imac won't play DVDs in Yosemite

External SuperDrive DVD player fix - RESOLVED!

This solution worked for my Superdrive, which I had installed in a USB external case, so now it can play movies using Apples DVD Player App, but additional steps may be needed, as I outline below. I had removed the SuperDrive from my mid-2009 Macbook Pro 15" 2.53 ghz to install a second hard drive with Other World Computing's "Data Doubler" adapter, and mounted the SuperDrive in an OWC Value Line SuperSlim external case.

I don't know if the two steps below are necessary, but I had done them first, because others suggested them as fixes before I found the solution in the 3rd step.

1) I installed Apple's SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0, which is on Apple's support site at http://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201953

2) Then I applied a fix on this page, http://www.hardturm.ch/luz/2011/10/how-to-make-the-macbook-air-superdrive-work-w ith-any-mac/comment-page-12/#comment-106449, using Text Wrangler to edit the preference file at /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist by adding code mbasd=1 between the two string values. However, that still did not resolve the problem. I left the preference file with the code “mbasd=1″ included, as outlined on that site.

3) Then, I used the fix at http://macriot.com/mcrt/?p=2294 which requires modification of some code embedded into OS X’s DVDPlayback framework; essentially replacing the words “internal” with “external”

Now my external Superdrive plays movies using DVD Player. 🙂

I've been grappling with this too. I'm no computer guy so just playing around and can get it to work sometimes. I just removed the dvd player from the dock. Then dragged it back to the dock. Then when i inserted the dvd it loaded up and i'm watching it!

Dunno give it a go

I've been grappling with this too. I'm no computer guy so just playing around and can get it to work sometimes. I just removed the dvd player from the dock. Then dragged it back to the dock. Then when i inserted the dvd it loaded up and i'm watching it!

Dunno give it a go

I've found the only way to play DVD's is by using an external DVD/BluRay player and playing the DVD's through VLC. That works!

I've got vlc but don't understand how to use it to play dvd's! and what does everyone think about this? that apple have just f***ed up with yosemite and don't know how to fix it? Or maybe it just pushes everyone to upgrade to new macs with no dvd player??

can't use vlc because it just keeps spitting dvd's out,,,,I'm really ****** off with apple..This computer cost me £1250 6 months ago

In VLC go to File menu and 'Open Disc'. I use an external BluRay drive to play DVD's because my iMac superdrive also spits out DVD's but not CD's. Last time I checked, everybody still has a DVD player in their home. Instead to upgrading the superdrive to BluRay burning capabilities, they've phased them out. Great. Thanks Apple.

Alidonostia wrote:

can't use vlc because it just keeps spitting dvd's out,,,,I'm really ****** off with apple..This computer cost me £1250 6 months ago

..and quite possibly so you should be.

I had DVD burner issues since my PowerMac G4, through my PowerMac G5 and my Mac Pro. Never while the drive is new, always at least after a year or so, (it's like the Mac or the drive know when the warranty is up).

I came here to watch the fixes and replies and almost always heard some of the same old voices repeat ad nauseum, '......you need a new drive', or, '......you need to clean it', '...the update stresses the computer and it finally gave out'.

Whilst sometimes they may be right, they flat out refuse to entertain any other possibility. Now sometimes as the OP said the issue happened directly after an upgrade, (this has happened with other OSX variants too if you peruse here), this alone should rasie eyebrows even amongst the know-it-alls.

I think it's at least in part due to the OS because;

1. If I boot the Mac with the old OS, the drive works.

2. If I boot into Windows natively the drive works.

3. If I give ownership of the drive to Parallels whilst booted into the wonky OS the drive works!!!!

4. Back to the Mac OS and guess what, it just works, NOT.

Bottom line, post feedback through the official online channels. In addition if your Mac is portable and you have the capability dual boot to see if you can verify it working, go to an Apple Store and show them it working anyhow except in the current OS.

good info gumsie, thank you. i will try this. Is dual booting easy? Do you mean, partition my mac and reboot one half with mavericks?

Yes. But there are a couple of things you need not to forget. This may be a little long winded but works for me well.

Anyway lets have a look at your partition map first please;

Into Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility. (Take a screenshot of it by pressing ⌘⇧4 and then the space bar. The Crosshairs will turn into a camera, move the mouse over the disk utility window and click. A file should appear on your desktop - post it here by clicking the camera icon from the tool bar above your forum editor window).

1. It's not a good idea to try and load an OS earlier than that which came installed on your Mac.

2. You should, no you MUST have a serviceable back up, preferably on a separate disk. If you don't have an external hard drive, (I favour the portable type), get one before proceeding. I also favour a regular clone as opposed to Time Machine, (which I will not comment on).

First thing to do is back up to the external which should be at least the same size as your internal drive.

Format it as Mac OS Extended Journaled. (Let us know if you need help with this).

Boot into recovery, choose Disk Utility and the restore option. Be SURE to choose the correct destination and source, (obviously source is the disk you are copying from).

Below is a representation of my Mac. Pretend '40' is my boot volume. (It's not, it's my recovery).

If I were to try and clone the volume '40' to the volume 'Media' I would select as is illustrated. You choose the logical volumes and drag and drop in to the Source and Destination fields.

After that click restore.

Leave the cloning to work and quit disk utility when finished. It should ask if you want to restart and choose yes. If it asks for a start up disk make sure you choose your regular internal drive.

Option boot, from the clone to check operation.

To option boot, have the drive connected and press and hold the option key just after the power button during a restart until the screen goes grey and an arrow and a number of disk icons appear. Navigate to the back up with either tab or cursor and press enter. It will be slower than normal. Once at your desktop check a few things work as normal and then shut down.

Start up agin and it should boot from your regular internal drive.

Into Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility and now highlight the physical drive that contains your boot drive and click the + icon in the partition tab like below.

Drag the slider so that your new partition is adequately sized. (For a test partition I have found that 40GB is fine), and rename it, maybe with the name of your earlier OS so you can distinguish it easily.

Click apply and your disk will be resized.

Quit Disk Utility. You have a hard drive with two partitions.

You can now install your earlier OS on that partition.

Let us know what you think of the above before you proceed please.

Thank you so much, i'm gonna go through this slowly bit by bit when i get a mo, as none of this is simple for me. Don't get me wrong i'm not unintelligent i've just never been taught how to do these things so it will take me a long time...

Is this what you need to see?

Thats's great. You have a 500GB drive with just a boot partition on it.

What we'll do is make sure we're all happy with the process first before we do anything.

That said, I see you have a Logical Volume Group. I think this is Apples Core Storage. You can proceed to back up your drive that won't hurt at all but don't add a partition yet. I'm not using Core Storage so can't vouch for what the differences are, and it looks like there are a few.

Do you have a fusion drive?

I'm also confused as to why DU claims you only have 19MB free. Right - IMPORTANT, back up your Mac using Time Machine or a clone as soon as. I usually leave mine to do overnight. We can figure out if there are issues when your safeguard is in place. Let us know what kind of external you've bought before you start.

Hi, i have a WD external which a friend set up to back up using time machine every time it gets plugged in. This has been happening since before i upgraded to yosemite. here is the size info

That's odd too.

I'm not sure on the ins and out's of TM but you've used 382GB. Your DU chart shows as 19MB free. What does finder say about your boot drive?

do you mean memory?