MacBook Air and Mac mini (Late 2009): Troubleshooting DVD or CD Sharing

  • Last Modified: November 10, 2009
  • Article: TS2057
  • Old Article: 307320

Symptoms

If you are having trouble using DVD or CD Sharing, these steps may help resolve your issue.

Note: For assistance with remote installing Mac OS X, refer to MacBook Air: Reinstalling software using Remote Install Mac OS X.

Products Affected

MacBook Air, Mac mini (Late 2009)

Resolution

  • Make sure that you set up Remote Disc properly to share DVDs or CDs. See MacBook Air: Sharing DVDs or CDs with Remote Disc for more information.
  • Make sure the computer or network you are trying to connect to is running and has a wireless access point. Both computers must be connected to the same wireless network. If you are using an Ethernet adapter on your MacBook Air, make sure both computers are connected to the same Local Area Network.
  • Make sure you are within range of the other computer or the network. Nearby electronic devices or metal structures can interfere with wireless communication and reduce the range. Check the AirPort status icon in the menu bar. If signal strength is low, try changing your location.
  • Make sure you have properly configured the software according to the instructions that came with your base station or access point.
  • If you are having issues while connected wirelessly or through the Internet, please try connecting to the other computer via Internet Sharing. For information on Internet Sharing please see MacBook Air: Migration tips and tricks.
  • If you are using Mac OS X Leopard, use Software Update or go to Apple Downloads to update to Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later.
  • MacBook Air and Mac mini do not support playing DVD movies or audio CD media with Remote Disc. In addition, some discs, such as game discs, may be copy-protected and are therefore unusable. To play DVD movies, audio CD media, or copy-protected discs on the MacBook Air or Mac mini, use the MacBook Air SuperDrive.
  • If you do not see the host computer when using Remote Disc (DVD or CD Sharing), a firewall issue may be preventing the host computer from communicating with your MacBook Air or Mac mini.  You may see a message that states "the original item cannot be found" when trying to access the remote disc.

Mac OS X Firewall Settings

If your host is a Macintosh running Leopard, inspect your Security System Preferences panel. (From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences. Choose Security from the View menu, then click the Firewall tab.)

The default setting, labeled "Allow all incoming connections", allows Disc Sharing to operate correctly on the host computer (shown below).

The setting labeled "Set access for specific services and applications" also allows Remote Disc to operate on the host computer (shown below).



Remote Disc applications are already 'signed' and authorized to operate correctly using this setting. You do not need to add them manually. For more information, see Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: About the Application Firewall

Note: Do not use the "Allow only essential services" setting. Remote Disc does not work with this setting.

  1. If your host is a Macintosh running Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard, inspect your Security System Preferences pane: choose System Preferences from the Apple () menu. Choose Security from the View menu, then click the Firewall tab.
  2. The default setting "Firewall: Off" allows Remote Disc to operate on the host computer.
  3. If the Firewall is turned on, click the Advanced tab.  Make sure the option for "Automatically allow signed software to receive incoming connections" is enabled. Remote Disc applications are already signed and authorized to operate correctly using this setting. You do not need to add them manually. For more information, see Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: About the Application Firewall.

Windows Firewall Settings

Remote Disc for Windows software co-exists very well with built-in firewalls implemented in Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Windows Vista. Third-party firewall software, however, may not allow Remote Disc for Windows to operate correctly.

You may need to modify your third-party firewall to allow Remote Disc for Windows programs to communicate over your network:

  1. Look for a Control Panel for your third-party firewall software.
  2. Add the following programs to the Program Control or Programs panel:
    • ODSAgent
    • RemoteInstallMacOSX

    These programs need full access to operate properly with your firewall.

  3. Every third-party firewall vendor's implementation is unique. Consult your product documentation or the vendor's website for further information.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

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