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I can't attach my Super Drive to my Macbook Air or MacBook Pro running OS14.5. Error message says needs power. Any recommendations for a powered USB hub I can run with USB C that will allow me to access CDs?
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 14.5
peterfromswindon wrote:
Thanks yes that might be a long-term solution. Twenty years ago I put all my Syquests etc onto CDs as back ups. Looks like I now need to grab any data I need from the CDs and bung it on iCloud. 8-)
Better hope that those CDs use HFS+ … not plain HFS.
Catalina and later dropped support for plain HFS, and supposedly won't read CDs that use it, even if those CDs were created as "hybrid" Mac/PC CDs and the filesystem meant for a PC would be readable.
If you can read the data, you wouldn't need to put it onto iCloud. One CD = 0.7 GB, maximum. You can get hard drives that store 1 TB (the equivalent of over 1400 CDs full of data) for well under $100 each.
peterfromswindon wrote:
Thanks yes that might be a long-term solution. Twenty years ago I put all my Syquests etc onto CDs as back ups. Looks like I now need to grab any data I need from the CDs and bung it on iCloud. 8-)
Better hope that those CDs use HFS+ … not plain HFS.
Catalina and later dropped support for plain HFS, and supposedly won't read CDs that use it, even if those CDs were created as "hybrid" Mac/PC CDs and the filesystem meant for a PC would be readable.
If you can read the data, you wouldn't need to put it onto iCloud. One CD = 0.7 GB, maximum. You can get hard drives that store 1 TB (the equivalent of over 1400 CDs full of data) for well under $100 each.
Although it seems logical that a powered hub should solve SuperDrive issues, Apple documentation says not to use hub but provides no further explanation.
Remember that the last upgrade to the USB SuperDrive was about 12 years ago. However, others seem to get the to work.
Some things re optical drives:
1—An optical drive will not appear on the desktop unless a valid disk in inserted. Neither will it appear in the Finder sidebar. From my older Macbook Pro with a very functional optical drive but no disk in it:
The drive, if getting power, WILL appear in System Information, with or without a disk inserted, under "USB" in the left-hand content pane.
2—Some have reported they had to use Apple-branded USB to USB-C adapters to get their SDs to work. Three specific adapters are listed in this Apple article:
How to connect the Apple USB SuperDrive - Apple Support
However, other say that they had success with non-Apple adapters.
3—Please do not think I am being insulting or flippant but I must ask this because it is the single greatest cause of SuperDrive issues: Is the silver side up?
If a power hub is going to help, I do not think brand is a huge issue. I've had decent performance from Sabrent brand powered hubs. I bought mine from OWC (macsales.com) but Amazon also carries that brand.
Thanks. I am tempted to get an old Mac as a CD server.
That may be overkill. We are close to ordering Mrs AJ a new iMac M4 and she has a limited need for accessing CDs and DVDs. I am considering this:
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MR3USD24/
Also I recall that optical drive sharing between Macs went away sometime after the computer without the drive had a higher macOS than Mojave. Perhaps another member can post up-to-date info on that, because all the old references to DC and DVD Sharing now reroute to a Sonoma manual.
You might but I've read that it won't work, but I got 1 of these for #20 thatb works directly or on a powered hub...
https://www.amazon.com/Rioddas-External-Portable-Rewriter-Superdrive/dp/B07DLRG9VH/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?
Thanks. I am tempted to get an old Mac as a CD server. On the other hand my need for CD access is low. In this case I need to remove the Fonts from a collection that came with a book of typefaces.
Thanks yes that might be a long-term solution. Twenty years ago I put all my Syquests etc onto CDs as back ups. Looks like I now need to grab any data I need from the CDs and bung it on iCloud. 8-)
Apple Super Drive and powered USB C
