Normally when you plug in an external optical drive to the USB-A/USB-C/Thunderbolt port on your Mac computer, you will see it appear on the desktop. You can also see it in the Finder in the left column under Locations (or Devices on older versions of macOS). If your Apple Mac computers (including MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini) cannot detect an external optical drive, please try the following methods to troubleshoot:
Method 1: Try the external optical drive on another Mac or PC.
If the external optical drive is recognized and works well on another Mac or PC, it means that the optical drive is fine, and the problem should be solved.
Method 2: Remove the USB hub and plug the DATA cable directly into your computer unless your USB hub has its own power supply. You can try different USB ports on your Mac. Some external optical drives have two cables (one data cable and one power supply cord), please do not use the wrong cable.
Method 3: If the external optical drive you purchased has an extra power supply cord, you can try to use it because some USB ports on Mac computers may not supply enough power for an external optical drive through a single data cable. You can use a power bank, USB power adapter, or another USB port on your computer to get extra power.
Method 4: Mac computer may not recognize an external optical drive unless there is a disc in the player, so please insert your disc first and check if your Mac detects it.
Method 5: Edit your preferences
- Open the Finder.
- Click on Finder in the menu at the top of your screen.
- Choose Preferences > General and make sure that there is a tick beside External Drives.
Method 6: If the external optical drive still cannot show on Mac, it may be beneficial to reset the SMC on your Mac: How to reset the SMC of your Mac – Apple Support Page
Good Luck!
