Can I use an old hp external drive bought for my husband’s laptop since the new iMacs don’t have one any longer.
iMac, macOS 10.13
Most external CD Drives are still supported by the latest MacOS. You may need a USB-C to USB female adaptor to connect the CD drive. Inspect both devices and you will have an idea.
Also please note that you can’t rip/burn into CD the music titles streamed or downloaded on Mac from some services, such as Apple Music, due to DMA restrictions.
You can use any drive you want. But if it was formally an internal drive, you'll need a USB enclosure to house the drive. You might find it more economical to just buy an external optical drive as it will likely be "plug and play". Many are very inexpensive and the two we have that are non Apple work just fine.
Assuming it's a USB drive, maybe. If not, there are many third-party CD/DVD drives that will work.
I won’t know for sure until I buy a new iMac after a cross country move. My 27” OBG is getting nasty remarks from several websites.
I love this community! Since my first Apple in the ‘90s y’all have never disappointed me.
What's a 27" OBG?
ku4hx wrote:
What's a 27" OBG?
I was afraid to ask.
Oldie but goodie. Dating myself I guess. 27” refers to the 27 inch display on the old iMacs from the 90s. Had cd/dvd and SIM card slots on the side. It was awesome in it’s time.
Thank you for your very detailed reply. I’ll know just what to do when I get my new iMac.
Penny Shaw wrote:
Can I use an old hp external drive bought for my husband’s laptop since the new iMacs don’t have one any longer.
I use some old HP and Compaq-branded optical drives. They work. It’s worth trying.
If the optical drive is bus-powered—the ones I use are all wall-powered, and not bus-powered—you will need a USB-C to USB-A adapter that can provide enough power.
The Apple SuperDrive is known for exposing power problems with some third-party adapters.
The Apple USC-C to USB-A adapter can provide enough power.
And bus power supply limitations aside, you will almost certainly will need a USC-C to USB-A adapter here, as that old HP optical drive probably doesn’t have a USB-C connection, and a new iMac 24” does have USB-C connections.
OBG: Oldie But Goodie. Sometimes Old But Gold.
iMac cd drive
