How You Can Use The CD Or DVD Drive From Another Computer On Your Mac

It’s possible that you do not have an optical drive on your Mac. But, that does not stop you from being able to access files from a CD or DVD.

One of the major changes that I had to deal with is the absence of an optical drive on the new MacBook Pro. It’s not really a primary drive. Although, there are times when it becomes really important and you are left with little or no option.

Yeah, it’s true that an external CD/DVD drive is a capable alternative and you also have the cloud-based services that you can use to transfer files digitally. But, once in a while, you still need to check and move files on a disc and that’s when you remember the optical drive.

But there is no need to worry. There is a Remote Disc feature that you easily use to carry out this function. This feature makes it possible to view and access files on a Mac or a personal computer that does not have an optical drive.

The Minimum Requirements

The major requirement is that the Mac that you want to use with the Remote Disc feature must not have an optical drive. If the Mac has an optical drive, the Remote Disc option will not come up when you search for it in Finder.

Also, the disc that you want to work on must also support the Remote Disc feature for it to be able to work. This is because Remote Disc does not work with specific types of media especially media files that are copy-protected.

You will not be able to view or work on discs like audio CD, Blu-ray movies, game discs that are copy-protected, recordable discs that you wish to burn or erase and also it does not support Microsoft installation discs.

Setting up Remote Sharing on Mac

It is very easy to setup the Remote Disc program from one Mac to another; all you have to do is mark box in your System Preferences. You can follow the tips below to learn how to set up Remote disc on your Mac

Tap on the Apple Menu symbol on the Mac that has an optical drive
Click on System Preferences
Tap on Sharing
Mark the box for the option DVD or CD Sharing
If you will like to secure your content, mark the box for the option Ask me before allowing others to use my DVD Drive

You will see a green light on the Sharing page as soon as the DVD or CD sharing is activated.

Setting Up Remote Sharing on Windows PC

It is also simple to share your CD or DVD drive on a Windows PC just like sharing on a Mac. The main difference is that you will need to install some other stuff first. Follow the tips below

You will need to download and then install Apple’s DVD or CD Sharing software on the Window PC
Locate your PC’s Control Panel click on it
Look for the Hardware and Sound, click on it
Select DVD or SD Sharing Options
Mark the box for the option DVD or CD Sharing
If you will like to secure your content, mark the box for Ask me before allowing others to use my DVD Drive

You will need to include ODSAgent and RemoteInstallMacOSX to the list of programs that are allowed if you are using a firewall on your PC.

Having Access to Files From a Remote Disc on Your Mac

As soon as you activate the Remote Disc program on your Mac or PC that has an optical drive, you will be to locate it in Finder on your Mac. Follow the tips below

Launch a Finder window on your Mac that does not have an optical drive
On the sidebar menu, navigate to the option Remote Disc (under Devices) and select it
Double-click on the Computer that you wish to view the optical drive from
Tap on Connect or Ask to Use placed in the left corner of the Finder window
If you have activated the prompt to ask first, return to the Mac that has the optical drive and choose Accept

Once you have connected the Mac to the optical drive, you will be able to view files in the CD or DVD. All you need to do now is double click on any file that you wish to open. And, if you want to have a copy of the file, just drag it to your desktop.

Disconnecting your Mac From the Remote Disc on Another Computer

After you have finished working on the CD or DVD on the Mac with the optical drive, you can easily disconnect your Mac by selecting the Disconnect option, you will see it in the upper left corner of the Finder.

But if you can’t see the Disconnect icon in Finder, you can also disconnect by clicking on the Eject button placed next to Remote Disc in the Finder window. Also, you can simply eject the CD or DVD from the Mac with the optical drive. You will then be asked to confirm if you wish to remove the disc.