In Mac OS or Mac OS X, why can't I eject removable media such as a CD-ROM or Zip disk?

In Mac OS or Mac OS X, if you are having trouble ejecting removable media such as a CD-ROM or Zip disk, there are several steps you can take to try to correct the problem:

• If you are getting an error message that something is open or in use, it means that you have opened a file or application on the removable media. Until you close it, you will not be able to eject the media. If you are not sure which document or application it may be, save all your work and quit all open applications. If you are using Mac OS X 10.3 or higher and have fast user switching turned on, you'll have to turn off applications running on other accounts as well. You should then be able to remove the media.
  
  
• You can try using Disk Utility to eject the disk. To do so, complete the following:
  
  
  1. Open the Utilities folder, located in the Applications folder. When Finder is the active application, you can quickly access the folder by either selecting Utilities from the Go pull-down menu or by simply pressing Cmd-Shift-u .
  2. Locate the Disk Utility icon, and then double-click it to launch the application.
  3. In the list on the left, locate the disk or other item you want to eject, and the click it once to select it.
  4. Click the Eject button near the top of the window, and the disk or other item should eject.
  
  
• If you are using System 7.5 or lower and have File Sharing turned on, all drives larger than 2MB are automatically considered shared volumes accessible through the network. This will prevent you from ejecting the media. To turn off File Sharing, from the Apple menu, select Control Panels, then File Sharing. Click Cancel. You should then be able to eject the media.

  In System 7.5.1 and higher and Mac OS 7.6 and higher, the operating system should allow you to eject media even with File Sharing turned on. (If you use System 7.5, updating to at least System 7.5.1 is the long term solution to this problem.)

• Sometimes, even if File Sharing is off and all applications have finished running, you will still not be able to eject the removable media. In this case, try restarting the computer. For some removable drives, this will cause the media to eject automatically. If not, then as soon as the drive has power (usually indicated by a power light, or the computer's power light if it is internal) immediately press the eject button, and the drive should eject the media.

If none of the above methods work, you may need to eject the media manually. Consult your removable media drive's manual for the proper technique for doing this. Doing it the wrong way could damage your drive and necessitate expensive repairs.

Most drives in computers made by Apple have a simple way of doing this, however. (This includes disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and Zip drives.) You must shut your computer down before doing the following:

1. Straighten a metal paper clip.
   
   
2. Locate the small hole next to the removable media drive opening.
   
   
3. Slide the paper clip into the hole, pressing gently but firmly. Do not hold the straightened paper clip at an angle, as this may damage your drive.
   
   
4. Your removable media should then eject.
   
   
5. Remove the media (and manually close the removable media drive, if necessary).

Also see:

• On a Macintosh, why can't I share my Syquest drive, CD-ROM, or other removable media drive?
• For Mac OS X, where can I download freeware, shareware, commercial software, and software updates?
• Why did my CD or DVD fail?
• In Mac OS X, what is Disk Utility, and how do I use it?