner refusing to mount disks after a failed attempt to insall X. Zapping the PRAM (hold command - option - p - r on startup til you hear 3 or 4 startup chimes then let go) fixed the problem.

- Collapse -
That did it
Oct 4, 2005 11:00PM PDT

Flashing the PRAM did it...thanks!

- Collapse -
No Problem
Oct 22, 2005 9:50AM PDT

I'm really happy that I could help. It happened to me and I didn't know what to do. But I like to flash the PRAM when I have troubles and I find that a lot of times it helps. SI I tried it and it worked

- Collapse -
Let's start over
Sep 23, 2005 2:50AM PDT

Just in case we're overmedicating here, try this:
Go to the Finder
Go to the Finder menu, and select Preferences
In the window that opens, select the ''General'' button at the top
Make sure ''CDs, DVDs, and iPods'' is checked (second checkbox)

If not, check it and close the window, then try a disc. Solve the problem?

If not, we'll need more info. Leave the disc in the computer and go to your Utilities folder. (There's a shortcut to it under the Go menu.) Open your Disk Utility and tell us if the disc shows up in any form in the left column.

- Collapse -
file permission
Sep 23, 2005 5:52AM PDT

I've had this issue and usually doing a file permission repair using disk util works...

the drive should appear again after doing this...you notice a fix of /dev file occurs this is where the problem occurs.


Will

- Collapse -
Desktop, you say?
Sep 23, 2005 7:40AM PDT

I'm going to reply to your subject line, which mentions that the icon doesn't show up on the DESKTOP. Does it show up in Finder windows (the sidebar)? Whether or not icons show up on the desktop is a Finder preference.

- Collapse -
Redundant
Sep 23, 2005 7:51AM PDT

... which is pretty much what msyeed said at the beginning of his post. Since your Mac is as old as mine, I'll add the question, "What version of OS X are you running?"

- Collapse -
Desktop and Finder
Sep 30, 2005 4:37AM PDT

The Icon doesn't show up on the desktop or the finder. Someone else asked...I am actually running OS 9.1 and was trying to upgrade.

- Collapse -
Firewire
Sep 30, 2005 4:57AM PDT

Hop on over to www.macsales.com and get yourself a Firewire enclosure for a CD.
Put your existing CD inside and see if it works. If it doesn't trash it. Purchase a new CD-r/w from the same place and install it in the Mac. If it does not work in the Mac, put it in the enclosure.

P

- Collapse -
CD-ROM icon
Nov 16, 2007 2:56AM PST

I am trying to set up my printer, and I need both a cd-rom icon and a setup icon. I have neither. Please advise

They do not show up in the Finder windows

- Collapse -
Just wondering.
Nov 16, 2007 3:26AM PST

Is your issue what is being discussed here?

- Collapse -
No CD disc icon
Feb 3, 2011 3:51AM PST

When I insert a CD disc the icon does not show on the desk top. Can you help me?
Bert Henry

- Collapse -
Do you have a G4?
Feb 3, 2011 4:02AM PST

If so be sure to supply all the answers to the questions above to speed along the process of getting help.
Bob