I had this problem, and found that the cause was that the mechanism that lowers the disk spindle to allow the drawer to open was not strong enough to overcome the magnet that clamps the spindle into position when it it is closed. The following procedure fixed the problem:
Unplug the unit, and remove its outer cover (eight screws, four on the sides and four on the back)
Remove the thin metal cover over the DVD drive (four screws)
There is a round metal cover on the top of the drive. It is glued in place. Carefully pry it loose. Be careful not to bend it.
The spindle clamp assembly is beneath this cover. It consists of a plastic housing and a metal insert that holds a black fabric gasket and a small, donut-shaped magnet. Remove the entire assembly.
The metal insert is held inside the plastic housing by three bayonet-style prongs. Rotate the insert to free it, then remove it.
Remove the black fabric gasket and the magnet from the metal insert.
Here's where it gets a little strange. The problem is that the magnet is too powerful. Estimate its power by placing it on any iron or steel surface and note how much force is required to dislodge it.
In order to reduce its power, hold it over a range burner or torch for a minute or so. (Honestly, this amount of time is a guess. I "overcooked" my magnet to the point that it lost virtually all its power. The repair, however, was still successful.)
Check the magnet's power again by placing it on the same iron or steel object. It should be significantly weaker.
Reassemble the spindle clamp. Drop it back into place in the plastic top cover of the drive. Replace the thin, round metal cover over it. (In my case, the old glue was still good enough to hold it in place. The spindle clamp will not pop out of the top of the drive- it is held down by gravity and by magnetic attraction to the spindle.)
Plug the unit in and test the drawer opening again. If it still strains but does not open, disassemble the spindle clamp assembly again and "cook" the magnet some more, then reassemble it.
After verifying that the drawer opens normally, replace the metal cover over the drive and the outer cover of the unit.
Straighten a paperclip. On the face of most disk players there is a small hole. Push the paper clip into the hole, and the disk tray should release. Pull the tray out to it's full extension. Power being on or off is immaterial. Hope this help.
Answers & Comments
I had this problem, and found that the cause was that the mechanism that lowers the disk spindle to allow the drawer to open was not strong enough to overcome the magnet that clamps the spindle into position when it it is closed. The following procedure fixed the problem:
Unplug the unit, and remove its outer cover (eight screws, four on the sides and four on the back)
Remove the thin metal cover over the DVD drive (four screws)
There is a round metal cover on the top of the drive. It is glued in place. Carefully pry it loose. Be careful not to bend it.
The spindle clamp assembly is beneath this cover. It consists of a plastic housing and a metal insert that holds a black fabric gasket and a small, donut-shaped magnet. Remove the entire assembly.
The metal insert is held inside the plastic housing by three bayonet-style prongs. Rotate the insert to free it, then remove it.
Remove the black fabric gasket and the magnet from the metal insert.
Here's where it gets a little strange. The problem is that the magnet is too powerful. Estimate its power by placing it on any iron or steel surface and note how much force is required to dislodge it.
In order to reduce its power, hold it over a range burner or torch for a minute or so. (Honestly, this amount of time is a guess. I "overcooked" my magnet to the point that it lost virtually all its power. The repair, however, was still successful.)
Check the magnet's power again by placing it on the same iron or steel object. It should be significantly weaker.
Reassemble the spindle clamp. Drop it back into place in the plastic top cover of the drive. Replace the thin, round metal cover over it. (In my case, the old glue was still good enough to hold it in
place. The spindle clamp will not pop out of the top of the drive- it is held down by gravity and by magnetic attraction to the spindle.)
Plug the unit in and test the drawer opening again. If it still strains but does not open, disassemble the spindle clamp assembly again and "cook" the magnet some more, then reassemble it.
After verifying that the drawer opens normally, replace the metal cover over the drive and the outer cover of the unit.
dec 10 2010 30 seconds or less but it worked
Straighten a paperclip. On the face of most disk players there is a small hole. Push the paper clip into the hole, and the disk tray should release. Pull the tray out to it's full extension. Power being on or off is immaterial. Hope this help.
Read Ya,
Z