One of the things I missed the most when I replaced my late 2012 MacBook Pro with my brand new MacBook Pro is the optical drive. I didn't really use it that often, but I did use it, and I knew I'd miss it. Yes, an external CD/DVD drive works just fine and iCloud (as well as other cloud-based services) have made it easy to transfer files digitally. But in a pinch, you might just want to access files from a disc on another computer.
Mac Not Reacting To Software Cd Download
This is where Remote Disc comes in. It's a Mac feature that lets you view and access files on a Mac or PC with an optical drive from a Mac that doesn't have one. Here's how to set up and use it.
The minimum requirements
Some users are unable to mount CDs and DVDs after applying the Mac OS X 10.3.7 update. Two typical reports of the problem: 'After installing the upgrade to 10.3.7, suddenly my internal Pioneer DVD. Make sure the drive is not upside down. The aluminum enclosure should be facing up. Check the disc's surface for scratches and dirt, since these things can prevent the disc from appearing on the desktop. The MacBook Air SuperDrive is designed to be used with MacBook Air and Mac mini computers that do not have a built-in optical drive. Nov 17, 2013 cd to is a fast mini-application that opens a Terminal.app window with the path set to the frontmost Finder window. This app is designed to be placed in the Finder window's toolbar. It's written in Objective-C and uses Apple Events, which makes it much faster than AppleScript applets that do.
Most importantly, the Mac you are trying to access a Remote Disc from can't have a built-in optical drive. If it does, you just won't see Remote Disc as an option in Finder.
The disc you are trying to access must also support Remote Disc. Remote Disc does not support certain types of media, mainly copy-protected media like movies and music. You can't access audio CDs, Blu-ray or DVD movies, copy-protected games, recordable CDs or DVDs that you want to burn or erase, and Microsoft installation discs.
How to set up Remote Sharing on Mac
From one Mac to another, Remote Disc is just about as simple as can be. It's just a matter of ticking a box in your System Preferences.
- On the Mac with an optical drive, click on the Apple Menu icon.
- Launch System Preferences.
- Click on Sharing.
- Tick the box for DVD or CD Sharing.
- To protect your content, tick the box for Ask me before allowing others to use my DVD Drive.
When DVD or CD sharing is on, a green light will appear on the Sharing page.
How to set up Remote Sharing on Windows PC
Sharing your CD or DVD drive from a PC is not any harder than sharing from a Mac, but you do have to install some additional software first.
- Download and install Apple's DVD or CD Sharing software onto the PC.
- Open your PC's Control Panel.
- Click on Hardware and Sound.
- Click on DVD or SD Sharing Options.
- Tick the box for DVD or CD Sharing.
- To protect your content, tick the box for Ask me before allowing others to use my DVD Drive.
If your PC has firewall software in place, add ODSAgent and RemoteInstallMacOSX to the programs that your firewall will allow.
How to access files from a Remote Disc on your Mac
Once you've enabled Remote Disc on either a Mac or a PC with an optical drive, you can access it in Finder on your Mac.
- Open a Finder window on the Mac without an optical drive.
- Scroll down the sidebar menu and select Remote Disc under Devices.
- Double-click on the Computer that you want to access the optical drive from.
- Click Connect or Ask to Use in the upper left corner of the Finder window.
- If you have enabled the requirement to ask first, go back to the computer with the optical drive and click Accept.
After you've connected to the computer with the optical drive, you'll see the files in the CD or DVD. Double click on a file to open it or drag the file to your desktop to save a copy.
How to disconnect your Mac from the Remote Disc on another computer
When you're finished getting what you need from the CD or DVD on the computer with the optical drive, you can disconnect from it by clicking on Disconnect in the upper left corner of the Finder window.
If you don't see the Disconnect button in Finder, you can click on the Eject button next to Remote Disc in the sidebar of the Finder window.
You can also simply eject the CD or DVD from the computer with the optical drive. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to remove the disc.
Any questions?
Do you have any questions about accessing a Remote Disc on your Mac? Put them in the comments and I'll help you out.
Updated February 2018: Rewrote for macOS High Sierra.
macOS Catalina
Main
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Closed for 2020Apple says its offices in the US will not fully reopen until at least 2021
According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is planning for its office and many of its retail workers to remain remote for the rest of the year.