First, my CD drive just quit working. I cannot wait for a repair so I bought an LG Super Multi DVD Rewriter usb drive. iTunes would not see it when I put a CD in. Went to Apple store. They told me the LG would not work, but a Lacie would. So I bought a Lacie, same results.
Does anybody know how to get this iMac to use the external CD drive?
Thanks in advance,
Bryan
Logic Pro
Hogwash, you should expect better service from your Apple Store!
I have an LG GE24LU20 and it works just fine with my Early Intel iMac, my Mac Mini, 10.6 and 10.7
Reset your SMC > Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Unplug the computer's power cord.
3. Wait fifteen seconds.
4. Attach the computer's power cord.
5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.
and PRAM > When to reset NVRAM or PRAM
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
6. Release the keys.
Then try either one of those DVD drives again, including your internal one.
Hogwash, you should expect better service from your Apple Store!
I have an LG GE24LU20 and it works just fine with my Early Intel iMac, my Mac Mini, 10.6 and 10.7
Reset your SMC > Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Unplug the computer's power cord.
3. Wait fifteen seconds.
4. Attach the computer's power cord.
5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.
and PRAM > When to reset NVRAM or PRAM
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
6. Release the keys.
Then try either one of those DVD drives again, including your internal one.
LG's site makes no mention of Mac support, so I'm not surprised that it doesn't work. Lacie however almost if not always works with Macs so that is strange. Have you tried another usb cable and another usb port on the back of your iMac? You're not using a USB hub are you?
You have to check the System Requirements for each LG model, some do and some do not.
I searched LG's site with the information given by the OP. Thank you for pointing out that some models do support OS X but his doesn't seem to. I'm assuming that both of his drives are bus powered and am waiting to hear if he's using them through a hub.
Thanks. Not using a hub. Tried different cable, different port. Same results. Going to try @den.thed suggestions next. Thanks.
In additon to those you might want to look at the System Information to see if the drive is beiing seen by your system and as what.
Apple Menu->About This Mac->More Information->System Report
System Information sees it just fine: Hardware->DiscBurning->HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GE24LU20: (specs listed here)
Attention, very strange results are listed below. Please all you experts, read this and use you (better than mine) experience to figure this out:
And here's another hopeful, but purplexing detail. If I put an audio CD in the extrenal drive, it spins, but iTunes does not see it. If in iTunes I go to Controls->Eject disk, all of the sudden my audio CD shows up in icon form on the desktop. The disk starts to spin again, but does not eject. Then a *really strange* thing happens, out of the blue (after several minutes) iTunes recognizes the disk asks me if I want to import. I say yes. It gets about half way throught the first song, and stalls.
Peripheral hardware use to be a little more black and white, it was either Mac compatible or not. Today lots of things (including application sidebars) are all different shades of gray. It's so hard to keep up, even things that use to work in previous OS X versions are a hazy shade of gray in Lion.
So far, I think that we are doing pretty well with the minimal amount of information the OP has provided. Gees it would be great to know what iMac, what OS X, what models the DVD drives are, if they are buss or self-powered and like your asking running thru a buss or self-powered USB Hub?
I know it is wishfull thinking, but I'm still hoping that the SMC and PRAM reset would maybe get all three DVD Drives working again.
For other info while we're hanging out around here, my LG DVD Drive is a self powered unit and is connected to a Belkin 7 Port self-powered hub alone with 1 External HD, an Epson Printer, 3 different camera cables and a iPad/iPod docking cable.
> So far, I think that we are doing pretty well with the minimal
> amount of information the OP has provided.
I agree. You guys rock! Spoiler alert, between last post and this, the LG drive started working (wonder if it will keep working). And @den.thed, I was just going to post that I tried your SMC suggestion, and that *might have fixed it*.
> Gees it would be great to know what iMac,
2.8 GHz Intel Core i5 27 in., 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 (about 1.5 years old - bought it new)
> what OS X,
10.6.8
> what models the DVD drives are,
LG GE24LU20
Lacie 301484U
> if they are buss or self-powered and
Self Powered
> like your asking running thru a buss or self-powered USB Hub?
Not through a buss, plugged right inot iMac (is that what you mean?)
So here's what seemed to make it work (remembered that you said to look at internal drive after SMC suggestion)
1. put audio CD in internal drive
iTunes saw it and tried to import (awful scratchy, screechy import limped along) but bad audio
2. put same CD in LG ext. drive.
iTunes immediatley sees it this time, and imports whole CD perfectly!
3. put a second audio cd in
Perfect results
Question, will this success *stick*? It seemed like a strange set of vodoo steps (parden my wording) to get it to work. If the people on this tread are interested, I will be happy to report back if it continues to work, of if funny things happen.
I will also give credits to posters as the details/results come in.
Thanks to all!!!!!!
That's great news!
OK did you do the resets that I suggested, this is important information for the Apple Support Community?
First I would clean and check the CD for sctarches and try it or another. The LG is way less picky than your internal superdrive is, but will also have a problem with a funky disc.
Next check the Eject button on your Menu Bar to see if you can open and close the the LG from there.
As for Importing or playing a CD with iTunes? You should have the option to either Import it into your Music Library and the play it from there or to simply play it while mounted in the CD player, I could be wrong but don't think that you can do both at the same time.
See my post to your Mar 11, 2012 8:55 AM post.
😉 Enjoy..!
P.S. Lacie's are great DVD drives, but I think that they are a little over priced. I would take it back and tell the person that sold it to me, to learn how to address hardware and OS X problems before suggesting or selling something that works better than something else.
The funky CD does appear to be funky. Tried a few others and all went well. Ejecting from iMac desktop works fine, as does ejecting/playing in iTunes. Tried a data cd, all works as expected.
Feeling some joy now. Strange path to success it seems. Maybe I'll attempt to document the steps. One thing to note, while I did do your SMC suggestion, and it did do the trick, I did not do the PRAM reset, FWIW.
Thanks again @den.thed and all who helped me!
Your welcome, I'm glad to have helped.
My LG GE24LU20 has served me well for over a year now. It has not only been used to import tons of CDs, played hundreds of DVD movies, boots various Install Disc's (Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard), it even has burned a couple of Lion Install/Recovery DVDs.
I'm guessing, but I think that your USB Port Overload protection was probably tripped on one or more ports and resetting the SMC resets the port protection. Problem is that, we would have had to test the ports with some other USB devices before resetting the SMC to know for sure.
Dennis
Hello, as best as I can tell, I'm having the same trouble with both internal drive, and now external added drive, both not working. Based on the various comments, I'll first try to provide you my machine details.
iMac (12-18 months old, bought new)
2.5 GHz Intel Core I5
4GB 1333 MHz DDR3
OS X version 10.7.5 (11G63)
Graphics AMD Radeon HD 6750M 512 M
what models the DVD drives are
The internal "superdrive" is HL-DT-ST DVDRW GA32N, firmware KE06, ATAPI.
The external (I think) is HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GT80N (it's a brand new Amazon Basics USB 2.0 External Slim DVD Writer). I actually got two new ones (shipping error), but neither one works).
buss or self-powered and like your asking running thru a buss or self-powered USB Hub? Sorry, not sure what this means?
I don't use the drive very much at all, but it worked fine the last time I did. The other day I tried inserting a new music CD and got nothing, repeatedly. After reading around online, I got the Amazon external drive, but again nothing. I tried the Amazon drive on a small HP notebook I have and it worked fine right away. I don't know what else to do, but the postings here sounded hopeful.
The SMC and PRAM reset mentioned in the original replies has not worked. Nothing has so far, and no music CD or movie DVD (both new, very clean). The only way I am able to eject the disks (internal or external) is via Disk Utility.
I "think" the disks must be seen by the computer/drives somehow, because I'm ultimately able to eject them from Disk Utility?? Also, I inserted a Harry Potter movie disk, and the name of the movie was actually shown in the Disk Utility screen. But nothing played, and iTunes has never opened in any of my disk insertions (and I know it is set to open automatically when disks are inserted).
I don't know what else to offer, but if you have any questions I'll be happy to provide what I can. I look forward to your assistance!! Thank you,
Jeff
iMac CD drive failed - now trying to get iMac to recognize external usb CD drive - no luck
