Problems Installing Win7 using External, USB DVD Drive

I have a mid 2010 15" i7 MBP which I upgraded to from 4GB to 8GB RAM courtesy of OWC. I recently upgraded the 500GB 7200RPM HD with a 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 and using an OWC Data Doubler, I replaced the DVD SuperDrive with the 500GB Hard Drive.
I used an External USB DVD Drive to install OS X SL On the SSD without issues. Also, I got all my updates and software installed and working without any problems.
I've been running great for about 2 weeks now, so I decided to install Windows 7 64bit Ultimate. I ran Boot Camp Assistant and partitioned the 240GB SSD in half 120/120. Everything went fine with creating the partition. I selected to Install from the Win 7 DVD media in the USB DVD drive and rebooted. I got a grey screen. I turned the computer off and turned it back on. Holding down Option, I selected the Install DVD from the Boot Menu. I then got a screen with the Apple Logo flashing intermittently with a Circle/Cross Hatch. So I can't get the Windows Install to start to save my life. I know the External, USB DVD works since I used it to install OS X and I have no problems using it in OS X. I Know the media works because I tried a test install, without activation in a VMWare Fusion VM.
Any suggestions are appreciated?

So here is the answer. The Firmware on the MacBook Pro only supports installation of OS X from External Media and will not install operating systems from 3rd Parties. I tried to install Windows XP, Win7 Ultimate 32 & 64bit, and Ubuntu 11.04 but no success.
Supposedly, the MacBook Air does support installation of 3rd party operating systems from external media, but I have no way to confirm this.
I ended up reinstalling the internal DVD drive installing Win 7 and Ubuntu on the SSD. Using rEFI, I'm able to triple boot all 3 operating systems. Then removed the drive again and reinstalled the 2nd HD. Everything seems to be working fine.
I'm looking for someone who has experience in Mac EFI Hacking to see if there is a way to enable booting 3rd Party OSes from external media. I'm guessing someone could examine the MBA firmware and figure out how to hack that capability into the MBP.

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Hi,
I'm trying to install Leopard from an external LaCie D2 (with LightScribe) DVD/DL drive via a Firewire cable.
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When I select the second option (install Leopard) I have the Apple Start Up screen (the grey screen with the dark grey Apple) but the spinning flower is missing. And the screen stays that way for minutes... Is it normal? Do I have to wait more? Is my iMac cursed?

Here's the problem:
1- the problem occurs when I boot, so the OS is "innocent"
2- when I load the start up menu (with the option key held down) I see both of the drives (HD and External Firewire DVD drive), so it can't be a "power" problem... (http://youtube.com/watch?v=MQs2n1vxpkw)
3- when I insert a DVD (movie for example), the drive reads it when connected via USB 2.0 and doesn't via Firewire, so the drive is unable to read (or reads slowly)? a Driver problem?
4- when I shutdown the iMac with the external drive connected via the USB port, the drive shuts down too, while it doesn't when it's connected via the FW one...

Is it possible to install leopard from external USB DVD drive?

Hi all,
I've read through the various posts on the subject and there doesn�t seem to be a definitive answer on this. I've got a Lacie USB2 DL DVD drive which I'm trying to use to install leopard on an earlier MacBook Pro (core duo 2.0ghz). I've tried the various suggestions (hold c on boot, hold option key on boot, set dvd as startup drive), and so far been unsuccessful. The drive is just not recognized.
The DVD media is fine(I've got family edition of Leopard), I've successfully installed it on my G5. The Lacie drive recognizes it fine, when I'm in tiger on MBP and insert the disk it is mounted as I would expect. I did try dbl-clicking the install icon as well (in case you were wondering)
So, does anyone have any other ideas for me to try, or should I go and get a refund on the Lacie drive? The guys in the store (Apple authorized reseller, not Apple Store) assured me it would work, so I don't want to look like a clown if it is possible and I'm just doing it wrong
Anyway, thanks in advance for any replies.

Hi,
Thanks for the reply. Yes the MBP is currently running Tiger, I want to flatten this with a fresh install of Leopard. I can view the install DVD when in Tiger currently.
I haven't tried what you have suggested, but I have seen various posts suggesting this approach. I've also seen several posts explain how to create a partition on an external firewire Harddrive and this seems to have worked for various people.
This would however mean that I didn't really need the external Lacie drive at all, as I've got access to my G5s DVD drive over the network. The more I search on this, the more convinced I am the USB drive was a bad idea.
Once again thank for the response.

HP external USB DVD Drive not recognized by computer.

Have HP Mini-210 and HP external USB DVD Drive. When attached, the DVD drive lights and spins but computor will not recognize it. When checking Device Manager, it says no driver for DVD drive.. I try to reinstall the driver, and then it says I have the best one already. Device Manager continues to indicate that this drive has a problem. Tried to download a driver from HP support and it was not available on line.
Copied install disk that came with drive thru dropbox cloud to move it onto the computor. Was able to install the programs but still have no driver and unable to use DVD drive.

Try this wayne
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/929461/en-us

Cannot boot to Windows disc from external USB DVD drive.

I have a MacBook Pro 17" Early 2011 8,3. I have tried to use bootcamp to install Windows 7 from a external USB DVD drive. All I get, like many people, is a black screen with a blinking cursor, as if it never makes it to boot. I tried restarting to the OS selection for holding alt, and tried the DVD again, did not work.
I saw a few posts claiming that this didn't work on some models of Mac because of a EFI problem that would not allow booting from a external USB, which is really stupid because it would seems some models can... And MacBook airs can... Can someone please confirm this for me? Has anyone found a resolution?
If not, APPLE PLEASE FIX THIS.

Hi,
Thanks for the reply. Yes the MBP is currently running Tiger, I want to flatten this with a fresh install of Leopard. I can view the install DVD when in Tiger currently.
I haven't tried what you have suggested, but I have seen various posts suggesting this approach. I've also seen several posts explain how to create a partition on an external firewire Harddrive and this seems to have worked for various people.
This would however mean that I didn't really need the external Lacie drive at all, as I've got access to my G5s DVD drive over the network. The more I search on this, the more convinced I am the USB drive was a bad idea.
Once again thank for the response.

How to install Win7 if iMac's DVD drive is dead?

I recently replaced the hard drive in my 2006 iMac and am starting fresh with Snow Leopard. The problem is at some point the DVD drive stopped reading DVDs and will only read CDs...(???) So when I go through the Boot Camp Assistant it can't read from the internal DVD drive. I've tried the Windows disc in an external USB DVD drive and also in the DVD drive of my new MacBook Pro in Target Disk Mode.
The problem is Boot Camp Assistant never recognizes the disc. I can attempt to boot from the Windows disc from inside the MBP by holding option at startup, but it goes nowhere.
So how can I get Boot Camp working with a:
burned DVD of a Windows 7 download (valid license)
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external IDE DVD drive connected with USB to IDE bridge
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Help?

Why not get the drive repaired, things will be much easier.

My laptop won't boot form external USB DVD drive

Hi, I have HP pavillion dv6748us. My internal dvd drive is not recognized, cannot access and not listed in device manager & window explorer. I need to reboot from the external dvd but don't see the option listed in BIOS. Below is the sequence listed in my BIOS. I have recovery disk and would like to know if and how to add external USB DVD DRIVE into to BIOS.
Your help is greatly appreicated!
(1) ATAPI CD/DVD ROM DRIVE
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(4) USB DISKETTE ON KEY
(5) USB FLOPPY
(6) NETWORK ADAPTOR

Have you tried 2? The BIOS may see the DVD drive as a mass storage device and not distinguish between a hard drive and an optical drive.

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Since the internal dvd combo drive does not read double layer dvd, I tried to install the new version from an external usb dvd. The installation starts but when I have to restart the computer goes back to the first screen.

Apple does not require any particular type of dvd Just says "an external dvd"
What document are you referring to? The fact that you can read/write with a particular DVD drive does not necessarily mean you can boot from it.
If you have another Mac available, you can probably "borrow" its DVD drive for your OS installation by using FireWire Target Disk mode.

Installing from an external usb cdrom drive

I am able to boot an external usb cdrom drive but I cannot figure out how to mount that usb cdrom drive to complete the install.
My boot command is:
arch-scsi NEEDUSB=auto
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I can run /arch/setup but when it gets to package selection, I am unable to select the CDROM source. This machine is not on the net, so I cannot do a ftp install.
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Thank you Xentac for you help. I looked up the bug report and understand the problem. Now how do I proceed from here?
Any suggestions on a work around? Should I rebuild the 0.7 beta disk with additions to the initrd? Eventually, I will need to install Arch on about twenty standalone systems. They do not have cdrom's in them, and are not on a network. Sounds like I may have to open up the units and plug a cdrom in for the install
I was thinking of cloning the disk (i.e. open up unit, take hard drive out, put in another system and clone), but it has been pointed out that doing a basic install is a good way of testing the hardware. It doesn't take very long and we have to do testing of our software anyways.
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[SOLVED] Kernel panic when using external USB hard drive

I have a desktop PC with a 64 bit arch install, on a Core2 Duo 6320 CPU. I have been using (and continue using right now) a 500 GB "Iomega Desktop Hard Drive" external USB hard disk without problems. But I have just bought a 3 TB "Seagate Expansion" external USB hard drive and I'm unable to use it from my Arch install. Each time I try to format it or to copy data from the PC, Arch freezes with a kernel panic. Sometimes it freezes faster and I cannot see anything, but others I am able to see the following kernel messages, repeating several times:
[11701.205071] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdf] uas_eh_abort_handler ffff880014e13380 tag 29, inflight: CMD
[11701.221297] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdf] abort completed
[11701.221313] scsi host3: uas_eh_task_mgmt: ABORT TASK failed (wrong tag 0/256)
[11701.221323] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdf] uas_eh_abort_handler ffff880014e13500 tag 30, inflight: CMD
[11701.237550] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdf] abort completed
[11701.237567] scsi host3: uas_eh_task_mgmt: ABORT TASK failed (wrong tag 0/256)
[11701.237576] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdf] uas_eh_abort_handler ffff880014e13680 tag 31, inflight: CMD
[11701.253922] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdf] abort completed
[11701.253936] scsi host3: uas_eh_task_mgmt: ABORT TASK failed (wrong tag 0/256)
[11701.253956] sd 3:0:0:0: uas_eh_device_reset_handler
[11704.252182] scsi host3: uas_eh_task_mgmt: LOGICAL UNIT RESET timed out
[11704.252196] scsi host3: uas_eh_bus_reset_handler start
[11704.252443] usb 5-6: stat urb: killed, stream 0
[11704.358882] usb 5-6: reset high-speed USB device number 3 using ehci-pci
[11704.483206] scsi host3: uas_eh_bus_reset_handler success
Strange enough, the drive is listed by lsusb command as a 2TB but I don't think this is related to the problem (as the OS sees the 3 TB). This is the lsusb output:
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bc2:3312 Seagate RSS LLC SRD00F2 [Expansion Desktop Drive 2TB]
I have tried the drive on other PCs and it works flawlessly. Also tried booting Windows 8 on the same PC I have Arch installed in, and in Windows it also works perfect. I have tried using ext2 and NTFS filesystems. Tried also changing the USB cable without success. And right now I'm out of ideas. Any suggestions?
Last edited by doragasu (2014-07-03 11:06:25)

looks like it could be the UAS module , check https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=183190

Transfering iTunes files to new computer using external USB hard drive

Thought this could be useful:
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3) Create two new folders in your external hard drive (you can name them LIBRARY Backup and PLAYLISTS Backup).
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7) Close both the LIBRARY Backup folder from your USB external hard drive and the iTunes Music folder.
8) Open the PLAYLISTS Backup folder from your USB external hard drive
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10) Close all the windows and extract your USB external hard drive from your PC ()
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14) Open the LIBRARY Backup folder and copy all of its contents (only the contents, not the whole folder) to the iTunes Music folder in your new computer. After the copying is complete, close this folder.
15) Copy the PLAYLISTS Backup folder to you new computer’s desktop.
16) Close Windows Explorer and extract USB hard drive.
17) Open iTunes
18) From the File menu, choose Import. Navigate to the iTunes Music Library.xml file on the Desktop and click Choose. The imported playlist will show only songs located on the computer's hard disk or external media.
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PC Windows XP Owner of 5th Generation iPod

Type "move itunes library" into the Google search bar.
Type "ipod touch not recognized by itunes" into the search bar at the top of this page by "Support"

Having problem installing Win7 using Bootcamp on Mac Mini 2011

I'm trying to install Win7 using bootcamp on my new Mac Mini 2011. I first partitionned the disc using Bootcamp assistant. Then during Win7 installation I select Partition 4 BOOTCAMP, format it to NTFS, then when I try to select the drive, it says that the drive is not compatible for the installation.
Is there anything I missed???
Thanks

I had a similar problem when I selected upgrade instead of complete install. I want to make sure your aware that you should click the complete option instead of upgrade when you reach that portion of the win7 install. Then you need to select part ion 4 like you have stated and format it to ntfs.
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So there it is:
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Please help
Thanks

You first need to boot your computer from the external drive with the Tiger disk. Once the computer is booted you can run disk Utility, format your internal hard drive and install Tiger. I don't know about more recent G4s but older Macs used to be somewhat selective about the brand of drives from which they would boot so there could be issues there.
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Thanks in advance.

Thanks, Kappy. I'll give that a try, but have one more question before I do:
Do I have to watch out for any reboots during the upgrade? If so, at what point(s) do they occur, and will I need to use the OPTION key again if it does, or does it just do the upgrade in one shot and reboot normally afterwards?
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Thanks again.
EDIT: Sorry, but I forgot to ask, how long should the upgrade take?
Message was edited by: Maddoktor2

Can I install Leopard from an external USB DVD drive?

I am trying to install Leopard onto an older PB G4 whose internal drive is shot. I have an external Pioneer USB 2 drive attached, but when the Leopard Installer prompts me to restart, the installer doesn't kick in and the computer restarts into basic OSX. I've tried to choose the Installer DVD via System Preferences "Start-up Disk" pane, but it doesn't show up. The DVD drive does have its own AC power source.
Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Mac OS X will only boot PowerPCs with Firewire, not with USB. That's the reason it doesn't work.

Problems Installing Win7 using External, USB DVD Drive

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