how to mount problem external discs

[wfriedwald]

am trying to mount a series of DVDs - fairly standard DVDs (not BluRay) that I have played before - and they just do NOT mount on the system. Trying in several different machines and different DVDROM drives.

the closest I get is this : DISK UTILITY sees the DVD (and displays it as grayed out, in other words, not mounted), but will NOT let me mount it. when I click the "mount" option, NOTHING happens!

Any suggestions?

thanks as always!

w

 

[Fishrrman]

WHAT did you "play them before on"

Did they ever mount in a Mac DVD drive before?

 

[wfriedwald]

yes, some have been played on a standard DVD player and some have been mounted on this very Mac. Some DVDs that mounted successfully three days ago are NOT mounting today, on the same drive and the same system. Can't figure this one out!

thanks!

w

 

[MSastre]

yes, some have been played on a standard DVD player and some have been mounted on this very Mac. Some DVDs that mounted successfully three days ago are NOT mounting today, on the same drive and the same system. Can't figure this one out!

thanks!

w

Sounds like your DVD drive is going south. I replaced mine in a MP 5,1 and also have USB DVD/CD drives for my 2013 rMBP. Suggest you try a new disc drive.

 

[wfriedwald]

a logical conclusion, but this is a brand new drive. I actually have three (count 'em) external DVD-ROM drives attached, the latest of which is about two weeks old. and the DVD won't mount, but it shows up in Disk Util as being there but not mounted - not sure if there's even a word for that particular state of being!

thanks again for your feedback,

w

 

[Fishrrman]

"I actually have three (count 'em) external DVD-ROM drives attached"

Disconnect ALL of them, except for one.
Try again.

 

[wfriedwald]

I will try again, but I have done that. I should add that I have "experimented" with :

- two different systems, a vintage 2008 mac pro and a current 2018 Mac Mini

- three different external DVD-ROM drives (one of which is brand new), and yes, I've generally connected them one at a time.

- many different DVDs, some commercial, some home-burned. The ones I'm trying to mount now are commercial, and, as I say, they show up in DISK UTIL, but they still don't mount properly.

but yes, will try this again, more methodically.

thanks for feedback,

w

 

[jeyf]

... and they just do NOT mount on the system. Trying in several different machines and different DVDROM drives...

might be the DVD media as well?

 

[wfriedwald]

yes, there might be something in the DVD media, but if it
1. plays in a regular DVD player
2. and mounted last week in the same set-up
shouldn't it also mount via the same system and three days later?

thanks!

w

 

[jeyf]

no one thought the DVD media would remain relevant these many years.
for all the effort you could devote to this might consider if there is a digital copy someplace you could buy for cheep.

anyways do what is necessary.

 

[wfriedwald]

maybe, but there's a bunch of these DVDs I'm trying to mount, and the copies would have the same problem!

thanks as always,

w

 

[jeyf]

look at getting an alternative craigslist DVD unit on the cheep. Do some research on which one is the most compatible with your computer and its macOS. To mount the DVD player i you rely on hardware firmware and software all talking to each other.

There might not be that much support if everyone is buying the content online.

again very best of luck.