Looking for the latest on External Optical Drives for MBP

[Okla]

We've been plugging along with an early-2011 MBP 17, but, due to media getting stuck, we had to remove the Super Drive that came with the machine. This machine will more than likely be replaced by a newer mid-2015 MBP 15 by the end of this summer.

At this point, we have a call to install some software from the CDs it came on, so we're in need of an external optical disc drive that works well with Mac OS X 10.11.6 (El Capitan) and higher...and while we're considering this purchase, it would be very nice if the drive were also capable of writing data to blank DVD-R media, as well.

In short, we're looking for the latest word on versatile external optical drives and, of course, recommendations of durable equipment for this purpose would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you kindly for your time ~ Okla

 

[chscag]

Unless you can find a work around to use an external drive with that model MBP, you may find that the system won't allow you to use it. The reason is that the firmware which comes with the early 2011 MBP 17" says that the machine has a built in optical drive and any attempt to read or write to a CD/DVD will default to the non functional or removed internal drive.

(And it doesn't matter if the old drive has been removed or not and/or non functional.)

There is probably a work around to get an external drive to function with that model Mac but off hand I don't know of one.

 

[IWT]

Gosh. That seems very harsh of Apple, Charlie. I always knew that Macs with an inbuilt CD/DVD would not work with an Apple Super Drive - that it was necessary to use a third party CD/DVD Ext Drive.

It never occurred to me that no third party USB CD/DVD player would work. I presume this is related to early models??

Well, one lives & learns. Sadly, in this case.

Ian

 

[Randy B. Singer]

In short, we're looking for the latest word on versatile external optical drives and, of course, recommendations of durable equipment for this purpose would be greatly appreciated.

I have no idea if it will work with your particular year and model Mac (you should inquire with Samsung), but this optical drive has been extremely popular with Macintosh users, and it seems to work where other products failed:

Samsung slim external DVD WRITER SE-S084
$50

Samsung slim external DVD WRITER SE-S084 | eBay

Samsung slim external DVD WRITER SE-S084. Condition is New. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.

www.ebay.com

 

[krs]

There was a discussion about that here:

Superdrive A1379 (external) with MacBook Pro Early 2011 Compatibility

Hi. I'm trying to get my computer to recognize a Superdrive A1379 with MacBook Pro Early 2011. I have removed the internal Superdrive and replaced it with a SSD in the same space with an enclosure. I'm trying to get a Superdrive working so that I can put all my CD's on my laptop digitally...

www.mac-forums.com

But not a solid conclusion - an external drive worked for some but not for others.

 

[MacInWin]

Way back there was a hack to do a hex-edit of a system file to change the limitation from "internal" to "external" to allow an external drive on those systems with internal drives that failed. It's been years and I'm not sure if it's still out there or not. I tried a search, but didn't find it.

 

[chscag]

Way back there was a hack to do a hex-edit of a system file to change the limitation from "internal" to "external" to allow an external drive on those systems with internal drives that failed. It's been years and I'm not sure if it's still out there or not. I tried a search, but didn't find it.

I too seem to remember a work around in order to get an external optical drive to work when the internal drive was either removed or defective.

The subject came up because at the time it was popular to remove a working optical drive from your MacBook Pro and replace it with an additional hard drive. The user then placed the removed optical drive in an external case or instead purchased an external drive. Either way, it wouldn't work without a work around.

 

[MacInWin]

And the workaround wasn't hard. You opened a system file in a hex editor, looked for two instances of "internal" and changed them to "external" and saved the result. Reboot and voila! it worked.

 

[chscag]

It never occurred to me that no third party USB CD/DVD player would work. I presume this is related to early models??

Yes, early models since Apple stopped including an optical drive on later models. The problem really only comes up if the internal drive is defective or has been removed. If the internal drive is functional, an external drive (not Apple Super Drive) can be used.

I did that for years with my older 2011 21.5" iMac. The internal optical drive was functional but I preferred instead to use an external Samsung drive that I had.

That sounds confusing but it's really not. Both drives will show up in the Finder and the second drive or external can be chosen. It's only when the built in drive is defective and does not show up in the Finder or has been removed that the problem occurs.

The work around that Jake mentioned above is one way to get around that problem. I believe there was also another (perhaps a terminal command) but I don't remember what it was.

 

[krs]

Yes, early models since Apple stopped including an optical drive on later models. The problem really only comes up if the internal drive is defective or has been removed. If the internal drive is functional, an external drive (not Apple Super Drive) can be used.

I did that for years with my older 2011 21.5" iMac. The internal optical drive was functional but I preferred instead to use an external Samsung drive that I had.

Hmmm.....
Based on the post above and what the OP posted initially:

We've been plugging along with an early-2011 MBP 17, but, due to media getting stuck, we had to remove the Super Drive that came with the machine.

It sounds to me that Super Drive in the OP's Mac has a mechanical problem.
(I had that issue with internal Mac drives, CD's and DVD's getting stuck when trying to eject)
So maybe installing the SD again would then allow an external drive to work.

 

[MacInWin]

Found it! Old archive of a great forum that sadly no longer is supported: 10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives - Mac OS X Hints

I make those edits and my iMac would let me use an external cd/dvd drive for both read and write.

 

[chscag]

Wow... I had forgotten about the Mac OS X Hints forum. I used to belong to that forum and would keep a copy of hints that I possibly could use. If memory serves me right, some of those hints were published in Macworld Mag during that time.

Nice find Jake!

 

[chscag]

It sounds to me that Super Drive in the OP's Mac has a mechanical problem.
(I had that issue with internal Mac drives, CD's and DVD's getting stuck when trying to eject)
So maybe installing the SD again would then allow an external drive to work.

Yes. As a matter of fact that was one of the ways to get an external drive to work. Note that as long as the Finder sees the internal drive, an external can be chosen. It's only when the internal can no longer be seen by the Finder because it's defective or has been removed, that an external drive will not work.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Wow... I had forgotten about the Mac OS X Hints forum. I used to belong to that forum and would keep a copy of hints that I possibly could use. If memory serves me right, some of those hints were published in Macworld Mag during that time.

Not to be too hubristic, but for a certain amount of time Mac OS X Hints was written by one of our own members!

I think that it would be really cool if we had a Macintosh Hints section here on this discussion list. I have several saved up that I've been meaning to share.

 

[chscag]

I think that it would be really cool if we had a Macintosh Hints section here on this discussion list. I have several saved up that I've been meaning to share.

Good suggestion. We will definitely look into it.

 

[Okla]

As I've received some posts in this thread related to the issue I described in the original post -- and some interesting ones related to the forum itself -- I'm not really sure who to quote and/or respond to...but I have figured out how to make the changes to the appropriate system file in Library/Preferences that are supposed to allow a 2011 MacBook Pro 17 (MBP 17) to perform read/writes to an external drive...and it doesn't require a hex editor. Instead, a plain text editor -- not TextEdit -- is used to change the applicable command string.

As I'm not sure how much interest there will be in this mod, I won't type it out here. If, on the other hand, anyone finds themselves in the same predicament, PM me and I will work on sending you my revised and [hopefully] clarified notes on the mod process.

By the way, I employed the phrase "...supposed to..." because I don't actually have an external drive to test the mod with (yet). Regardless, with enough information, the mod can be done before an external drive is hooked up. Our OS X has been modified and our machine is running fine with it...so what do you have to lose?

Thanks for your time ~ Okla

 

[Randy B. Singer]

As I've received some posts in this thread related to the issue I described in the original post -- and some interesting ones related to the forum itself -- I'm not really sure who to quote and/or respond to...but I have figured out how to make the changes to the appropriate system file in Library/Preferences that are supposed to allow a 2011 MacBook Pro 17 (MBP 17) to perform read/writes to an external drive...and it doesn't require a hex editor. Instead, a plain text editor -- not TextEdit -- is used to change the applicable command string.

As I'm not sure how much interest there will be in this mod, I won't type it out here.

I think that it would be wonderful if you would tell us all that you have found. I, for one, would be very interested to know what you found, and where you found it.

It might also help you if you point us to where you found this information...it might be that the information isn't reliable/credible. Or one of us might have additional information to impart that might help you.

 

[MacInWin]

Be careful about using a text editor to make changes on a binary file like the one that needs editing. It can appear to work, but saving the file back to the drive can change the format of the file to render it unusable. I've seen text editors that can display a string of ASCII characters and make you think it can edit it, but which destroys the file in the process.

 

[pm-r]

Not to be too hubristic, but for a certain amount of time Mac OS X Hints was written by one of our own members!

And your time and work there were certainly appreciated by myself and others.

So thank you.

- Patrick
=======

 

[Randy B. Singer]

And your time and work there were certainly appreciated by myself and others.

Mac OS X Hints was always a fabulous resource, and I really appreciated it. I don't remember now exactly how it went down or why, but at some point the person doing it was no longer available. I was disappointed that such a great resource might end. So I just contributed a few hints, and they really liked them. They asked me to stay on and do more, which I did for...I don't know how long. I also don't remember how that gag ended.

I have lots of stories that go like that one. I became a co-author of The Macintosh Bible because a famous author defaulted on his assignment for the Hard Drives chapter, and I just showed up at precisely the right time and said that I could do it. They didn't particualrly believe me, but when I turned in a finished chapter a week later they were thrilled and gave me several other chapters to do.

I ended up writing the regular Macintosh column for Computer Currents because I showed up at their office one day out of the blue. I asked for the job and they said "no." I left them my portfolio and the next day they called me and and told me that they loved my work and that I was hired.

Those jobs led to other jobs with various Macintosh magazines and other publications. I was even "Professor Mac" on the radio for a while. Those were fun times. Eventually the pressures of having a family and a more serious career caused me to cut way back on the Macintosh stuff.