DVD external Drive issues ( MacBook Air, Apple M2 MacOS Ventura 13.4.1).
Struggling to get something to work!! Just bought:
VikTck USB-C Superdrive External DVD/CD Drive for Laptop,USB3.0/Type-C CD/DVD Burner External DVD Drive Portable DVD Player for Laptop Desktop PC Apple Mac Windows 11/10/8/7/XP Linux OS
and still no joy. Any advice or possibly operating tips for the Drive above? thanks
MacBook Air 15″, macOS 13.4
Verify that the drive works correctly on a desktop PC which can supply enough USB bus power to operate it correctly.
If it does operate correctly on a desktop PC, the drive may need more current than the MacBook is able to output through it's built-in USB-C ports. In this case you need a powered USB-C hub. The Mac's power supply (or other adequately powered USB-C power supply) plugs into the hub (the correct port is usually marked with a lightning bold or similar), then the Mac and other devices (like an external USB optical drive) plug into the hub. The hub then distributes the power to the hub's USB ports.
If I try to use my external LG DVD-ROM drive (USB-A) without the hub (plugging the drive directly into the Mac's USB-C port), the drive powers on but is non-responsive and will not spin up the disc. Using the powered hub solves this.
Powered USB-C hub at Amazon
Verify that the drive works correctly on a desktop PC which can supply enough USB bus power to operate it correctly.
If it does operate correctly on a desktop PC, the drive may need more current than the MacBook is able to output through it's built-in USB-C ports. In this case you need a powered USB-C hub. The Mac's power supply (or other adequately powered USB-C power supply) plugs into the hub (the correct port is usually marked with a lightning bold or similar), then the Mac and other devices (like an external USB optical drive) plug into the hub. The hub then distributes the power to the hub's USB ports.
If I try to use my external LG DVD-ROM drive (USB-A) without the hub (plugging the drive directly into the Mac's USB-C port), the drive powers on but is non-responsive and will not spin up the disc. Using the powered hub solves this.
Powered USB-C hub at Amazon
I researched the drive you purchased (read some Amazon reviews) and it's considered a "frequently returned item" and many of the low review ratings state that it simply "doesn't work". It also should not need a powered USB-C hub (as I suggested above) since it states that it's "USB-C powered and does not need a power adapter". If you can not get it to work properly on your system, I would set up a return (depending on where/when it was purchased) while you still can, if possible.
External DVD drive issues with MacBook Air
