External DVD drive not working.

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Level 1

33 points

External DVD drive not working.

I have an LG external DVD drive and a Dell one. Both used to work perfectly fine on both my 2016 15.4" MBP and my 2019 16" MBP. Tried to use them yesterday on both computers and they are not recognized. If I switch to Windows 10 in boot camp, it makes the mounting sound over and over, but does not mount. Both computers are running 10.15.7 and this is a new issue. We are using official Apple dongles. Both disc drives work fine on my Dell laptop. Any suggestions?

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Sep 25, 2020 3:29 PM

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Answer 1

mario49

Community Specialist

Oct 2, 2020 9:15 AM in response to petey47

Hello petey47,

After reviewing your post, it seems like two different DVD drives are not being recognized or mounted on the Mac. It may be the USB port or cable not connecting properly to recognizing the drive. We would recommend you use this article to help troubleshoot the issue.

If a USB device doesn’t work with Mac

Please don't hesitate to let us know if the steps resolved your issue or if you need additional assistance.

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Have a nice day.

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Answer 2

mario49

Community Specialist

Oct 2, 2020 11:45 AM in response to petey47

Hey petey47,

Thanks for the update. The external DVD drives are recognized by two PCs, but not by two Macs using USB-C or USB-A in macOS or even when using Windows. Make sure the settings in the Finder Preferences are correct so it will show if recognized. Also, you can reset the SMC to see if the USB devices are recognized afterward.

Are you able to use other USB-C or USB-A devices?

How to reset the SMC of your Mac

"In the Finder on your Mac, choose Finder > Preferences.
Click General, then select the items you want to see on the desktop.
For example, if you select “Hard disks,” icons for your hard disks appear on your desktop."

See connected disks, devices, and servers on Mac

Have a good one.

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Answer 3

petey47 Author

Level 1

33 points

Oct 2, 2020 11:31 AM in response to mario49

It can’t be the computer, but has to be a software issue. It’s all three MacBooks we have in the house (two USB-C and one USB-A. The DVD drives do not work on any of them, even when booted into Windows, but work fine on Windows laptops.

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External DVD drive not working.

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