How to Use a CD or DVD on a Laptop That Has No CD/DVD Drive

Most modern laptops skip the built-in disc drive, but you can still use your CDs and DVDs. The key is simple: connect an external optical drive, copy what you need once, or use another computer’s disc drive as a helper.

Option 1: Use an external USB CD/DVD drive

If you want the disc to work today with the least hassle, an external USB optical drive is the most direct fix. You plug it in, insert the disc, and your laptop treats it like a built-in drive.

Quick compatibility checklist

Windows: use the disc

1. Plug the drive into a direct USB port on your laptop (avoid hubs for the first test).
2. Insert the CD or DVD.
3. For files: open File Explorer and select the disc drive.
4. For music CDs: open your music app and choose the disc.
5. For movie DVDs: open your player app. If playback fails, try a different player app before assuming the drive is broken.

macOS: use the disc

1. Connect the external optical drive directly to the Mac.
2. Insert the disc (label facing up or toward you, depending on the drive style).
3. For files: open the disc in Finder.
4. For music CDs: open the Music app and select the disc under Devices.
5. If nothing opens automatically, check your System Settings options for what macOS should do when you insert different types of discs.

Option 2: Copy the disc once (then you don’t need the drive again)

If your goal is to get the content off a disc and you don’t care about keeping the disc “live,” copy it once and store it on your laptop. This is often the most convenient approach for old photos, documents, drivers, and music.

Data CDs/DVDs (files, photos, backups)

1. Use any computer that can read the disc (your laptop with an external drive, or another PC/Mac with a built-in drive).
2. Open the disc and copy everything you need into a clearly named folder (for example: 2012_Photos_DVD_1).
3. Save the folder to your laptop, an external SSD, and/or cloud storage.

Practical tip: If the disc contains many small files, copy them to a local drive first (your internal SSD) rather than copying directly to cloud storage. It’s usually faster and less error-prone.

Audio CDs (rip to a digital music library)

An audio CD isn’t a normal “files and folders” disc, so you typically rip it into MP3 (small) or a lossless format like WAV (large). On Windows, Windows Media Player can do this in a straightforward way:

1. Connect a disc drive and insert the audio CD.
2. Open Windows Media Player.
3. Select Rip CD, then let it finish.
4. Check the output folder so you know where the tracks were saved.

If you want cleaner organisation, rip each album into its own folder and keep a consistent naming scheme (Artist → Album → Track).

Software or driver discs

For many software discs, you can simply copy the disc contents into a folder and run the installer from there. If the program expects a disc to be present later (some older apps do), you’ll usually have better luck creating an ISO image and mounting it (covered in Option 3).

Movie DVDs

For movies, the simplest approach is still: play the DVD directly from an external drive (Option 1). Copying a movie DVD to files can be more complicated due to menus, region rules, and disc protection, so it’s worth trying playback first before you spend time on conversions.

Option 3: Make an ISO and mount it like a virtual disc

An ISO is a single file that contains a full “snapshot” of a disc. Once you have the ISO file saved on your laptop, you can mount it so Windows treats it like a disc inserted in a drive.

When an ISO is the right move

• You need the same disc content more than once (installers, drivers, old projects).
• You want to avoid carrying discs around.
• The disc is aging and you want a safer backup for personal use.

For many movie DVDs, ISO use can be hit-or-miss depending on how the disc is authored and whether it uses protection. If you just want to watch the movie, playing it directly from an external drive is usually the fastest path.

Create an ISO (high-level)

You must read the disc at least once using a computer that has a disc drive (built-in or external).

• On macOS: Disk Utility can create a disk image from a CD/DVD.
• On Windows: there isn’t a simple built-in “make ISO from CD/DVD” button for all disc types, so you typically use disc imaging software.

Save the ISO somewhere easy to find (for example, Documents/Disc Images/), and name it clearly (for example. Office_2016_DVD.iso).

Mount the ISO on Windows (Windows 10/11)

1. Open File Explorer and find the ISO file.
2. Right-click the ISO and select Mount.
3. A new “virtual” disc drive appears in File Explorer. Open it and run the installer or access the files.
4. When you’re done, right-click the virtual drive and select Eject to unmount.

If you don’t see Mount in the right-click menu, the ISO file type may be associated with another app (for example, an archive tool). Set the ISO’s “Open with” back to File Explorer/Windows Explorer, then try again.

Mount the ISO on macOS

In most cases, you can double-click a disk image and macOS will mount it as a drive. If you created a Disk Utility image in a Mac format (DMG/CDR), you can still store it like an archive and mount it when needed.

Option 4: Use another computer’s disc drive over the network

This option is mainly for when you can’t get an external drive right away, but you have another computer nearby that still has a built-in CD/DVD drive. It’s most useful for copying files or running installers, not for smooth movie playback.

Windows: share the disc drive

On the computer that has the disc drive:

1. Insert the CD or DVD.
2. Open File Explorer, right-click the disc drive, then select Properties.
3. Open the Sharing tab, then click Advanced Sharing.
4. Tick Share this folder, then give it a short share name (for example: DVD).
5. Click Permissions and allow the account you’ll use from the other laptop (read access is usually enough).
6. Confirm both PCs are on the same network and that file sharing and network discovery are enabled.

Windows: access the shared drive from the laptop without a drive

On the laptop that has no disc drive:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. In the address bar, enter the network share path in UNC format: two leading backslashes, then the sharing PC name, then one backslash, then the share name.
3. Example (written out): “two backslashes + PCNAME + backslash + DVD.” If prompted, enter the username and password for the sharing computer.
4. Optional: map it so it shows up like a normal drive (use Map network drive in File Explorer).

Limits to know (so expectations are realistic)

• Some discs don’t behave well over sharing (especially movie DVDs, copy-protected discs, and anything that expects low-level disc access).
• If you only need the content once, copying the files to a folder (Option 2) is usually more reliable than trying to run everything “live” across the network.

Troubleshooting: quick fixes when it won’t read or play

If you’re stuck, run through these in order. They solve most cases without deep debugging.

• The drive doesn’t show up at all: switch USB ports, avoid hubs, try a different cable if you have one, then restart the laptop.
• It shows up but says “Insert a disc” with a disc inside: test a second disc to rule out a bad disc. If only DVDs fail but CDs work, it can be a disc type or laser issue.
• Files open, but DVDs won’t play: try a different player app first. Movie DVDs often fail due to player, codec, protection, or region limits rather than the drive itself.
• It keeps disconnecting: plug directly into the laptop, keep the cable short, and avoid low-power ports (some slim drives are sensitive).

Final notes

If you need to use a CD or DVD on a laptop that has no CD/DVD drive, the fastest fix is still an external USB optical drive. For one-off needs, copying the files (or ripping an audio CD) saves time later, and an ISO is a solid option when you’ll install or access the same disc content repeatedly.

Before you buy anything, match the disc format (CD/DVD/Blu-ray), check your USB ports, and keep realistic expectations for movie DVDs that may have region or protection limits. Once you pick the method that fits your situation, the rest is just a few straightforward steps. Keep this guide bookmarked.