# CD Burner for my Mac won't work! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369 "2002-11-12T03:40:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JAPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/1 "2002-11-12T03:40:51Z")
I can’t get my CD burner to work. I have a Sony Spressa for my G3 (I’m running on OS 9.2.2), but neither Toast nor iTunes can see that i have a CD-R drive. Do I need a driver? I’ve been having this problem ever since I installed a new harddrive, so I’m assuming I lost something along the way that I need, but I can’t find a driver online. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/2 "2002-11-12T03:54:36Z")
Well, if this has been going on ever since you installed the hard drive, I’d investigate a hardware problem. Any chance that you loosened the connections to the CD drive? ---
**Author:** ![JAPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/3 "2002-11-12T04:34:12Z")
No, I’ve checked all the connections. I know it must be some type of software issue (i.e. a driver) but I’m not sure what I need to download. I looked on the Sony site, but couldn’t find anything. And, since I bought the Spressa a couple of years ago, I don’t remember what I installed to get it to work initially. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/4 "2002-11-12T04:46:06Z")
USB? FireWire? SCSI? ---
**Author:** ![ScottHaneda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@ScottHaneda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScottHaneda)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/5 "2002-11-12T08:52:17Z")
In the toast folder, you should see a folder called OS 9 extensions or something to that effect. Put the applicable extensions in the system folder and restart ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/6 "2002-11-12T11:54:25Z")
Again, how’s the CD burner attached? Then, does it show up in the Apple System Profiler? If the burner is any good, it will show up, driver or no driver. ---
**Author:** ![JAPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/7 "2002-11-12T12:56:05Z")
It’s USB. I reinstalled Toast the other day, but I’ll look through the folder for the OS 9 stuff when I get home and let you know if it worked:) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/8 "2002-11-12T22:26:49Z")
Most CD burners double as regular CD-ROM drivers. If you insert a CD, does it mount on the Desktop? If not, you’ve got a problem that has nothing to do with Toast or iTunes or the ability to burn CDs. At that point, I’d see if you can plug other USB devices into the same port and have them function correctly (verifies the USB port is working). If the USB port works but you can’t get the CD burner to even so much as mount a regular CD, you may be missing some of the drivers. (Toast usually ships with very good drivers. Try disabling the Apple CD/DVD driver and using ONLY the Toast extensions. I’ve had very inconsistent and often bad results with both the Apple and the Toast CD extensions loaded, and you don’t generally NEED the Apple drivers since the Toast drivers will generally work for your plain-vanilla CDROM as well as the burner). Try also booting from a bootable CD in the burner (assuming it supports booting, most burners do). If it can boot from CD, your problem is definitely with the software on your hard drive’s operating system. ---
**Author:** ![JoeCee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@JoeCee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeCee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/9 "2002-11-13T01:09:19Z")
Try going to Charismac Engineering, here _see QuickJump_: > **[Situs Judi Online, Agen Bandar Bola Terpercaya - charismac](http://www.charismac.com/)** > > charismac Or straight to their Sony Spressa help site: [http://www.charismac.com/Support/Discribe/sonydiscribe.html](http://www.charismac.com/Support/Discribe/sonydiscribe.html) Everything you need to know to get your Spressa running … at the very least, excellent tech support - they helped me with my Spressa. JoeCee ---
**Author:** ![JoeCee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@JoeCee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeCee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/10 "2002-11-13T01:11:33Z")
Try going to Charismac Engineering, here: > **[Situs Judi Online, Agen Bandar Bola Terpercaya - charismac](http://www.charismac.com/)** > > charismac Or straight to their Sony Spressa help site: [http://www.charismac.com/Support/Discribe/sonydiscribe.html](http://www.charismac.com/Support/Discribe/sonydiscribe.html) Everything you need to know to get your Spressa running … at the very least, excellent tech support - they helped me with my Spressa. JoeCee ---
**Author:** ![JoeCee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@JoeCee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeCee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/11 "2002-11-13T01:23:27Z")
Try going to Charismac Engineering, here: > **[Situs Judi Online, Agen Bandar Bola Terpercaya - charismac](http://www.charismac.com/)** > > charismac Or straight to their Sony Spressa help site: [http://www.charismac.com/Support/Discribe/sonydiscribe.html](http://www.charismac.com/Support/Discribe/sonydiscribe.html) Everything you need to know to get your Spressa running … at the very least, excellent tech support - they helped me with my Spressa. JoeCee ---
**Author:** ![JAPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/12 "2002-11-13T03:05:36Z")
Special thanks to OldCodger on the MacWorld forum for telling me how to fix it (oh, and thanx to everyone who at least tried:) ) Here’s the solution: Anyway, my problem was fixed by simply turning off the following authoring extensions in the Extension Control Panel: o Authoring Support o Disc Burner Extension o FireWire Authoring Support o USB Authoring Support ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/13 "2002-11-13T15:17:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JAPrufrock \* > \*\*Special thanks to OldCodger on the MacWorld forum for telling me how to fix it (oh, and thanx to everyone who at least tried:) ) > > Here’s the solution: > > Anyway, my problem was fixed by simply turning off the following authoring extensions in the Extension Control Panel: > o Authoring Support > o Disc Burner Extension > o FireWire Authoring Support > o USB Authoring Support \*\* So the commercials on TV touting how Macs work fine and PCs don’t are not accurate? ---
**Author:** ![JAPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/14 "2002-11-13T15:24:34Z")
The commercials are referring to the new OS (mine’s a few years old) Now, quit trolling… ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/15 "2002-11-14T13:24:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GaryM \* > \*\* > > So the commercials on TV touting how Macs work fine and PCs don’t are not accurate? \*\* I… _hate_… responding… to trolls, but the fact is the problem was caused by third party software conflicting with the OS. The same types of conflicts happen under XP Pro when I try to get Easy CD Creator from Roxio to play nicely with the built-in CD burning. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/16 "2002-11-14T15:29:32Z")
Not Trolling at all! At least not by intent. I was just suprised to hear that Macs have issues similar to those of IBM style PCs. If that’s trolling, I apologize. And I’ll admit that the TV spot kind of makes me peeved! ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/17 "2002-11-17T00:37:47Z")
No problem **GaryM** – maybe we overreacted. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/18 "2002-11-17T01:27:55Z")
I know this burner well. I have this exact same burner. Spressa with a USB connection. When I got my G3 iMac, (the one without the CD-RW built-in) it worked fine at first. It was using Apple’s burning software, which is super-easy to figure out (drag-and-drop on the desktop). OS 9.2.1 automatically recognized the burner, (no need to install drivers) and I was able to burn simple disks. Dandy. But I wanted to use Toast, and its more sophisticated features. That’s when the problems started. Apple’s built-in burning software (and its extensions, the ones you singled out as the culprit) were the problem. Once those were disabled, Toast worked fine. But, even so, just once in a while, Toast would get buggy and not work right. Trashing Toast’s preferences fixed the problem every time. So, if you have any more trouble with this burner, try trashing Toast’s preferences first. I have semi-“retired” the Spressa (I keep it around for the PC), as I now have a Sony Firewire burner for my G4 tower. It is FABULOUS. And OS X is FABULOUS too. No more burning problems (knock on wood). However, I feel compelled to point out, the Spressa has _always_ been temperamental on the PC. Windows “loses” the drive half the time, doesn’t recognize it. The software is buggy (Sony’s “Hotburn” is especially bad, but Easy CD Creator has problems too). It is very frustrating and I always sweat bullets whenever I am burning something on the PC, hoping that Windows won’t “forget” that it has a burner attached. Since I have used the Spressa on both Mac and PC, I will state that even though neither machine handled the burner flawlessly, the Mac has handled it much better than the PC. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/19 "2002-11-17T03:50:39Z")
Roxio has stated that Toast’s extensions are not compatible with Apple’s disc burning software (Authoring Support). Not sure if this still applies to the most recent version, though. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-burner-for-my-mac-wont-work/136369/20 "2002-11-17T05:25:05Z")
On my PowerBook, I replaced the stock CD/DVD expansion bay module with an MCE CD/RW module (they now make a full CD/RW/DVD module which I may upgrade to). I, too, found intermittely problems with the Toast drivers and the Apple CD/DVD extension, and discovered that it was much more reliable with just the Toast extensions. (On the rare occasions that I want to watch a DVD movie on it, I swap extension sets under Extensions Manager and boot with the Apple drivers). Small price to pay for the privilege of Toast.