Music CD defaults to "Ignore" under Systems Preference

[MacsGreat]

I have a Mac Mini (Mac OS X). Music CDs will not play. CDs and DVDs System Preference either states "ignore" or is blank (I have found it both ways) as to "what to do with Music CDs?" I have repeatedly re-set it to "Open iTunes" but it immediately defaults to "ignore". I am able to play DVDs and to open other CDs containing documents and pics.

I have updated iTunes. I also read on the web that someone with a similar problem ran disk utilities and it helped. So I ran "Repair Disk Permissions." The log listed many items under "permissions differ" and then stated "repaired." It did not fix the CD problem, and I don't know what it actually did....hopefully nothing damaging?

In case this is relevant, we recently downloaded silverlight to watch Netflix. And we recently installed upgrades for the magicJack phone. Would that cause a problem like this? I don't know when the Music CD problem originated because iTunes still works for our playlists, and the playlists are what we use most of the time.

Thank you so much for your assistance.

 

[Kaveman]

I'd start by deleting com.apple.digihub.plist. You must be using an older version of the OSX as now there are different settings for Blank CD and Music CD.

 

[MacsGreat]

Re: deleting com.apple.digihub.plist.

Thanks so much for your help. I searched for com.apple.digihub.plist under iTunes, in Finder, disk utilities, etc. but I can't find it. Can you give more specifics? I'm not particularly tech savvy.

Yes, it is an older version, 10.6.8. Systems Preference does have a separate question for what to do with blank CDs and blank DVDs? But under "what to do with Music CDs?" it either defaults to "ignore" when I attempt to choose "Open iTunes" or the pull down menu shows only "dashes" no words. When I click on it, the choices are "Open iTunes, Run script, Open other app, or Ignore". I haven't tried "run script."

Thanks again for your help! I'm hopeful!

 

[Kaveman]

Sorry that should be
~Your > Library > Preferences > com.apple.digihub.plist

 

[MacsGreat]

moved com.apple.digihub.plist to trash

Making progress! I moved com.apple.digihub.plist to trash. Now for Systems Preference, I was able to change the "what to do with Music CD" to Open iTunes and it actually stayed at that setting!!! The music CD still doesn't play yet, but at least there's progress. I re-started computer and tried CD again.

What would be my next step? THANKS!

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Move this to the trash too if it's there:

com.apple.digihub.plist.lockfile

Then reboot.

What version of Mac OS X do you have?

Check under:

 ~> About This Mac ~> More Info ~> System Profiler

and click on Disc Burning in the left hand column, to see what disc formats your drive supports. Check that the CD that won't play is listed as supported media.

 

[MacsGreat]

Thanks! Version is 10.6.8.

I did not find "com.apple.digihub.plist.lockfile" in Library Preferences. Would it be somewhere else?

Before you asked re. format, I had been trying to play commercially recorded CDs--are they all formatted the same? After your reply, I inserted a music CD we had burned, and it played!!! Then I inserted 2 other music CDs that we had burned, and I was incorrectly prompted on both that I had put in a blank CD. But at least, the superdrive recognized all 3 CDs....so maybe that's a clue?? All 3 CDs that we had burned were CD-R.

In case this is relevant, these items are in Library Preferences:
com.apple.iTunes.eq.plist
com.apple.iTunes.Gracenote.plist
com.apple.iTunes.plist
com.apple.iTunesHelper.plist

This is the info under Disc Burning info in case it's relevant:

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K06:

Firmware Revision: Q614
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2000 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: To show the available burn speeds, insert a disc and choose View > Refresh

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Kaveman]

I did not find "com.apple.digihub.plist.lockfile" in Library Preferences. Would it be somewhere else

No, its a 10.7 only file.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Thanks! Version is 10.6.8

Ahh, your are using Snow Leopard so you won't find that 2nd plist.

com.apple.iTunes.eq.plist
com.apple.iTunes.Gracenote.plist
com.apple.iTunes.plist
com.apple.iTunesHelper.plist

Those files are fine, just ignore them.

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K06:
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO

This tells you the type of media you should be buying when you want to burn a disc ... it's easy to accidentally buy say, a DVD +R DL (like I recently did) and wonder why the disc fails to burn .... as for the commercial disc, your Mac will read anything I think but it won't burn to all the types of blank CD's/DVD's that you can buy.

I think the best advice I can offer is not to worry too much if a disc gives you problems, just try to move on and toss any disc that gives errors, away. Sometimes there just isn't any answer as to why something happens. But we can move on and if the first 3 discs fail but any subsequent disc burning in any batch is successful, then that's pretty good. As long as your disc drive is working properly with reading System discs and 99% of other discs then I think it's pretty good going.

Thank you so much for your help!

You're welcome, I hooe this helps,

SD

 

[MacsGreat]

Thanks to you both for your help.

Unfortunately, none of the music CDs that I have purchased are playing. Which really isn't a big deal I suppose since I was only going to import some of the music to iTunes for our playlist.

It sounds like I don't need to worry that somehow my system has been corrupted. Or that it's a "sign" of an imminent crash? So you're right, I can move on!

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Have you run Software Update to ensure you are fully up-to-date? Do you have another account on your Mac you can use to see if iTunes will recognise the music discs?

Download OnyX from here, make sure you get the right version for Mac OS X 10.6.8. Just click on the Automation Tab and execute the tasks there ... while it's working it's magic, it's best not to use your Mac. You probably will be asked to reboot and if your Mac takes forever to start up, it's okay as there have been caches that have been emptied and your Mac is rebuilding them so just be patient as this slow start up is only going to happen this once or whenever you run OnyX.

As an aside ... if you've been operating your Mac from an Admin Account on an every day basis then I strongly recommend you create a Standard User Account and from now on, use that account as from a security point of view you are better protected. You will be prompted for the Admin name/password from time to time but at least you have a better chance of at least knowing why an app is requesting this and you can allow it on a needs basis.

It's hard to properly diagnose this type of issue and all I can say is the Superdrive might be on it's way out or it might be the actual media.

When you put a disc in, you can have a look in Disc Utility (in your Applications ~> Utilities Folder) in the left column to see what it says for the type of disc that is currently in the disc drive. I also found this thread at the Apple Support Discussions which may or may not be of any help.