Dual Boot Systems via Removing the Optical Drive

Hi Apple,
Would like to enquire this thing if we can manage the boot up systems, so probable this is the setup. Since MBP has only have 1 Hard drive installed by MAC OS system and 1 Optical Drive. If we removed the optical drive and replace with another HDD. Our question is can MBP can select which drive will boot?
Original HDD --> wil boot as MAC OS (not shared with bootcamp)
Secondary HDD (from removing the optical drive) --> will boot Windows Platform 7 or 8.
The reason is that we don't want to share MAC system files to another OS systems files that's why we are planning to installed another HDD. The optical drive we really don't use, now adays all software is ELD downloadble over the web.
Thanks & Regards,
Jeffrey Quidasol

Yes, you can remove the DVD drive and replace it with another disk, or an SSD (OWC has some "Data Doubler" kits for replacing the DVD with another HDD or an SSD.
You can also partition your current HDD and put a bootable OS on each partition if you like. And you can do the same with an HDD or SSD in the DVD slot.
NOTE: I've used the OWC Data Double to replace the DVD in my iMac with an SSD, and it is currently booted from the SSD in the DVD slot (and running much faster with the SSD vs the slow HDD). So technically, it will work just as well for the Macbook Pro (and many people before you have done exactly that).

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Help please. Can't boot my iMac from the optical drive.

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I've been trying to do some disk maintenance and would like to be able to repair my boot disk. I've tried to boot from the optical drive, using Norton SystemWorks CD-ROM and also my iMac software install and repair DVD, holding down the C key while attempting to boot. After trying for a few seconds, a gray veil drops down and a text box telling me that I have to shut down by holding the power key for many seconds shows up. (Is this a Kernel panic?)
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Hi MacGeezer,
DO NOT USE NORTON SYSTEMWORKS
Norton Utilities and Disk Doctor were discontinued almost 2 years ago (for some very good reasons!). It caused much more trouble than it solved.
Here are the articles:
Symantec discontinues Mac Norton Utilities, SystemWorks
Norton Utilities, SystemWorks development halted
TMO Scoop - Symantec Confirms Norton Utilities & SystemWorks' Demise [Updated]
Tech Tool Pro and DiskWarrior are presently the most reliable utilities. For more information on regular housekeeping read this: MacOS X 10.3/10.4: System maintenance

Removing MDD optical drives won't wake up - Cause ??

Hello,
I've recently been on a quest to quite down my G4 MDD. I plan on replacing just about every fan in the enclosure and wanted to streamline things. One of the thoughts that I had was to remove the optical drives. I don't use them (this machine is mostly used as a file server, so everything is done through the network), and it's one source of heat that I can remove. Plus, as I mentioned, it's one less thing to have to move air around.
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Don't forget to look at the far right of the logic board where you will find an empty two pin connector. Use that to connect an external fan to further cool the system. I have three fans running in my system: a PCI slot fan, a 120MM fan on top of my optical drive roof, and another 120MM on the bottom underneath the front drive cage. My temperature is an astounding: 89 degrees FAHRENHEIT!
It does get higher if I am watching a movie, or youtubing.

MacBook Pro: BC/XP works fine until I remove my optical drive

I have a mid-2009 MacBook Pro, and have replaced the internal drive with an OCZ Vertex 3. The good news is, after I made an impromptu RF shield around the cable and the drive itself out of aluminum foil, it works flawlessly at the full 3 gbps. And, after I spent literally 20 hours trying to figure out how to get it restored, I have finally restored my boot camp (XP SP3) partition to the Vertex 3 and it works flawlessly also. **** fast, too.
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You need to provide more info please. What's the exact error? What email client? Who's the email account through? When the last time your email worked without issue? Do you remember something changing right before it stopped working?

IMac's optical drive fan is loud after replacing the optical drive with an SSD?

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I was wondering if there's a way to make it so that the fan is quiet at the boot screen too...it's quite annoying turning my iMac on and hearing that obnoxiously loud whirring sound as it's booting up. Is it possible, or can it just be controlled while I'm actually logged in?

An iPad is a great device, but it's no computer replacement. It lacks the file sharing/structure that comptuers have and the ability to easily get files onto/off it without the internet.
That said, if you still have your desktop and use it for most of the computing work and basically just want a photo viewer, check your e-mail device, then it may work for you.
The networked harddrive will be the hard part. Since the iPad lacks a file manager anything you use on it must have an app so that you can access it. And that app also must be allowed to 'send' your files to another app. So that may be what you really need to research. The ability and ease of using a network drive to do the file sharing you want.

Satellite M30 Pro: how to change the optical drive?

Hi there,
could anybody please give me a hand on changing/replacing the optical drive on my Satellite Pro M30?
Alas, my drive is a DVD-ROM/CD-RW. I have another one with the capability of burning DVD's (Super-Multi drive from Matsu****a). I just wonder how I could replace them, since it os not possible to easily slide them out?
Thank you.
Jan

Hi
To remove the optical drive you need only to remove 2 screws which are placed at the bottom of the unit on the drive side. Then you can simply slide outward the drive to disconnect it from the connector on the system board.
The drive is placed in the plastic frame. So you need also this frame for a new drive.
To remove the plastic frame from the device you have to remove 4 screws.
Bye

One of the screws connecting the optical drive is a manufacturer defect

Hi, one day I decided to take a look at the back of my MacBook Pro, I discovered that one of the screws connecting the optical drive bay is dead..will apple fix this?( I have the apple care )
Thanks.

Actually I doubt they will fix it. First there is no reason for you as the user to be fooling with the screws that hold the optical drive in. That is not a User Replaceable part and voids the warranty if you remove the optical drive. Second if the optical drive works there is no reason to take any of the screws out that hold it in as that only need to be done if the optical drive fails. Once the optical drive fails and need to be replaced then Apple will deal with it at that time, whether the replcement is done under warranty or at your expense. Until that time I seriously doubt they will take the time and effort to replace one screw that doesn't cause any problems to the functioning of the computer and optical drive itself and normally can't be seen unless the bottom is taken off.
But no harm in asking.

How to remove stuck optical drive carrier

I'm in the process of replacing a worn out Optical Drive in my 2007 Mac Pro Tower. When I got to the 'remove the optical drive carrier,' the stinker comes out about 3/4 inch and then no further. I don't want to force it of course. Anyone else ever have the same problem?

I posted same question, got no answer so found a solution? for Mac Pro 3.1 early 2008 version.
This only can be done if you have 2 super? drive bays with lower unoccupied.
In my case it did not move at all in attempt to pull it out - in fact it is stuck on two screws that act as posts and are in slots in the bottom side of aluminum tray that it is supposed to slide out from. You don't see these until you get it out.
In your case with 3/4" opening, first try pulling one side then other, rocking, prying, a small crow bar. Try harder.
no, not the jack hammer.
Failing all else,
1) lay the computer - open side panel down - on the floor.
2) slide the lower unoccupied DVD tray open with your finger and insert a blunt object (I used big old blunt screw driver) into the opening aimed down towards the floor. When you apply force to the inserted object, it is in the direction that enclosure must be pulled to get it out normally and on the side where it is stuck. You may have to strike the object, as I did, before enclosure will come free.

The optical drive on my laptop will not go back in.

I accidentally pulled my optical drive out too far and now it will not go back in all of the way.
I think one of the silver runners is broken, because one slides all the way but the other doesn't.
I think the connection may be lost as the light on the drive no longer lights up.
Any advice? Is it easy to take the back of the laptop off and see if the connection is loose?
Thank you.

@Shepps93 ,
Hello and welcome to the HP support forums. Don't feel bad I have done this in the past myself.
Here is a link you the maintenance guide for your notebook.
Maintenance and Service Guide
Use this guide to find out how to remove the optical drive. You may have to replace the drive if the guides have been damaged or bent.
Please let me know if this helps.
Thank you for posting and have a great day.
Please click the "Thumbs Up" on the bottom right of this post to say thank you if you appreciate the support I provide!
Also be sure to mark my post as “Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others who face the same challenge find the same solution.
D5GR
I work on behalf of HP

Can Tiger run a dual boot system with the two internal hard drives

Can Mac run a dual boot system with the two internal hard drives both running Tiger?
Dual 2.5GHz G5
I am wanting to use one hard drive with Tiger to run my graphics stuff and then reboot and use the other hard drive for video.

Yes, you can set that configuration up.
(26293)

About to move from Windows to Mac. Considering purchasing retina display MBP 15" with dual boot system as I need some of my programs. How is the display in windows for photoshop?

Has anyone got any thoughts or have you yourself purchased the MBP with Retina display and added the dual boot system with windows?
I desperately need to update my gear and want a MBP.
I'm a full time photographer at my local paper and freelance photographer - use computers A LOT, and only use windows. I've experienced mac and know I prefer it, the way it runs pleases me a whole lot more and for the amount i'm processing/working I need something that will keep up.
With 12 years of photoshop gear loaded up for all my photo processing etc, I'm wanting to add Windows and have use of both. Windows would run photoshop that I had already purchased some time ago - question is, how will it run? what will the display be like running Windows on Mac with the retina display?
I use CS4 at the moment and can't afford to upgrade to CS6 just yet, plus i'd waste a lot of what I already have by starting again on Mac. I'd use Mac for everything else, need the use of Windows for portions of what I do.
About to head to Canada and want to get set up for the road. Any help is much appreciated.
Thanks heaps!

There are some drawbacks, running Windows 7 (only) on a Mac via Bootcamp yields less than stellar results, especially with the Retina display.
And of your traveling, the Mac's high power needs (especially the Retina display) and lack of removable battery are going to be a serious issue. The Retina display is glossy, not ideal for viewing on the road and in varied environments.
CS4 won't run on the OS X version that comes with a Mac, so your looking at purchasing CS6.
Support for Windows is more widespread than for Mac's, also if you ever need to redownload OS X to fix a issue, requires a fast reliable Internet connection of the broadband kind.
If your running Windows on your Mac, you can expect to be on your own and not get support as easily as if you were running it on a regular PC.
If you can't afford to keep up with CS upgrades, then you shouldn't be considering a Mac because there are more paid upgrades on that than on Windows 7, it's like a annual nightmare.
IMMO your still better off on a decent, 1920 x 1080 res, matte screen, removable battery (with extras), Win 7 Pro i7 machine (Pro+ runs XP programs) which will stay like it is and get security updates until 2020.
OS X changes every year and if you don't upgrade, + all your third party software, then about 3 years later your left behind for updates.
Also you will have to buy Win 7 to run on your Mac, the OEM disks won't work.
If your trying to budget, then a Mac is certainly not for you.

I have a 1st Gen Time Capsule 1tb. It turns on, boots up and turns green for 5-10 mins, but then turns solid orange and then blinks orange. I have removed the hard drive and replaced the power supply . . . still the same problem. Suggestions?

I purchased a used 1st Gen Time Capsule with a 1 tb hard drive.
When I plugged it in and did the initial setup, it worked fine, but gave me a hard drive error. A few minutes later the green light turned solid orange, then blinking orange, then the status light went off. The lights in back stayed on.
I removed the hard drive and rebooted, it turned green for 5-10 minutes then reverted back to a solid orange, blinking orange, then went off.
Next I purchased a remanufactured internal power supply, and installed it (without the hard drive in). It turned green almost immediately. After about 15-20 minutes, I decided to try to install the hard drive again, booted it up, and tried to erase the hard drive with was working properly according to the software. It stopped erasing the disc after about 20 minutes and turned solid orange again, then blinking, then no status light (but back lights were still lit).
I'm a bit flabbergasted at this point, any suggestions on what to do next? I think i've pretty much replaced everything except the logic board, but can't seem to find any information on the symptoms of a logic board malfunction.
Thanks!!!!!!!

A Gen3 is identical board to a Gen4 although they have some differences in firmware and wireless card was updated on every model.. but a Gen3 is substantially faster than Gen1, Gen2 which also have identical boards.
You can with careful shopping get a Gen3 pretty cheap.
Most use a delta power supply which I think is a lot better than the flextronics used in most Gen1/2
You can sell back the parts to ebay.. people still would buy the power supply etc. Even just the case can be useful to a repairer.
But if the board is gone.. it is hard to repair.. not impossible.. but hard.
Gen 3 and Gen 4 are not without faults.
See this page.
https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repair/new-issue-with-a1355-gen-3-tc
I have fixed it a different way.. by using the small converters you can buy in bulk from ebay for $1 each.. KIS3R33 .. they produce 3.3V at 2A peaking at 3A.. amazing.. I keep using them to replace onboard power converters by removing the inductor and simply power directly.. the end result has worked great. You can simply change the resistors around and get any output from 1v to 20v depending on input.
Is it worth doing it .. no of course not.. it will waste many more hours than $50 is worth.. but it is kind of fun that you can actually make things work again.
Here is a pic of the Gen 3 totally powered by me. All onboard power removed.
This was to track down the fault in the Gen3.. but I am kind of pleased that it ended up neat enough and reliable enough to work for more than a year.. the Gen3 still serves as a way to get Netflix via network for a friend running 24/7.
The units supply (from left to right)
1v, 1.1v, 3.3v, 5v, 1.8v
It is feed by 12v supply which is also directly connected to the hard disk.
So it is possible to fix.. !! Only got to be a bit crazy.

I want to triple boot Have Snow Leopard and XP on separate drives and I want Windows 7 on another drive, can it be done by temporarily removing the xp drive and installing windows 7 on another internal drive?

I want to triple boot my Mac Pro I have Snow Leopard and XP on separate drives (osx on drive 1, xp on drive 2) and I want Windows 7 on another drive (drive 4, drive 3 is used by osx for storage), can it be done by temporarily removing the xp drive and installing windows 7 on drive 4?
I realise bootcamp only allows 2 operating systems and refit could change the size of my current xp drive to accomodate W7, that is not an option here for various reasons one being the drive is pretty much at capacity with only about 30gig free (I work with video so that free space fluctautes quite a bit). I have a brand new drive 4 with 1TB set aside ready for W7 but I'm unsure how to go ahead?
any help or advice would be really appreciated, thanks

Boot Camp is used to support Windows on the same drive.
You can have a different OS on every drive.
You could have Windows 7, Vista, and XP all on one drive if you so choose.
I recommend not putting Windows and OS X on the same dirve when talking about Mac Pro - unless you just need something small and lite.
Remove all your other drives while you install Windows 7.
You could even relocate XP - if you need it even - or recover the hard drive space.
You should always keep 30% free for Mac OS; same for data/media drives.
Considering 1.5TB WD Black $110.... and you want OS X to be on a fast high performance drive as well.

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 SSD Dual Drive Installation , i need to install ssd or hdd without removing my optical drive?

salam 3lykum,
my MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 need to install SSD Dual Drive in the enclosure in the laptop, but without removing my optical drive? can one help me. and without cable sata to usb to use it external.

I only know of one 2 terabyte drive that will fit in a notebook - and it comes in an enclosure that you must disassemble to get to the drive -> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&coli d=110YIC0GU53A7&coliid=I38PEBUNYX6OUM&psc=1.
HGST does make a 1.5 terabyte drive that would work quite well in your machine - the Travelstar 5K1500.
Clinton

On my Macbook pro 15 2011, System Profiler is suggesting that it uses SATA III for the hard drive and SATA II for the Optical Drive. Is that true?

On my Macbook pro 15, 2011, System Profiler is suggesting that it uses SATA III for the hard drive and SATA II for the Optical Drive. Is that true?

That is correct. The tech specs indicate:
Hard Drive Interface
6.0 Gbps Serial ATA (SATA)
Optical Drive Interface
3.0 or 6.0 Gbps Serial ATA (SATA)

Dual Boot Systems via Removing the Optical Drive

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