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Apple USB SuperDrive will not work. When I plug it in, I get this message, "Connect Apple USB SuperDrive to a USB port on this Mac." It's plugged in through a hub.

The disk will not stay in. The instructions say to use an USB-C to USB adapter to connect. So it looks like the USB-C Multimedia Hub will not work with it. What do you think?

Posted on Dec 5, 2019 9:08 AM

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Posted on Dec 5, 2019 9:44 AM

Does your hub have its own power supply?


Hubs are fine but you need the proper one. A self-powered hub should be used for anything with a drive motor, like an optical drive. "Self-powered" means the hub has an independent power supply so the device attached is not drawing power from the computer's USB port.


Example:

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Sabrent/HBU930/

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 5, 2019 9:44 AM in response to Lyla298

Does your hub have its own power supply?


Hubs are fine but you need the proper one. A self-powered hub should be used for anything with a drive motor, like an optical drive. "Self-powered" means the hub has an independent power supply so the device attached is not drawing power from the computer's USB port.


Example:

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Sabrent/HBU930/

Dec 5, 2019 10:39 AM in response to Allan Jones

Allan Jones wrote:

Does your hub have its own power supply?

Hubs are fine but you need the proper one. A self-powered hub should be used for anything with a drive motor, like an optical drive. "Self-powered" means the hub has an independent power supply so the device attached is not drawing power from the computer's USB port.

Example:
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Sabrent/HBU930/


Not with the Apple USB SuperDrive. Not even powered hubs. It's limited to direct connections to a USB-A port on a supported Mac, a USB-C to USB-A adapter (apparently doesn't have to be Apple) or one of two Apple adapters that only have a single USB-A port.


How to connect the Apple USB SuperDrive - Apple Support
To connect your SuperDrive to a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) or USB-C port on your Mac, you can use one of these adapters
USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter
USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter
USB-C to USB Adapter


MacOS should literally refuse to mount it if it's not a supported computer and/or there's anything in between other than Apple's supported adapters. I believe a generic USB-A (female) to USB-C adapter should work though, but something like that doesn't even show up in the USB tree.

Dec 5, 2019 9:22 AM in response to Lyla298

Hmmmm...you could try doing a reset smc/zap pram on your MacBook Pro, but I suspect that the SuperDrive is not getting enough power . Try plugging it in directly to your MacBook Pro and see what happens. Oh, and as for the disk itself, is it a commercial or homemade disk ? You might want to try using a dvd cleaning disk which you can buy at tech stores, drugstores, office supply stores, places like that


john b

Apple USB SuperDrive will not work. When I plug it in, I get this message, "Connect Apple USB SuperDrive to a USB port on this Mac." It's plugged in through a hub.

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