New HP Pavilion x 2 windows 10 laptop (64 bit) will not operate external usb dvd drive. When the drive is connected it will show up on the file explorer and disk management but when cd put into the drive it disappears from both and the cd will not play or be displayed to open files. The dvd drive works perfectly on my PC. Answer: A: Answer: A: Although it might be a faulty drive it is also the fact that Apple restricts the playing of DVD movies with the built in DVDPlayer App from a superdrive Installed In the System, Inside the system. Once you take it out and connect it by USB the DVDPlayer App no longer see it and won't play any DVD movies from it.
Apple has begun to stop installing CD/DVD drives since the introduction of MacBook Air in January 2008. Later, Apple discontinued manufacturing MacBook and iMac with optical drives in 2016 and mid-2011, respectively. With your new Mac devices, you are not able to run CDs or DVDs. For this purpose, you need to rely on external CD/DVD drives. Moreover, you need an external drive to import movies and music to iTunes. If you have got the latest MacBook or iMac (released after 2012 and 2016), you need to buy the best external CD/DVD drives.
1. Apple USB SuperDrive
VLC Media Player is a free and open source DVD Player for Mac, Windows and other platforms. You can play not only DVD, but also CD, VCD, general video and audio files with VLC. The Mac DVD player freeware is capable to play encrypted DVDs. However, when you play a DVD with VLC on Mac, you may encounter VLC not working on DVD and other related. Type or copy paste the following: /LIbrary/Preferences/com.apple.DVDPlayer.plist. Then delete the com.apple.DVDPlayer.plist file and restart your Mac and try again. Try another DVD player. After the above fixes, if still the DVD player is not responding on Mac, you can try another option than buying an external drive to work with the DVD player app - play the DVD with another DVD player. Note: – If the CD/DVD in your optical disk drive or SuperDrive has stuck in the tray then follow the steps mentioned here to eject it. If your Mac’s CD/DVD drive is not working, its malfunctioning, creating screechy noise or if the drive is broken and makes angry noises when it spins up, the noise is becoming a problem when using your computer in class or if you want to disable the CD/DVD.
Apple claims that its USB SuperDrive has everything you need in an optical drive. With simplicity, this external drive has state-of-the-art technology. You can connect this SuperDrive with your MacBook Pro with Retina display, MacBook Air, iMac, or Mac mini with a single USB Type A cable, which is built into this SuperDrive.
The design of this drive is compact as it is slightly bigger than a CD case. You can carry this SuperDrive anywhere in your travel bag or laptop bag. Use this drive on your desk or tray table. Check out the compatible devices.
USP: Compact design
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Check out on Apple
2. VersionTECH
VersionTECH is one of the leading brands in manufacturing high-quality CD/DVD drives for Mac. The most useful feature on this drive is that there is no eject button. And you are not supposed to use any driver program or extra power supply as it can be powered by the USB port.
VersionTECH has created a stylish design that features a durable metal finish with an elegant silver lid. The ultra-slim drive is convenient to carry anywhere. Among other notable features, this drive boasts are embedded cable, premium wire drawing material, low noise, and high durability.
USP: Ultra-thin design
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3. LG
LG is a renowned brand in the world of electronics. The brand has also manufactured top-notch accessories like power banks, Bluetooth headphones, keyboards, stylus and more. For your Mac, LG brings an ultra-slim DVD external drive. With its 8X DVD-R writing speed, you can quickly transfer data from your DVD or CD to your MacBook or iMac.
During the style evolution, LG’s optical drive has achieved a new status from slimmer to the slimmest. The product occupies little space on your desk and delivers the best performance every time you insert a CD or DVD.
USP: Superior data protection
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Check out on Amazon
![Apple external dvd player not working on laptop Apple external dvd player not working on laptop](https://support.apple.com/library/content/dam/edam/applecare/images/en_US/imac/correct_orientation.png)
4. Cocopa
With its high-speed interface of USB 3.0, Cocopa can quickly transmit your data at the maximum speed of 5GBPS. This makes Cocopa an excellent choice of marketing executives, who have to make presentations in offices. The strong fault tolerance gives a stable performance.
![Microsoft dvd player not working Microsoft dvd player not working](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/opticaldrive-lowres-2x1-5578.jpg?auto=webp&quality=75&crop=2:1&width=1024)
For fashion-forward users, Cocopa has used brushed texture shell that gives you a good touch feeling. With its small size, you can carry this portable DVD drive with your laptop anywhere.
USP: Stable performance
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Check out on Amazon
5. Gipow
Beating USB 2.0 and USB 1.0, Gipow has designed a USB 3.0 external drive for your Mac. Whether it is your movies, videos, or audio contents, you can quickly transfer everything to your Mac. If you don’t want to transfer audio/visual contents, you can watch or listen to the contents directly from the drive.
This CD/DVD drive is compatible with multiple operating systems, apart from macOS. It’s a plug-and-play drive you can install and use without any software or driver.
USP: Fashionable design
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Check out on Amazon
6. Rioddas
When I opened the package, I wondered there was no cable attached to this drive. Then I realized that the cable is smartly embedded at the bottom of this drive. This intelligent design can impress any user. This is the best portable drive for Mac owners, who have to travel extensively. The drive doesn’t occupy space in your travel bag or laptop bag.
For better stability on any glossy surface, Rioddas has put a non-slip pad on the bottom. This non-slip pad prevents your drive from falling off your table or desk. The multi-functional CD/DVD drive can burn movies and music.
Why Dvd Player Not Working
USP: Embedded cable design
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Check out on Amazon
7. ISKE
Unlike other external CD/DVD drives that show eject button, ISKE doesn’t have that eject button. When you want to eject a CD or DVD from the drive, you can perform this action from your Mac.
ISKE’s external drive boasts intelligent design as it offers embedded cable design; users should not underrate this feature as it can protect the cable and makes your drive more portable.
USP: No eject button
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Check out on Amazon
8. Botee
Botee has come up with a unique feature: voltage stabilization system. This system avoids high or low voltage lead. Thus, it can protect your computer from any damage. Bootee offers you free lifetime product warranty, 30-day product replacement or refund.
Universal compatibility of this drive enables it to work with multiple operating systems aside from macOS. This means you can smoothly transfer your data from Windows computer to Mac or vice versa.
USP: Voltage stabilization
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Check out on Amazon
9. ivkey
ivkey presents unique design in its external CD drive that works with USB 3.0 high-speed interface. For faster data transmission speed, use this product and achieve a maximum speed of up to 5GBPS. Along with speed, you get stable performance and strong fault tolerance.
Ivkey has unparalleled intelligent burning technology and brand new chip to correct the errors. You can play your audio/visual contents without any log or distortion.
USP: Intelligent burning technology
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Check out on Amazon
That’s all!
Summing up…
For smooth, hassle-free, fast, and secure transmission of your data, external CD/DVD drive is the best solution for your Mac. Note that you can buy any CD or DVD with maximum data storage capacity and then transfer your data from one computer to another.
You may also like to refer:
Which external CD/DVD drive would you like to buy for your Mac?
Your external DVD player is not working or showing up on Mac? Don't worry. Here are all the fixes to help you open Apple SuperDrive and LG, Asus, Dell, Samsung external DVD drives on Mac.
Every now and then, there are users reporting that their external DVD player is not working on MacBooks, MacBook Pros, or Macs (including M1 Macs), not to mention playing a movie or burning a DVD. Sometimes, the external DVD player is not recognized by Mac with error like 'Connect Apple USB SuperDrive to a USB port on this Mac.', while in some other cases, the external DVD drive is not showing up on Mac at all. The problem happens with Apple USB SuperDrive and external DVD drives from LG, Asus, Dell, Gotega, and many others. Anyway, how to get your external DVD player to work on Mac (Monterey incl.)? Keep reading.
Quick Fixes to Get the External DVD Drive Work on Mac
Before you get start with the other solutions in the post below, try the quick tips here to see if if fixes the external DVD player not working on Mac issues:
- Upgrade your macOS to the latest system Monterey.
- Remove the power cord from the drive and plug it back in.
- Check if the external DVD drive is connected properly to the Mac.
- Unplug the DVD player and restart your Mac. Then try again.
- If you're using an old DVD-Rom disk, the Mac external DVD drive may not work with it.
- Check if there is a hardware issue with the external DVD player, the cable, or the drive port.
- If you're using an external DVD player from a third party like LG, Sony, Samsung, Asus, etc., please verify the DVD player supports macOS Monterey.
Play DVDs on Mac without SuperDrive/External Drives
DVD playback errors happen from now and then using an external DVD players on Mac without giving a reason. To avoid errors in the future, you can convert the DVD to play on Mac without external DVD drives anymore. MacX DVD Ripper Pro can help copy DVD to ISO, DVD Folder, MKV with all extras, subtitles and audio tracks, and rip any DVDs to MOV, MP4, HEVC, QT, M4V for playing on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, etc. Freely watch DVDs on Mac without using a disc drive.
How to Fix External DVD Player Not Working on Mac Issues
1. Open DVD Player using Rosetta
There are many users experiencing the external DVD player not showing up errors on macOS Monterey & Apple Silicon M1 Mac. Affected users have shared a solution on Twitter – open the DVD player using Rosetta. If you can’t open your external DVD drive on Mac, follow the steps below:
- If 'DVD Player' is running, choose the window, and type ⌘+Q
- On Finder, type Shift+⌘+G
- Then type '/System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/' and click 'Go'.
- Next, choose 'DVD Player' and then type ⌘+I
- Check 'Open using Rosetta' and type ⌘+W
- Add 'DVD Player' to 'Dock' by drag-and-drop
- Open 'DVD Player'
- Insert a DVD in a disc drive, and play a DVD
2. Check your preferences
When the external DVD drive is not showing up on your Mac, make sure you have set the preferences correctly. A DVD will not show up on the Finder unless you enable the setting in Finder to show it. Try the following steps to change these preferences:
- Click the Finder icon in the Dock, then choose Finder.
- From the Finder menu, click Finder and choose the Preferences menu item.
- Choose Preferences > under the General section, make sure you have set it to show the external disks and DVDs.
3. Reset the SMC of your Mac
In many cases, the external DVD player is not showing up or not recognized by Mac because it doesn’t get enough power. So you’re suggested to reset the SMC of the Mac. Resetting the SMC can solve various power/battery related issues and other common problems. Before you start, disconnect the external DVD drive and any other non-essential devices.
Also see: what to do if the external hard drive is not showing up on Mac
If your Mac has a removable battery:
- Shut down your Mac and disconnect it from all sources of power, including the battery.
- Hold the power button for 5 seconds.
- Reconnect your Mac to the power source and put the battery back in.
- Turn the Mac back on.
Apple External Dvd Player Not Working
If your Mac has an unremovable battery:
- Shut down your Mac and disconnect it from the charger.
- Hold Shift + Control + Option + Power button for 10 seconds.
- Release the keys and reconnect the Mac with the power source.
- Turn the Mac back on.
4. Remove the DVD protections
Commercial DVDs are encoded with various copy protections like the region code. The Mac external DVD players from LG, Samsung, Asus, Dell, etc. are normally limited to 5 times of DVD region code changes. After 5 it's locked to the last region you set. For this reason, you may find some DVDs are not recognized by the external Mac DVD player. To get your external DVD player work on Mac, you can either:
Toshiba Dvd Player Not Working
- Try the VLC player. It ignores region setting and doesn't mess with the DVD hardware's limit of 5 resets.
- Try to remove the region code and other DVD protections using a DVD ripper like MacX DVD Ripper Pro. It will bypass region code, RCE, bad sector, RPC, etc. and convert DVDs to MP4, HEVC, h.264, MOV, M4V, MPEG, and more for Mac.
5. Try another adapter
Now you can't plug an external DVD player directly into the Mac as it now has the new Thunderbolt port. Instead, you need an adapter to connect the drive and the Mac. Therefore, that may cause the external DVD player not working on Mac problems. First, if the Apple USB SuperDrive is too old, it may not getting enough power from the USB port on modern Macs. Second, if your USB adopter is bus powered, you'd better try a self-powered adapter.
The external DVD player is still not recognized or showing up on Mac? Contact Apple Support or just email us >>