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Just upgraded my Mac to Sonoma 14.1.1. Computer was new July 2023. I want to upload some more CDs and the Mac doesn't recognize the CD drive. It is an LG Model GP65NB60. When connected to Mac it is on, can hear disk spinning, but can't access drive. Please help. Thanks.
Mac Pro (2023)
I have a couple of external CD burners that I use connected to a MacBook Prom with M3 Max chip and they are both flakey with Sonoma. I burn CDs to use doing my radio show. Here at a few things I have found out:
If there is a CD that it can't read in the drive try this. Hold down the mouse or track pad button while you are connecting the drive to the computer, often this will eject a CD that can't be seen or read. First it will try to read it and then spit it out. Another thing to try is shut the computer off with Cd drive connected. Hold the mouse button down while starting up the computer. Y will have to hold it down a long time! I think the finder is spitting it out, so that need to load first.
To burn Cds on my setup I have to connect the CD drive after I have logged into the computer. In System Settings I have under 'CDs & DVDs" I have "Ask What to Do" selected so it asks when I put in a blank CD. When I have it set to open Music it does not work well. When I put in a blank CD is asks what to do with "Open Finder" selected so I just choose "OK". Then I go into "Music" select the playlist I want to burn and choose "Burn Playlist To disk" from the "File" menu. It is still flakey. If the computer looses contact with my player I have to unplug the player and plug it back in. Then start over, both of my drives work fine on my older computer.
I also read an article about in Macworld about a USB bug in Sonoma where you may have to go into
"System Settings->Privacy & Security->Allow Accessories to connect.
They said you may need to disconnect all US devices, change the setting then reboot your computer.
This option is all the way down near the bottom of the list of things in Privacy & Security.
Change the setting to "Always" I think they also said you may need to change the setting to another option and then back to "Always".
In System Settings CD & DVD does NOT show. In Finder Settings Show CDs is checked. But it's not connected direct to computer because it has the old type of USB plug and iMac doesn't. Any other ideas. Do you think it's possible that it's too old to be identified. It's probably about 6 years old, but very rarely used. Only to upload CD to Mac.
Thanks
Joan
Yes, some hubs are better than others. I prefer OWC (MacSales.com) for my 3rd party hardware. They have an excellent customer support group and can suggest which of their many self powered hubs would work best with your particular Mac, workflow and budget.
Okay, back again. I got an adapter and plugged dvd drive directly into computer. It has electricity, as in open and closes to take CD, but it does not show in finder. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks/
Okay, back again. I got an adapter and plugged dvd drive directly into computer. It has electricity, as in open and closes to take CD, but it does not show in finder. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks/
Last time to try. There is a disk and I can hear that the drive is working, but Mac still won't recognize it. Any last suggestions? If not I will get a new drive. Too frustrating. Thanks for everyone's help
did you ever find a solution? I have a new mac and yeah it's not seeing it, and I have an adapter not a hub.
I plugged it into our old mac (older than the drive) and it worked fine. So I'm guessing it's a matter of it can't connect with the newer Mac. Or rather the new Mac won't connect with it...
purchase the Apple Super drive it is the best!
I have use my Super drive the last five years or more?
I´m not running Sonoma,but Catalina,Big Sur,Monterey and Ventura, but there are not an issue,with Apple Super drive!
Usual culprits: Bad USB cable, bad USB adapter, failed USB port, failed optical drive, or add-on anti-malware tangled.
Which iMac is this? The iMac 24”? Or an older model?
Does the LG optical drive work on another computer?
I've got the same problem with my older 'SuperDrive' that had an older style USB connector that was going through an adapter. So, I just bought a new $40 CD/DVD reader off amazon with a direct USB-C connector and STILL NO LUCK on getting power through the USB connection. This has got to be a macOS Sonoma issue! crazy.... I have finder set to show CD devices, so that is not it. It seems that NO power is going to the drive at all.
I hear you, 64Long. I have an M1 mini with Sonoma (now 14.5) and an old MBP (circa 2015) with Monterey (12.something). My LG external optical drive that I have had since my 2009 MBP died (don't get me started) works great without issues when connected to the old MBP and fails, with spin-up (read "power"), on the new mini. Actually used to work on the mini, connected directly to USB-A port. It's a macos issue folks, pure and simple.
jamesfromcloverdale wrote:
I have been having the same problem. For now, I seem to have solved it. The trick was to: 1) install the latest OS update. 2) plug the optical drive directly into the iMac, i.e. no intermediate hubs. I have no idea if that will work for all. BTW, my optical drive was purchased in 2017. Good luck to all.
Usual cause with SuperDrive is insufficient power, and that means using an adapter or dock that can provide that power.
A lot of third-party adapters and docks can’t.
Some of the third-party adapters have had specific notices about the (lack of) support for SuperDrive.
The Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter can provide enough power for SuperDrive, when connected to a USB-C port with enough power available.
I’ve successfully used some old externally-powered multi-format optical drives, as well.
All of these are checked on my MacBook Pro (Sonoma 14.6.1). I bought an external Blu Ray drive. It plays CDs but it won't play DVD or Blu Ray. I downloaded MacGo Pro ($40!) and it sees the DVDs, but when I hit play it says "this service is not accessible" or words to that effect. Any thoughts? Region is correct.
Blue-ray requires a third-party app for playback, and a third-party player, and you’ll need to check with the playback app developer. See what devices and configurations they support.
Some history here, as Steve Jobs was once quoted: "Blu-ray is a bag of hurt. I don’t mean from the consumer point of view. It’s great to watch movies, but the licensing is so complex. We’re waiting until things settle down, and waiting until Blu-ray takes off before we burden our customers with the cost of licensing."
By the time Blu-ray settled down (and I’m not sure the licensing ever did), there were better alternatives.
Having spent too much time designing and writing and supporting optical media playback apps, optical devices are far less compatible than any of us might prefer, too. Too many are just buggy too, including devices from well-known vendors.
I have this same problem. I've tried selecting all the things, restarting with and without the button. Occasionally I can hear the disk spinning but the device doesn't show up anywhere and now I can't eject. Combination of crappy drive and buggy OS I think. Very disappointed.
Is it connected directly to the Mac?
Do you have CDs, DVDs, and iPods checked in the Finder's General setting?
Mac can't locate external CD drive
