Mac Or MacBook Doesn’t Recognize External Drives, Troubleshooting Tips. There are a number of reasons why your Mac won’t recognize a drive. If you have a drive already mounted and your system goes to sleep, it also powers down ports, including USB ports. 3.0 and 2.0 FAT and FAT 32 External Drives on their Macs ran the program Kext.
I'm on a MacBook Pro OSX version 10.4.11. I've been using this Mac for years, but I'm still such a beginner when it comes to Macs.
My internal DVD-RW stopped working forever ago. I recently purchased a Samsung External Slim DVD-W SE-S084C/RSRN so that I can update to Snow Leopard. The SE-S084C requires 2 USB ports, so I also purchased a Belkin USB hub.
When I plug everything in, nothing happens. I tried installing a driver through the Samsung support site, but no luck. I read somewhere that PatchBurn might help, but it didn't or I'm not using it correctly.
I'm wondering if I somehow need to tell my Mac to stop recognizing the internal drive so that it'll start recognizing the external drive? I don't know. My Dell-certified technician girlfriend said that might be the problem, but I'm not sure how I'd fix it if it was.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
Sarah
My internal DVD-RW stopped working forever ago. I recently purchased a Samsung External Slim DVD-W SE-S084C/RSRN so that I can update to Snow Leopard. The SE-S084C requires 2 USB ports, so I also purchased a Belkin USB hub.
When I plug everything in, nothing happens. I tried installing a driver through the Samsung support site, but no luck. I read somewhere that PatchBurn might help, but it didn't or I'm not using it correctly.
I'm wondering if I somehow need to tell my Mac to stop recognizing the internal drive so that it'll start recognizing the external drive? I don't know. My Dell-certified technician girlfriend said that might be the problem, but I'm not sure how I'd fix it if it was.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
Sarah
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.11)
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10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives | 15 comments | Create New Account
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10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
Kind of strange because this limitation went away in 10.3+, and I guess seems to have come back? Weird.
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
I wonder if the 10.5 version of that file contains the key to making them both work.
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
All versions of DVD Player in OS X will play from external drives without needing patches et al. (The limitation to Apple-branded drives in Panther and before was just to burning of discs, not to other functions.)
The problem is:
If there is no DVD device connected to the primary internal bus (ATA or S-ATA), the application refuses to start up.
If you removed the internal drive, you have to patch the player's framework this way.
If your internal DVD is right in place (using it or not doesn't care), you don't need that.
This stupid restriction is enforced by licensing terms of the contained 3rd party DVD decryption/playback software (called 'Cinemaster': a widespread back-end package, found in standalone hardware players from a dozen manufacturers, too. It's essentially the same brand of software as in the well-known PC-apps PowerDVD or Nero ShowTime.)
In the early days of DVD playback, this was enforced to prevent the circumvention of region code settings (the infameous 'change it no more than 5 times' rule).
Therefore, Apple will not remove it - they are not allowed to do so.
The problem is:
If there is no DVD device connected to the primary internal bus (ATA or S-ATA), the application refuses to start up.
If you removed the internal drive, you have to patch the player's framework this way.
If your internal DVD is right in place (using it or not doesn't care), you don't need that.
This stupid restriction is enforced by licensing terms of the contained 3rd party DVD decryption/playback software (called 'Cinemaster': a widespread back-end package, found in standalone hardware players from a dozen manufacturers, too. It's essentially the same brand of software as in the well-known PC-apps PowerDVD or Nero ShowTime.)
In the early days of DVD playback, this was enforced to prevent the circumvention of region code settings (the infameous 'change it no more than 5 times' rule).
Therefore, Apple will not remove it - they are not allowed to do so.
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
Yes, Thank you so much for this hint. It works perfectly on my OWC samsung external. I was just about to start researching that error and this hint came along. What a time saver.
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
I've got an old external dvd burner/player (from an old pc I gutted years ago) that I've rigged up with ide<>usb adaptor. When plugged into my macbook running snow leopard, it works fine with dvd player and everything else, despite having a working internal drive. Didn't have to do any fixing to get it working. It works a lot faster than the internal drive too.
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
I'll have to remember to apply this patch next time I decide to watch a DVD using DVD player. I'm more likely to simply use VLC though.
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vacuums do not suck. they merely provide an absence that allows other objects to take the place of what becomes absent.
vacuums do not suck. they merely provide an absence that allows other objects to take the place of what becomes absent.
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
I found this tip last year (not sure where, but it referred also to the Hardmac article) when my iMac's internal drive stopped working and I did not want to spend a lot of money getting it repaired. Worked like a charm. In Snow Leopard there are 6 occurences of the word 'Internal', in Leopard there are 4.
BTW: the cause of the problem in my case probably was software (driver) related. After I upgraded to Snow Leopard (and applied the patch again) I also found out that the internal drive was functioning again!
BTW: the cause of the problem in my case probably was software (driver) related. After I upgraded to Snow Leopard (and applied the patch again) I also found out that the internal drive was functioning again!
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
Thank you so much for this hint. It works perfectly on my OWC samsung external. I was just about to start researching that error and this hint came along. What a time saver.
10.7: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
Note that this works for 10.7.2 as well. Just tried it on my MBP (2009) with internal drive removed, external USB drive.
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
After performing the HEX edit changes, I am unable to watch a movie with the drive. I can view files from a DVD as well as burn a CD/DVD. When I load a DVD I get 'DVD Player cannot be opened because of a problem.' If I ignore the message and try to load a DVD to Mac The Ripper, it shows 'ERROR' and ejects the DVD. I have tried multiple DVD's.
Any/All suggestions are appreciated.
Any/All suggestions are appreciated.
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
I can't boot from a system disc OSX 10.6.3 universal or tech tool pro 6 disc using DVD Drive switcher. Any ideas? Or will we never be able to do boot discs again?
This also works for an Apple SuperDrive on a MacBook Pro running Mountain Lion (10.8.2).
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives
I have never edited hex before and I followed these instructions and DVD player was recognizing my external drive in less than 15 minutes. I feel so cool. Thank you!
10.6: Make DVD Player work with external DVD drives