Once connected the external superdrive acts just like an internal one. Apple sells a usb superdrive that connects to any macbook air, macbook pro with retina display, imac or mac mini. How to find and open dvd player in macos catalina rocket yard. Dec 11, 2019 it should just work, i have been doing exactly that for many years and external dvds have always worked on my macs. Apple superdrive 8x external usb doublelayer dvdrwcdrw. Jun 07, 2017 reconnect the superdrive directly to the display when you no longer need to start the computer from the superdrive. The apple usb superdrive adds dvda readwrite capability to the macbook air superdrive repertoire, but remains mechanically the same. To play dvd on macbook air through this approach, you need to purchase an apple usb superdrive first. How to use apple superdrive with windows and pc osxdaily. Say goodbye to internal superdrives with the latest macbook. How to get my mac to recognize an external dvd drive quora. Apple md564lla external usb superdrive for sale online ebay. Compatible with the driveless macbook air, as well as macbook pro retina, imac and mac mini. Connect and use your superdrive to use your superdrive, connect it to a usba port on your mac, then insert a disc.
But thats mac os, not windows, and many mac users also use windows pc or windows operating systems, so wouldnt it be nice to use that apple superdrive in windows too. Its called the usb superdrive, and it plugs into a usba port. To connect your superdrive to a thunderbolt 3 usbc or usbc port on your mac, you can use one of these adapters. My imac doesnt show on my list of devices in finder or on the desktop when i connect my new mac usb superdrive external disc drive to it.
Criticism includes the lack of support for bluray or mini optical discs and malfunctions that make the drive inoperable, with no way to eject a stuck disc. Its a little slower than using a mac with a builtin dvd drive. Make offer usb external dvd drive burner case for macbook air pro imac mac mini superdrive super slim usb 2. If you need to make sure that the drive is working on a software level, open system preferences. The dvd player will open automatically and start playing the disc. How to openunlock a apple super driver or usb apple. You can attach a superdrive to your mac, even when the device doesnt have a builtin.
Whether youre at the office or on the road, you can play and burn both cds and dvds with the apple usb superdrive. When i plug it into my surface pro 4, the computer sees it as a usb dvd drivebut when i insert a cddvd, the superdrive does not engage the cd to complete the insertion process or spin up. How to use apple superdrive with windows computers. Apple sells an external optical drive that reads and writes cds and dvds. Then you just need to insert dvd into this usb superdrive. Apple still sells a usbconnected external superdrive as an accessory. Say goodbye to internal superdrives with the latest macbook pro refresh. May 09, 2019 the best external hard drives for mac in 2020. Discussion in alienware started by steviejones3, sep 4, 20. Sep 04, 20 using an apple macbook air superdrive with a nonapple pc not running mac os possible or not.
Macs no longer have internal dvd and cdrw drives, but for mac. How to forcibly eject a cddvd from a macbook air usb superdrive so youve got a dvd stuck in the external usb superdrive that connects to the macbook air. I have an older macbook pro late 2011 which came with a builtin optical drive. How to take the cover off an apple usb cddvd drive. An external optical drive by apple, essentially a rebranding of the macbook air superdrive. Mar 24, 2018 apple usb superdrive is an external dvd drive which can connect to macbook air, macbook pro with retina display, imac or mac mini equipped with a builtin usb cable. I have a mac pro 2010 which i babyed since purchase. Oct 24, 20 with hundreds of gb to back up, youre better off using an external hard drive. Really need the vm to recognize the external apple superdrive, so need to know how to accomplish this. The mac, unlike most windows pcs, doesnt have an external eject button on its cddvd drive. How to use an external dvd drive with a mac laptop that.
Get help with the slotloading superdrive on your mac computer. External optical drives bluray up to 16x, dvd up to 24x, dvddl up to 16x, cdrw up to 48x readwriteburn speeds. Open apple system profiler by choosing about this mac from the. Apples external superdrive can work on older model macs. In mac menu bar, click on actions virtual machine in older versions configure. Today, well discuss how to use the apple usb superdrive. Apple usb superdrive optical drive replacement ifixit repair. The apple usb superdrive is compatible with mac models from 2008 and later that dont have a builtin optical drive. Due to factors beyond the control of fixitsam, it cannot guarantee. Use the apple external superdrive on almost any mac authored by. Just the 120mm roundshaped compact discs and dvd discs work. Apple usb superdrive for apple macbook air promac mini. Place any internal bluray, dvd or cd drive into an owc external enclosure to create a custom optical.
And the most convenient place to access them is in the finder sidebar. How to use an external dvd drive with a mac laptop that has. Although originally meant to read and write to floppy discs, it rebranded in 2001 to evolve with the change in information exchange technology. You can help protect yourself from scammers by verifying that the contact is a microsoft agent or microsoft employee and that the phone number is an official microsoft global customer service number. The wonder designed and slim look lingear external cddvd burner supported with macos and windows. The apple usb superdrive and macbook air superdrive are designed exclusively for use with mac computers that do not have a builtin optical drive. So i deceived create that video teaching how to open in these days, who still. If youre looking for an external optical drive to use on a windows pc and happen to have an apple superdrive handy, installing a boot camp driver on the windows pc will give you that functionality. Attaching a apple usb superdrive to the mac allows it to do the things that other computers. The superdrive cannot be used with the original four mac models macintosh 128k through macintosh plus, as their disk controller iwm doesnt support high density. Jul 14, 2019 apple superdrive is an optical disc reader. Until i replaced it with an ssd and needed an external. Buy products related to cd player for mac products and see what customers say about cd player for mac products on free delivery possible on eligible purchases.
Apple usb superdrive or mac superdrive, as its commonly referred to, is the device that. First plug in the external drive to a usb port that you know works with other devices now insert a dvd movie that you know w. So, fancy cds and dvds in different shapes wont work. How to use macbook air superdrive dvd drive on windows pcs. You can interface your apple usb superdrive to the usb port on your mac, or to the usb port on a cinema display 24inch led, led cinema display 27inch, or apple thunderbolt display 27inch that is associated with your mac. How to connect the apple usb superdrive apple support. You can also connect the superdrive to the usb ports on the back of the apple led cinema display. How to open unlock a apple super driver or usb apple driver in 2020. Instead, apple made use of the ability of optical drives to respond to an open or close command sent over the drives electrical interface. How to use cddvd drive on either mac or windows 48 users found this article helpful. I cant remember the last time there was anything i needed to read or load from a cd. Say goodbye to internal superdrives with the latest. It connects to your macbook pro with retina display, macbook air, imac, or mac mini with a single usb typea cable thats built into the superdrive.
Can you use a usb superdrive with the macbook pro touch bar. The first macintosh named the macintosh llx included a superdrive floppy drive and every macintosh introduced from 19881997 had a builtin drive. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or instore pickup. Heres what you need to know, along with our toprated applefriendly drives. And youve tried hitting the magic eject button on the keyboard to no avail.
The apple usb superdrive is designed exclusively for use with mac computers that do not have a builtin optical drive. Macs no longer have internal dvd and cdrw drives, but for mac users who still need to use optical discs the apple superdrive offers an external allinone usb solution that can read and write both cd and dvd discs, all you have to do is plug it into a usb port on the mac and mac os will detect the superdrive. If this appears, then the mac recognizes that the superdrive is attached on a software level. Apple super drive surface pro 4 compatibility my apple superdrive works perfectly with my wifes macbook pro. To use your superdrive, connect it to a usba port on your mac, then insert a disc. Just because your mac doesnt have a builtin superdrive doesnt mean you cant add one both the apple usb superdrive and macbook air superdrive are compatible with all macs made after 2008, but theres also a wide range of nonapple cd and dvd drives out there that are typically much cheaper, and will work with most macbooks just make sure you check. Apple s dvd player application only works with an internal optical drive or the apple s external superdrive. Buy patuoxun usb external slot in dvd rw drive burner superdrive for apple macbook pro air. How to forcibly eject a cddvd from a macbook air usb superdrive.
The apple usb superdrive has a slightly longer 340mm cable. The controller card as well as the external superdrive were discontinued in june 1994. How to use apple usb superdrive with complete guide. By using the open and close commands, the mac offers several options for ejecting a cd or dvd.
How to play dvds and cds on a mac that doesnt have a. Using an apple macbook air superdrive with a nonapple pc not. The strange thing is that it works on the stores imac when i took back to the store. How to play dvds and cds on a mac that doesnt have a built. Tech support scams are an industrywide issue where scammers trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services. Nov, 2018 the apple usb superdrive is compatible with mac models from 2008 and later that dont have a builtin optical drive. Just because your mac doesnt have a builtin superdrive doesnt mean you cant add one both the apple usb superdrive and macbook air superdrive are compatible with all macs made after 2008, but theres also a wide range of non apple cd and dvd drives out there that are typically much cheaper, and will work with most macbooks just make sure you check. The apple usb superdrive and macbook air superdrive are perfect with any mac made after 2008 that doesnt have a worked in optical drive. Obviously, some of the things specific to the external superdrive, like making sure it isnt upside down and connecting it to the usb port will not apply, but the troubleshooting under specific troubleshooting would still apply to your superdrive.
Click the little spotlight icon in the upper right corner of your macs screen. It connects to your macbook pro with retina display, macbook air, imac or mac mini with a single usb typea cable thats built into the superdrive. How to get an apple usb superdrive to be recognized in windows 7 vm. I hear it trying to catch the cddvd, yet i dont hear the spinning sound. How to fix mac pro 2010 superdrive door sticking open. How to use a superdrive on a mac laptop with an internal dvd drive. Make sure that the aluminum enclosure of the superdrive is facing up. The apple superdrive is an outside cddvd drive that peruses and keeps in touch with optical disks, and keeping in mind that it works extraordinary with numerous macs.
But in 2011, a friends kid wanted to watch a dvd on my. Patuoxun usb external slot in dvd rw drive burner superdrive. Feb 11, 2014 i rarely used the superdrive in my 2009 macbook pro. Thats not to say theres no need for optical storage anymore, and thats why apple continues to offer an external usbbased superdrive the mac works with any number of cheap commodity cddvd burners available from online retailers, too. Turn your mac into the ultimate bluray player macworld. Search for dvd player, and the apps icon will appear at the top of the top hits. The macbook air superdrive has unique firmware which prevents it from being properly recognized as a plug and play optical usb drive by windows. Heres how you can make your superdrive work with windows.
Apple builtinusb superdrive not working issues fixed. If the drive was bought and installed separately from the mac if you installed it yourself you also have to. Being able to see these external devices and their contents is obviously important. How to use cddvd drive on either mac or windows parallels. The apple usb superdrive and macbook air superdrive are designed exclusively for use. Apple usb superdrive is an external dvd drive which can connect to macbook air, macbook pro with retina display, imac or mac mini equipped with a builtin usb cable. Jan 02, 2019 maybe you just picked up a new external hard drive, dvd or cd device, server, or even memory stick to use with your mac. Macpro lower superdrive wont open macrumors forums.
Yesterday, the metal door that opens and closes when the superdrive tray ejects and retracts start to stick. Superdrive mac overview and how to play dvd on mac without. Thats the user inserts a dvd and the superdrive will play dvd, cd audio and record both cds and dvds. I want to find out if 15 mbp will operate a samsung optical disk drive se208bw. The mac superdrive and mac air superdrive dont work with a disc that isnt a standard use cd or dvd. Apple s external superdrive can work on older model macs. Get help with the slotloading superdrive on your mac. Looking to add storage, or for a smart way to back up your mac. Youll never have to worry about lost cables with the apple usb superdrive. How to show external drives in the finder sidebar on mac.
Common mac usb superdrive not working issues and solutions. The best external hard drives for mac in 2020 pcmag. Its perfect when you want to watch a dvd movie, install software, create backup discs, and more. Apple s superdrive wont do it, but there are plenty of good thirdparty options thatll do the job. Here is a small guide how to make superdrive work with any mac model. To open the superdrive we must remove the lower case. Dec 16, 2014 how to use a superdrive on a mac laptop with an internal dvd drive. Use the apple external superdrive on almost any mac. To connect your superdrive to a thunderbolt 3 usbc or usbc port on your mac.
Shop apple superdrive 8x external usb doublelayer dvdrwcdrw drive silver at best buy. First steps make sure the apple usb superdrive is lying flat on a surface with the silver top facing upward. Fortunately, apple provides the drivers for running windows on a mac, as part of its bootcamp software. Plug in the superdrive directly to the computers usb port. Now, even when the tray retracts fully back into the superdrive, the drive bay door remains open in the retracted down position. If youve ever tried to plug in an apple superdrive external dvd drive into a macbook pro or other mac laptop with an internal dvd drive, you may have struggled to get the laptop to recognise the external drive and therefore be able to use it at all. Apple sells a usb superdrive that connects to any macbook air, macbook pro with. Connects via usb, plays and burns both cds and dvds. Nov 16, 2011 how to forcibly eject a cddvd from a macbook air usb superdrive so youve got a dvd stuck in the external usb superdrive that connects to the macbook air.
Theres no separate power adapter, and it works whether your mac is plugged in or running on battery power. Superdrive for mac was primarily as an internally mounted floppy drive that was part of the macintosh computer and there was an external hard drive manufactured in a snow whitestyled plastic case. Hello drewras, the troubleshooting in that article will also apply to the internal superdrive installed in your macbook pro. Some macs sold today such as the macbook dont even have a usba port. Start parallels desktop and launch your virtual machine. Open the vmware fusion library and the settings panel for the virtual machine windows 10 in my case. The cds and dvds preference pane will only show up when the superdrive is connected.