How do I play a CD on my Mac without a CD drive?

Luckily, it’s possible to use discs without buying an external drive thanks to the built-in Remote Disc feature. A Mac or Windows PC on your network can function as a server, and your Mac can access discs inserted into that server. The appropriate server software is included on a Mac, so you’ll just have to enable it.

Thereof, Why doesn’t my Mac have a CD slot?

The CD/DVD SuperDrive is no longer built into the iMac. Basically it comes down to the fact that there is no optical drive thin enough to be installed into the ultra thin iMac enclosure. You need to either purchase Apple’s own external drive for $79 U.S.D or purchase a third party external CD/DVD optical drive.

Accordingly, What do you do if your computer doesn’t have a CD drive?


These tips work for desktop PCs, too.

  1. Use an external DVD drive. Shop HP External Drives Now. …
  2. Create ISO files for virtual disks. …
  3. Rip files from CD, DVD, or Blu-ray. …
  4. Share CD and DVD drives over Windows network.

Does my Mac have a DVD player? Connect an external DVD drive

Recent Macs have no physical drive for you to play CDs or DVDs. But there’s another simple solution: buy and connect an external optical drive, and play the DVD through that. If you want to stick with the official Apple kit, the company sells a USB SuperDrive for £79/$79.

Also know Why can’t I play a DVD on my Mac?

DVD not be recognized/read usually happens when you insert DVD disc improperly, have a damaged disc or DVD drive, or your DVD drive driver goes outdated. For that, you can repair or buy a new DVD drive, or reset NVRAM (or PRAM) via press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys to shut down your computer and turn on later.

How do I run a CD on my Mac?
Insert a CD or DVD

  1. Turn the disc label so it faces up or toward you.
  2. Insert the disc into the optical drive until you feel the drive catch and pull the disc in. You must insert the disc nearly all the way in before the drive pulls it in.

Where is CD slot Mac desktop?

Answer: A: It doesn’t have one. Apple has dropped installing the optical drive on their new Macs. If you need one then you must get an external optical drive.

How do I play a DVD on my Mac?


Play a DVD movie file stored on your Mac

  1. In the DVD Player app on your Mac, Choose File > Open DVD Media.
  2. Navigate to the VIDEO_TS folder that contains the movie file you want to play, then click Open.

Do all PCs have a disc drive?

Modern laptops — and even many modern desktop PCs — are dropping disc drives. If you still have discs with software, music, videos, or anything else on them, there are still ways to use them.

How do I download a CD to my computer without a CD drive?

Insert the USB thumb drive into a USB port on the computer that does not have a CD/DVD drive. If an AutoPlay window appears, click Open folder to view files. If an AutoPlay window does not appear, click Start , click Computer, and then double-click the USB thumb drive.

How can I play a DVD on my computer without a DVD drive?

Stream movies

The most obvious solution to not having a DVD drive in the computer is to stream the movies over the internet instead of playing them from a physical disc. You can buy outright or rent movies and TV shows from Google Play or iTunes, and you can stream them from Netflix, Amazon and other services.

How do I use an external DVD drive on a Mac?

Use an External Optical Drive

Once you’ve attached your external drive to your Mac, you can use it in exactly the same way as a built-in optical drive: simply insert the DVD or CD into the SuperDrive, and the relevant media-playing app should launch automatically.

How do I find my external DVD drive on my Mac?

Check Apple’s Disk Utility to see if an external drive is showing up. Disk Utility is within System Preferences, or you can find it using Spotlight. If it is visible, then click the option to Mount, which should make it visible on the desktop and in the External Drives option in the Finder menu.

How do I find CD on my Mac?

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click CDs & DVDs. If you don’t have an optical drive built into or connected to your Mac, CDs & DVDs preferences aren’t available.

How do I watch a DVD on my Mac?

Click the little Spotlight icon in the upper right corner of your Mac’s screen. Search for DVD Player, and the app’s icon will appear at the top of the Top Hits. Double click on the icon and the app will launch. Once launched you can open a DVD by going to File > Open DVD Player.

Where is disc Utility on Mac?

To access Disk Utility while logged in, go to the Finder and click the Go menu, select Utilities, and then in the window that appears, double-click the Disk Utility icon.

How do I connect an external DVD player to my Mac?

To use your SuperDrive, connect it to a USB-A port on your Mac*, then insert a disc. Make sure that the aluminum enclosure of the SuperDrive is facing up. To connect your SuperDrive to a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) or USB-C port on your Mac, you can use one of these adapters: USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

What can I play CDs on?

In Windows Media Player, you can play audio CDs, data CDs, and data DVDs that contain music or video files (also known as media CDs). You can also play video CDs (VCDs), which are similar to DVDs, although the video quality isn’t as high.

Can you use any external CD drive on a Mac?

If your Mac doesn’t have a built-in optical drive, you can use another computer’s DVD or CD drive, or use an external optical drive, such as the Apple USB SuperDrive.

How do I use an external CD drive on a Mac?

Use an External Optical Drive

Once you’ve attached your external drive to your Mac, you can use it in exactly the same way as a built-in optical drive: simply insert the DVD or CD into the SuperDrive, and the relevant media-playing app should launch automatically.

How do I download a CD onto my Mac?

Load the CD into your computer’s CD or DVD drive. A pop-up window asks if you want to show the CD in the Finder, play it in iTunes or import the CD. Click “Import CD.” The CD tracks will automatically begin importing into iTunes.

Do you need a CD drive anymore?

Optical drives, that can read and write CDs, DVDs, and sometimes Blu-ray discs, have been an important part of the PC universe for a long time. But there’s less and less need for them. … Most users download and stream music and movies these days rather than buy them on a shiny five-inch disc.

Why do modern pcs not have DVD drives?

Discs Are Dying

Optical drives tend to occupy much space, thus making computers bulky, which isn’t attractive anymore. Moreover, discs don’t have the same storage capacity as USB flash drives or external hard drives. There are also security issues with the Blu-Ray format that discourages some users from purchasing it.

Is a DVD a CD?

A Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc (DVD) is similar to a CD-ROM in that you can only read data from it. The main difference is that the DVD can store much more data than a CD-ROM, CD-R, or CD-RW.

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