macos - How do I enable a USB SuperDrive in Mac OS X El Capitan on a MacBook Pro? - Ask Different
Superdrive not compatible with newer macs?
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More on reddit.comApple USB SuperDrive no longer supported … - Apple Community
Cannot run Superdrive CD/DVD disk drive | MacRumors Forums
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I discovered this is a fast and simple way to enable a USB SuperDrive on El Capitan:
Click on the "" (Apple) menu, select "Restart...", and then hold "⌘" (Command) and "R" at the same time until the progress bar appears. [This will boot El Capitan in recovery mode, which may take a little longer than usual.]
Once booted into the GUI, click on the "Options" menu, and select "Terminal".
Type
csrutil disable, and then press return. [This will temporarily disable System Integrity Protection, which is only possible in recovery mode. This will allow us to modify the restricted *.plist file.]Type
plutil -convert xml1 /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist, and then press return.Type
vi /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist, and then press return.Add the
mbasd=1flag to the "Kernel Flags" string, and save the file. It should look like the file below:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Kernel Flags</key>
<string>mbasd=1</string>
</dict>
</plist>
Type
csrutil enable, and then press return.Type
shutdown -r now, and then press return.
Once the system has restarted, you should now be able to use your USB SuperDrive.
This is by far the easiest way to do this, without having to play around with system permissions, recovery mode etc.
Simply use this Terminal command:
sudo nvram boot-args="mbasd=1"
It will ask you for your user password, and if you’re logged on as administrator, nothing else is required (keep in mind it won’t show anything as you type, just keep typing and hit return at the end).
Reboot and you’re done, your CD/DVD drive is recognized. This also works for those who took their internal drive out and connected it via USB enclosure.
When I plug in my superdrive to my macbook pro (2017), a warning pops up saying "USB accessory needs power, connect usb superdrive to a usb port on this mac." This is frustrating because my mac doesn't have any USB ports! To add, the manual says "Plug the usb superdrive connector into a USB port on your mac (or into a USB-C port, using a USB-C to USB adapter)"
On top, This page says "MacBook Pro models with Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports require a USB-C to USB Adapter (sold separately) to use Apple USB SuperDrive."
But This page says "Plug in the SuperDrive directly to the computer's USB port. Don't use a USB hub."
Is that it? do they just not work anymore? Why do two apple pages conflict? Is there any solution to this or have I wasted my money? (sorry if I sound frustrated, I just, well, I am.)
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I’m using the external SuperDrive with a USB-C to USB-A adapter on a 2019 MacBook Pro under Catalina with no issues. It is 100% compatible.
I can't find it anywhere in the release notes, was SuperDrive (cd/dvd-burner) support through a USB Dock removed in the latest Catalina? This used to work fine for years, including Catalina - but since the latest update, MacOS will give the dreaded "USB accessory needs power. Attach to a USB-port of the mac!" warning.
Before, all you had to do was go in to recovery and add "mbasd=1" to the boot-args parameter of your NVRAM/PRAM. This parameter is still there, but it would appear Catalina has suddenly started to ignore it after the latest update. It won't budge.
Anyone noticing something similar and any idea if this is intentional or a bug in the latest Catalina? :)
The dock itself is powered through the wall-socket, the SuperDrive has always worked fine through the Dock (including on Catalina).
A search in the group reveals nothing, Google is useless these days anyway but as expected: no results and Apple is being as vague about it as ever. :)
I'm surprised it ever worked. The Superdrive is known for requiring a nonstandard amount of amperes, and the built-in port on the Mac would recognize it and give it what it needs. For most of us, The Superdrive never worked with a USB hub.
By comparison, I use a Valoin DVD-R/RW drive with a powered hub, but just for playing DVDs. It won't burn with the powered hub because it can't get the hub to give it enough amperes.
I have the same problem since the last update of Catalina 10.15.4. I have an Apple SuperDrive USB that was plugged into a USB 3.0 hub and with the "mbasd=1" boot argument, it worked properly. I had to unplug it and try to plug it into other USB ports. I managed to make it work again by plugging it into the USB-C hub of my LG Ultrafine 5K display, with an official Apple USB-C adapter.
However the update had to change something, because before I saw the name of the internal drive to the Apple SuperDrive USB and now it appears as "Apple SuperDrive".
I upgraded to an M2 pro Mac mini. I need an optical drive and am considering the SuperDrive, is it compatible with apple silicon?