superdrive on m1 mac mini

Same problem. Discussed with AppleCare support tech. Need to buy USB-C to USB adapter from Apple. Costs roughly $20 with tax. Apple's adapter supplies power to the SuperDrive. The Mokin multipart adapter I previously bought does not. The apple adapter is working fine as I type.

There's been mention that the new M1 Mac mini's USB-A ports do not supply enough power for bus-powered devices. Try a USB-C port if you have a spare one, otherwise you'll need a powered hub (or your monitor if it has one).

I am using the Apple USB SuperDrive with my M1 MacBook Air by connecting it directly to one of the USB-C ports using a port adapter. Did not work with my powered hub, but seems to work fine by using the simple port adapter.

I have an M1 Mini arriving today, and will be able to test as well.

But I thought I'd throw this out, in case anyone else asked. The SuperDrive is a bus powered device, and has always used Apple's protocol for requesting more power, since it needs an additional 600 mA on top of the maximum 500 mA of USB 2.0 that it connects with. Apple has always only ever allowed this via direct connection, or via a direct USB-C/Thunderbolt to USB adapter, but never via hubs, even powered hubs.

So, yeah, it should work just fine via a direct port. I'm also going to check if at least the M1 architecture OS fixed the System Integrity Protection issue, where if you plugged in a USB optical drive after booting, it wouldn't be able to identify the model name of the actual drive, and only displayed it as the generic "Apple SuperDrive", unless you outright rebooted, or cold booted with it already attached.

Superdrives work fine when plugged directly into the M1 MacMini, either in the USB-A port or the USB-C port. They do NOT work in a multiport USB hub that is plugged into the USB-C port on a MacMini, even though other things do work when plugged into that multiport hub, such as a Facetime camera, an iPhone connector cable, a camera download cable or a flash drive that does not requir too much power. I have found, for example, that a 30-gig flash drive I had did not work when plugged into the M1 MacMini but a 4-gig flash drive that required less power did. If anyone knows of an externally powered USB-A or USB-C multiport hub that works with the MacMini I'd appreciate hearing about it.

I have the Mac mini M1, and when I use a port adaptor for usb-c on the Superdrive, it will spin the disc inside up, showing that it has power, but then spins down and the mini won't recognize the drive or disc. Went into Disk Utility, and was able to eject the disk already inside, and then when I put a new one in, the DVD was recognized.

Literally using the cheapest little usb2 to usb-c adapter they make off of Amazon, works like a charm.

Here's my final report on perifpheral hookups to the M1 Macmini. Old superdrive only works when plugged dirtectly into one of the new MacMini's USB-A ports. Will NOt work when plugged into a powered or unpowered hub plugged into a USB-C or USB-A port on the new MacMini. Camera, iPhone or Face Time plugs DO work in a USB-A hub plugged into the USB-C port of the new MacMini. Don't know if they will work in a USB-A powered or unpowered hub plugged into a USB-A port on the new MacMini or a powered USB-A hub plugged into a USB-C port on the new Macmini. What pains me is that I keep having to buy these hubs to see if they work. How about Apple Support giving us some advice?

My Super Dive only works connected directly to my Mac. It will not work with any hub (powered or not). It has always been this way. If yours does not work with an adapter then the adapter or the drive is bad. There are plenty of inexpensive drives available that work as good or better than the Super Drive.

More cost effective to get another drive. It can be any after market drive. I have several types and all work fine on M1 Mac using a USB-A to USB-C adapter.

I have the new M1 MacMini with 16GB memory and my old Super Drive works just fine without any adapter needed when plugged into one of the two USB-A ports. I am, however, buying a USB-C hub with 4 USB-A ports (since the two USB-A ports on the MacMini are not nearly enough for my printer, keyboard, camera and iPhone hookups), and after seeing some of these posts I don't know if the Superdrive will work off the hub. After seeing posts that the new MacMini does not supply enough power to some bus-powered devices that may explain why my new MacMini does not read or recognize a small s-mini 32GB flash drive that I used with my old late 2012 MacMini. Funnily enough it does recognize smaller 4GB flash drives of the same vintage.

Well my wife's USB Superdrive works just fine when directly connected to my M1 MacMini, either to the USB-C port with an adapter or the USB-A port. It also shows up on Disk Utility. My Superdrive does not work, does not accept disks nor show up on Disk Utility, so it's toast. My question is, can Superdrives be repaired for a reasonable (i.e. below the $70) cost or is it a throwaway?

Maybe there is insufficient power left with all those other USB accessories plugged in. Have you tried unplugging all the other USB accessories that are not required and then trying the superdrive?

Just for grins I took my non-working USB-A Superdrive to an Apple store to see if it could be fixed. I was told it could be repaired for $70. I laughed my way out of the store and bought a third-party CD/DVR drive with a USB-C connector for $30 on Amazon.

Well I guess an OWC enclosure or a non-Apple CD/DVD drive is the way to go.

I've come to the same conclusion. CD/DVR drives are selling as cheaply as $30 on Amazon and some of them already have a USB-C connector.