Dell really managed to surprise the users with the DW316 slim external DVD R/W drive. First of all, you will notice the simple but at the same time very graceful design of the drive.

Not only are they capable of reading data from and burning it onto CDs, many come in handy for playing and writing to DVDs and Blu-ray discs as well. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to support our work. Modern technology has advanced in leaps and bounds in recent years. Where CD-ROM drives used to come standard on new PCs, we are seeing less need for them over time.

The Best External Optical Drives for DVDs and Blu-rays Updated October 3, 2017 After a new round of research and testing, we’ve decided that our new external DVD drive pick is the LG GP65NB60. The Remote Disc feature of your Mac lets you use files stored on a CD or DVD hosted from another computer. Sharing discs If your Mac doesn't have a built-in optical drive and you need to use a CD or DVD, you can connect an external drive like the Apple USB SuperDrive.

The upper part has a glossy black coating with a noticeable company logo in the center. You should just press the button and the disc tray pops out. Remember that the drive can only be used horizontally. This model offers both reading and burning for your CDs and DVDs at a fairly high speed. The DSB is 0.75 MB, so you will have quick access to all your information on the medium. To work with disks, you can use the pre-loaded CyberLink Media Suite or install additional software.

They allow you to keep the convenience of your smaller, portable PCs while ensuring that you have access to all features, including CD-ROM capabilities. They are handy for watching rented movies when you are traveling out of town or retrieving old files that have not been otherwise backed up. Most external CD drives connect via USB making them simple to install and use. Since CDs are not entirely obsolete, an external CD drive just makes sense. It is especially important for people who have music CDs they want to convert to. On the chance that CDs do one day become obsolete, all of your music, movies, and other important files will still be saved because you had the foresight to invest in an external CD drive.

Drives that come with a Y-cable, whether built-in or separate, provide some handy foolproofing. We didn’t test larger external drives that required their own power cord, as we saw those drives as being too expensive and bulky for most people’s needs. With those criteria in mind, we scoured retailers for the best-selling and top-rated optical drives, and we checked manufacturer websites for models released since our previous update. How we tested. We tested each DVD drive finalist by ripping an file (creating a full copy of the disc) from a test DVD of video files using on Windows and the Disk Utility app on macOS, with each drive connected to USB 3.0 ports on each computer. We burned the ISO files to a and timed each process.

Blu-ray, as its name implies, employs a blue laser, which has a shorter wavelength of approximately 405 nanometers, allowing it to be more sharply focused. Blu-ray and DVD discs work about the same way, a lot like, in which the grooves read by a needle translate back into the musical vibrations that imprinted them in the first place. The finer lasers on Blu-ray drives can accurately read smaller grooves in the disc, allowing more information to squeeze its way onto the format.

Yop, thanks for your detailed reporting. I can say I have the same exact issue. My Surface Pro 3 is unable to properly read/write to a Crucial MX100 SSD in an Inateck FE2005 USB 3.0 external enclosure. In particular, I work in a Hyper-V VM which I store on this external drive. It works flawlessly on two desktop computers, but the SP3 can’t deal with it. When I plug in the Inateck enclosure and start my VM, it starts booting but then freezes. The entire host system becomes unstable and unresponsive.

If I try just copying a large file (like a disc ISO) to the external drive, it will start out very fast and then suddenly, after just 2 or 3 seconds, drop to zero and hang. When this happens, the Windows event log is full of errors stating that the external drive was reset, that an IO operation was retried, and that errors occurred during paging operations. Sometimes I see where just 1 second after I plug in the drive, the event log reports that it was “surprise disconnected” but it’s still visible and accessible in Windows Explorer.

In this case, you will want to look into getting a drive that uses a bit more power but will save you time in the long run. However, if all you need is to rip a CD now and then or watch the occasional DVD, then a basic drive is probably a good choice. A Brief History of External CD Drives, an American inventor, is the widely accepted inventor of the original compact disc prototype that recorded information digitally on optical transparent foil. The foil was back lit by a halogen lamp, and Russell filed for the patent in 1966. It was four years before his patent request was approved. Afterward in the 1980s, Phillips and Sony both obtained licenses to produce compact discs and drives. This made them easy to produce and sell without causing the music industry to miss a beat.

That’s the thickness of a small notebook. The slim design compared with the affordable price tag definitely makes this external DVD writer well worth the bother. It’s supported by USB 2.0 connections.

Not all external CD drives are created equal, especially if you will be using yours for work or gaming. Second, consider the extra features your chosen external CD drive offers. First, consider the size you need.

It’s a paid application and is both more expensive and has a shorter free trial than Paragon HFS+. Like Paragon HFS+, MacDrive offers full read/write access via Windows File Explorer fast performance. It also offers disk repair and partitioning tools for working with and creating Mac file systems. These are additional features, but you probably won’t need them. This tool is a bit pricier than Paragon HFS+, so you’ll likely want to stick with Paragon HFS+ if you want a paid application. If Paragon HFS+ doesn’t work well for you for some reason, you may want to go with MacDrive. Luckily, thanks to the free trials, you can try it out to see if that extra $30 over Paragon HFS+ is actually worth it.

Keyboards, mice and the superdrive will work on a windows machine - all you have to do is install the relevant bootcamp drivers as you would if you was actually using bootcamp on a mac. Superdrives and other external hardware don't discriminate on systems, they only do what the drivers tell them to do, and the drivers are made for windows. • Answered by Graham B from Balzers • May 26, 2015 •. Tricky situation. Technically, is should be able to, (with minor Hardware modifications) as it is using a USB as a Connector, but, thou mentioned as MINOR modifications, its not so easy as it is made out to sound. But Apple have encoded the drive so it should be able to identify and reject any computer if it is not on the 'APPROVED' list, which ironically include certain MAC computers as well. It can be setup to be 'SHARED' over a WIFI Network as well.

The competition. We eliminated any DVD drives that cost more than $40 and any Blu-ray drives that cost more than $120, as well as any models that didn’t both read and write discs, and any that had poor or few reviews on Amazon. We also eliminated older versions of currently available drives, and we didn’t retest anything we’ve ruled out since we first published this guide in June 2013. The burned and ripped DVDs at about the same speeds as other drives we tested in 2017, but it currently costs more than our picks, and its silver paint scratched a few times in our travels. It’s a fine drive otherwise, and worth the investment if you can find it on sale. The was our previous top DVD pick for this guide, due to its uncanny speed at ripping DVDs in Windows and its convenient top-mounted eject button and light. But it’s no longer available consistently at its prior price, and Samsung seems to have discontinued all of its optical drives.

Choosing the media that fits best for each task is now easier. It comes with a Mini USB cable and the connection to a computer should provide all the power needed for the external drive. Considering the price and the features, the only conclusion we can derive is a positive one.

Sure, it's still expensive, four times the price of an equivalent 2TB drive, and unlikely to be the most nimble performer. But, you're paying for a product that's virtually uncrackable. Bear in mind, though, you'll get no help from the manufacturer if things go awry and you lose your password. Read our full review: Gabe Carey and Matt Hanson also contributed to this article.

I made the mistake of following the directions here on my Surface Pro 3. In particular, I followed the direction under “USB External Drive Not Recognized On Surface: Uninstall the USB Drivers”.

Then check the box to 'ignore ownership on this volume,' or toggle it off and then on if it's already enabled. If this setting is enabled and you still do not have access, you can try removing the system's volume information database, which holds this setting for external drives on the system. To do this, choose 'Go to Folder' from the Finder's Go menu, and then type in '/var/db' and press Enter to open the hidden system database folder. In here, locate the file called 'volinfo.database' and remove it from this folder (you may need to authenticate to do this). Once this is complete, detach and reattach your external drive, and then try toggling the setting to ignore ownership on the volume.

In other words, this feature only allows you to access the files on a data disc over a network from within Mac OS X. You’ll need an external drive to do anything else. First, you’ll need to set up the server on a remote computer with a disc drive. Assuming the computer with a disc drive you want to share is a Mac, click the Apple menu, click System Preferences, and click the Sharing icon. Activate the “DVD and CD Sharing” option in the Sharing list.

[And] for Linux, I only recall that I always had to physical do a command to mount the drive, via “mount.” A bit of a hassle that may not be a problem in newer Linux packages (not using it now). Anyway, I did experience this phenomenon once on my Surface Pro 3 (never on the Surface Pro 2 BTW!).

This tool installs a file system driver that allows you to access a Mac-formatted drive like any other drive in File Explorer, or any other Windows application with an open or save dialog. It boasts improved speed, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it were faster than HFSExplorer. And, unlike HFSExplorer, it offers full read/write access to Mac-formatted drives, so you can write to them from within Windows.

A large, heavy desktop Blu-ray drive, the requires a dedicated power cord, and at this writing it’s expensive compared with our portable picks. It’s more than most people need. The has positive owner ratings and is thin and light, but is too expensive right now.

Since permissions are set up through account UUID and UID numbers, if the drive is used with different systems, it may have permissions associated with it for accounts that your current system does not recognize, or even odd permissions settings that can prevent access to the files on the disk or to the disk itself. This may happen even though getting information on files and folders shows you ought to have full access to the drive. To prevent such errors from happening, OS X includes a setting to ignore permissions on external drives, so all files on the drive should be fully accessible regardless of their permissions settings. To set this option for external drives, select the drive on your desktop or in the Finder sidebar, and then press Command-I to get information on the drive. In the information window that pops up, go to the Sharing section and click the lock to authenticate.

You can set read-only mode in other applications, too–but, if you’re not going to use their write support, there’s less reason to pay for them. To use HFSExplorer, connect your Mac-formatted drive to your Windows PC and launch HFSExplorer. Click the “File” menu and select “Load File System From Device.” It will automatically locate the connected drive, and you can load it. You’ll see the contents of the HFS+ drive in the graphical window. Just select the files or folders you want, click “Extract,” and choose a folder.

MacDrive 10 features an all-new Disk Management Window that displays any Mac disk mounted to your PC and gives you quick access to all of MacDrive’s features. Open and edit your Mac files from the new window or access them direct from Windows Explorer or your favorite software. MacDrive has built a reputation on blazing quick read/write speeds and unparalleled data security. MacDrive 10 extends the lead with even faster access and more protection for your Mac disks and files. We think you’re going to love the all-new MacDrive 10. Simple and easy to use, MacDrive is recognized as the leader for accessing Mac disks from Windows for almost 20 years. Once you plug in your Mac disk, behind the scenes MacDrive works to seamlessly enable Windows understand HFS+ disks and allow you to read and write to the disk.

You know those optical drives that never get recognized by Windows or Mac computers? This DVD writer is definitely not in that category. It may not have a fancy brand name slapped onto it, but this external DVD writer nevertheless impressed us with its capabilities.

The optical drive is ergonomically designed with LED indicators to show the drive is in use. It’s also ultra slim as much as an optical drive can get. The drive is also very lightweight and easily portable. It loads discs by tray, so you can easily extract a disc on the very rare occasion the drive doesn’t work (like if your computer suddenly shuts down). This drive is mainly USB 2.0 supported but is also compatible with USB 3.0 for higher levels of data transmission efficiency. It has about 0.75 MB of buffer memory, which makes this optical drive faster than most. It even comes with TAC or Tilt Actuator Compensation Technology.

When buying this kind of device, perhaps one aspect you might be worried about is the noise. You can rest assured that it was built for a quiet operation. Due to the Silent Play, noise is reduced during playback and the system will automatically recognize different multimedia and adjust the playback speed correctly for the most efficient performance. LG offers Super Multi Compatibility for this optical drive as the unit can read and write multiple types of discs formats including DVD+R, RW DVD-R, and RW DVD-RAM.

However, if all you need is to rip a CD now and then or watch the occasional DVD, then a basic drive is probably a good choice. A Brief History of External CD Drives, an American inventor, is the widely accepted inventor of the original compact disc prototype that recorded information digitally on optical transparent foil. The foil was back lit by a halogen lamp, and Russell filed for the patent in 1966. It was four years before his patent request was approved.

Partition issues, wrong file systems, dead USB ports, driver issues in Windows, or a dead drive. To erase the Mac partition and create a new partition. Explore more about:,,.

-> Same issue with Crucial MX100 512GB, disconnection on SP3! With a standard HDD, no problem of disappearing drive (I tested with an old SATA 80GB so the perf were not fantastic).

Apple’s isn’t the only option — you can also buy third-party ones, and you’ll find many of them and elsewhere. If you have multiple Macs, such an external drive will allow you to plug it into any Mac you’re using, getting the benefits of optical disc support when you actually need it.

If you have that other Mac with a media drive you can create a disk image and copy it to your drive-less Mac. To do that insert the disc in the other Mac’s media drive and launch Disk Utility (found in /Applications/Utilities). In Disk Utility’s Sources list select the disc. Choose File -> New -> Disk Image from nameofdisc.

If you don't already need one of these external CD drives, you probably will soon. Not only are they capable of reading data from and burning it onto CDs, many come in handy for playing and writing to DVDs and Blu-ray discs as well. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to support our work. Modern technology has advanced in leaps and bounds in recent years.

Thanks to some impressive pure-copper-knitted-net tech, there isn’t as much resistance, the data is transmitted more reliably and there’s a stronger shielding capability overall. Backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 is also ensured. It’s safe to say that most people prefer their electronic devices to be simple and intuitive to use and that’s the case too with this Cocopa drive. Plug and play functionality seems to work well for this unit and there’s absolutely no external power required. Among the compatible operating systems, we can count Windows 10, Linux, and all versions of Mac OS. It can work with laptops, notebooks or desktop PC though for the latter the device should be ideally connected to the USB port of the motherboard.

But the SP80NB80 is available only through Best Buy, Fry’s, and more obscure outlets that all charge for shipping under a certain dollar amount. As of this writing, its price fluctuated between $40 and nearly $25, with the lower price just below the $25 threshold for free shipping at most sellers. Faster for Blu-rays, slower for DVDs: LG WP50NB40. If our top pick drive for Blu-rays is unavailable or its price spikes, we recommend the, especially if you rip and burn Blu-rays more often than DVDs or plan to digitize a large Blu-ray collection. In our tests, it was about 30 percent faster—or roughly 15 minutes faster per disc—than the Pioneer at ripping Blu-rays. It was a couple of minutes faster at writing Blu-rays, too.

Piece of Scat! I probably should have known better than to buy this product about a year ago, after reading the substantial number of really bad reviews. But, as a long time I probably should have known better than to buy this product about a year ago, after reading the substantial number of really bad reviews. But, as a long time fan of Apple products, I convinced myself that mine would not be a lemon. For about 50 uses (mostly importing music CDs into my iTunes library), it worked flawlessly, and I thought those reviews were incorrect. Now, every time I import a CD the music skips forward in high speed zzzzts.

Note that these permissions settings will only be available on drives with formats that support them, so if you are using a FAT32-formatted drive, the option to ignore permissions will not be available. This volume needs to be repaired, so if you see errors listed in red when clicking 'Verify Disk,' then be sure to correct them as they can result in the disk only mounting as read-only. Screenshot by Topher Kessler/CNET Check drive for errors Formatting errors can also cause a drive to be read-only. While in many cases formatting errors are relatively minor and tolerated by the system, there are times when the system may determine it safest to only mount the drive in a read-only state to prevent corruption to the data on it. When this happens, you should see a warning when attaching the drive that states it is only being mounted in read-only mode, and in these cases you should first back up all contents on the drive. Then use Disk Utility or another robust disk or volume repair tool like DiskWarrior to check the drive for errors and attempt to fix them. Sometimes errors can go unnoticed on a drive, so if these tools report the drive is working OK, then consider wiping the drive and repartitioning it.