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USB Superdrive

A

annirooni

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 10, 2016
32
5
Limousin, France
Hi,
Just bought an Apple USB Superdrive but it won't connect to MacBook Pro. Message keeps coming up saying USB accessory needs power yet when I plug it in through adaptor I hear it click. It won't accept CDs. The USB adaptor is working.
Any ideas please?
Cheers
 
Which MBP do you have (year and model)?
What OS is running?

The Apple Superdrive can be a very finicky device...
 
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You will likely need to use either and Apple adapter or a powered usb hub. I’m guessing your adapter is providing some but not enough power for it to work.
 
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annirooni said:
Hi,
Just bought an Apple USB Superdrive but it won't connect to MacBook Pro. Message keeps coming up saying USB accessory needs power yet when I plug it in through adaptor I hear it click. It won't accept CDs. The USB adaptor is working.
Any ideas please?
Cheers
Click to expand...
I have a Caldigit SOHO USB-C hub that requires a driver (kext) to power the Apple Super Drive. I can get the Super Drive to work without the Caldigit driver by connecting directly to the USB-C port on my M1 MBA using a dumb USB-C to USB-A adapter like this one. The Apple Super Drive requires more power than most USB-A devices and apparently doesn’t request the power correctly.
 
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You need to modify a setting in macOS to make it work, if it's not a supported Mac. I don't know if this modification still works with current OSes or current model Macs.

For High Sierra:

Apple usb superdrive is not supported on … - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com discussions.apple.com

For El Capitan:


Personally I would have just bought a more modern third party USB drive instead, since they're designed to work on any machine, with the limitations of USB power.
 
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Fishrrman said:
Which MBP do you have (year and model)?
What OS is running?

The Apple Superdrive can be a very finicky device...
Click to expand...
MBP bought direct from Apple early last year. I tried the drive yesterday before doing the Monterey 12.1 software update and after it's still not working.
I have a Selore & S-Global USB hub which works with my camera etc and some power must be getting to drive using it as I hear a click when plugged in.
 
hg.wells said:
You will likely need to use either and Apple adapter or a powered usb hub. I’m guessing your adapter is providing some but not enough power for it to work.
Click to expand...
The adaptor looks almost the same as the one Apple have, but Apple also have a single adaptor USB-C to USB, would that do the job?
 
annirooni said:
No can do as old style USB on Superdrive.
Click to expand...
Adapters cost $5. However, my prediction is it still wouldn’t work without modifying a kext or running terminal commands to change the power delivery behaviour of the ports.

EDIT:

Nope, I'm wrong. USB-C will work just with the adapter.
 
Last edited:
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Thanks for all the advice. I've bitten the bullet and ordered a single adaptor which they say will work. Will at least have some comeback if it doesn't. Cheers
 
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iu.jpeg


My Apple Superdrive worked just fine on my 2020 13" MBP using one of these Adaptors.
 
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jdb8167 said:
Direct connect to the USB-C port will work with a simple USB-C to USB-A adapter. No other changes needed.
Click to expand...
Anyone know the real world power draw of these drives?

And I guess USB-C just ignores the usual 2.5 Watt limitation for USB 2.0, and provides up to 4.5 W even for these old devices?

What about USB-A 3.0 with these SuperDrives?
 
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EugW said:
Anyone know the real world power draw of these drives?

And I guess USB-C just ignores the usual 2.5 Watt limitation for USB 2.0, and provides up to 4.5 W even for these old devices?

What about USB-A 3.0 with these SuperDrives?
Click to expand...
Here’s where Apple says it’s supported with their adapters. Not sure about power draw actually needed for the device though.

How to connect the Apple USB SuperDrive - Apple Support

Find out which Mac computers can use the Apple USB SuperDrive and how to connect it.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
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EugW said:
Anyone know the real world power draw of these drives?

And I guess USB-C just ignores the usual 2.5 Watt limitation for USB 2.0, and provides up to 4.5 W even for these old devices?

What about USB-A 3.0 with these SuperDrives?
Click to expand...
I’m pretty sure that the Super Drive isn’t requesting the power it needs correctly but macOS recognizes the drive and supplies the needed power anyway. My USB-C dock from Caldigit has a USB-A 3.2 port but doesn’t supply the needed power unless you run the Caldigit kext.
 
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