Installing windows from an external DVD-RW

I am having troubles booting the windows installer from an external DVD-RW drive. It runs loudly and then goes to a screen with a folder with a question mark. When I am in OS X it gives me the option of starting from the disc, but again it gives me the folder. When I press option as it starts up, it only shows my OS X disc.

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How to install Leopard from an external DVD reader?

Hi,
I've bought Leopard today. unfortunately, it's not yet installed on my PowerBook. As my SuperDrive is dead, I use now an external DVD (Lacie Portable DVD-RW), but it doesn't work. I can read the Leopard install DVD, but when it reboot, it reboot on my current installation.
I've tried the following during the boot sequence:
- alt pressed, but I can only see my main HDD
- c pressed, but I boot on my current installation
Can you tell me if it is possible to install Leopard from an external DVD, and how can I do that ?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Emmanuel Di Pretoro

Can you tell me if the same problem occur with a FireWire external DVD ?
It does not occur on your model of Mac.
(25504)

What do I do if my Mac doesn't support installing Windows from an external USB drive or DVD?

I have connected now: an external hardrive with windows support software, and a disc with Windows 7 ISO files on it. I have tried to run bootcamp assistant, but when I am given the first dialogue box titled "select tasks", I am not given the first option which should be "create a windows 7 or later install disk". If I skip to the next screen anyway after checking the other options, bootcamp assistant tells me "the installer disc could not be found Insert your Windows installer disc and wait a few seconds for the disc to be recognized", even though my DVD with the windows ISO file is in the computer. How do I fix this? Do I need to get an actual copy of the Windows software DVD instead of a DVD with the ISO image on it? Because it seems like my system does not support the ISO DVD. Eeep!

Thanks Phil0124. I was able to mount the ISO onto the DVD from my disk utility but now I face another problem. Bootcamp recognized the disc and started to install Windows, but stopped and gave me the following error message: "your disc could not be partitioned An error occurred while partitioning the disk".

Internal DVD drive is shot. Can I install SL from an external DVD drive?

Hi folks, a quick (well actually a few) questions.
I've had my imac since early '06. It's currently running Tiger, and I'd like to install Snow Leopard. The problem is that the internal DVD drive is shot. It's been occasionally refusing to accept DVDs for a while now, and now it has a DVD stuck in it (not mounted), which I can't get out via terminal, rebooting, or jiggling it (technical term I know).
Now, I'm going to assume that getting apple to replace the DVD drive will be more expensive than just grabbing an external drive, especially as I'll most probably only use it once. The question is, if I grab a cheap external DVD drive, will I be able to install Snow Leopard with it? Or will Tiger not recognise it as a boot drive?
Many thanks,
Chris
p.s. Also, I'm using a cheapo windows style keyboard (will be replacing asap), and I'm wondering if this is why I can't see bootable drives when holing option on startup?

Yes, you can install from an external drive, although I wouldn’t go for a cheap one. There are good, relatively inexpensive, drives out there. And you are going to need that option key to select the install disk as your startup. I believe there is a corresponding key on a PC keyboard, but I don’t know what it is (maybe Alt?). I’m sure someone can jump in here and tell us.

How to install Windows from an external cd-romd

since my previous thread was pretty much ignored - i dare someone again:
To all,
I am not able to get Boot Camp to load vista from the external CD-ROM since the internal one is totaly disconnected. It does nothing. It spins the CD when it restarts then continues on to loading the login screen.
Bare with me - this is the fun part -
I got a 24" white iMac. CD-ROM was stuck and refused to take in new CD's. Took it to Apple, they replaced it. I bring it back home 2 days later and the screen is dented. They fix that in 4 days. Now I am finally able to start installing Vista.
Put the CD in - nothing happens - it kicks it out!!!! Well - its brand new - its even a different brand than what was in there before.
I take it back to apple, i give the lady all the ** in the world because this is not supposed to happen, etc.
They decide to give me a new iMac. While I am waiting, the manager approaches me and give me the 13 cents which were found in the cd-rom drive (thanks to my kids)
So I appologize - totaly ignored her wanting $450 to replace it, so I went and bought a Sony external DVD reader, burner.
Problem --
Boot Camp, Front Row + the DVD player software won't work off the external drive.
I took the mac appart - disconnected the dvd-drive from the motherboard thinking that if its not there, then boot camp will attempt to run off the external drive.
Put it back together - and rebooted - everything came up fine until using front row or the dvd player.
Boot Camp still won't read the external drive - no errors nothing - it attempts then quits and moves to the login screen.
Guys - I need help - i make my living off Windows so not having access to it - its killing me.
Please do not recommend parallels or anything else like it.
I am willing to try anything at this point. Before I go and spend $450 i will rather buy a new machine.
HELP!!! Anyone Please!!!!

OK, I reread your original post and you don't say if the Sony drive shows up in Finder if you insert a disc, it should.
That said, the point I think you're missing is that when BootCamp Assistant (BA) asks you to insert the Windows disc, the BA application does not read it. Instead BA tells OS X to reboot off the cdrom drive. Thus it's the bootstrap loader that has to know how to read off the specified device. Bootstrap loaders reside in firmware and are very limited programs. They generally only know how to detect selected key presses and how to read boot sectors of certain devices and pass execution to the loaded code. Reading from a USB connected optical device is not within the scope of a bootstrap loader.

Installing software from an external DVD writer?

I have a MacBook Pro Summer 2012 so I needed an external DVD writer (Samsung SE-208) to install reFXs plug-in Nexus 2. I have connected the writer and I can hear it's running and it shows up in Finder. The problem is that no DVD is showing up. The writer supposedly works out of the box on Mac. What can I do? Is it even possible to install software from a DVD writer?

Could be the DVD is for a Windows system and not Mac OS X. Try any music CD in the drive. I personally have never had any problem with any brand external DVD drive that connect by USB port on my Mac. I have even used a Desktop style/size DVD drive that is supposed to be installed inside a desktop case and as long as I supply the proper power to it and connect it to my Mac with a SATA/IDE to USB adapter the drive works just fine.

Installing Windows from an external optical drive?

My superdrive recently died, and I replaced it with an external drive that's been able to read and burn everything I need it to without a problem, including using it to install Snow Leopard.
I tried to use it to install Windows (Vista Home Premium, if that matters) with Boot Camp, but when it comes to starting the actual installation, the computer doesn't seem to see the drive at all. It will start up, with the chime and the grey startup screen, but that's as far as it gets. It will stay on that screen until I restart it and go back into the Mac partition by pressing option at startup.
Is there a way to make it boot to the Windows disc in the external drive? Failing that, is there a way to use Boot Camp successfully with a non-disk source, like an external hard drive or flash drive with the Windows data on it? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

The Hatter:
Thanks for your reply. My purpose is temporary and to document the process of installing Windows in to a Boot Camp partition on a system that does not have an internal Optical drive.
I did this succesfully using bits of information from three documents. I want to go through the process again, this time documenting my steps for the benefit of others and me in the future. You may or maynot know, installing Windows with Boot Camp without an INTERNAL optical drive is difficult and require a hack using Parallels, copying the VM MBR, etc.
I should have documented it the first time but I doubted if it would work.
So, I want a second BC partition, on my second internal drive without touching my working BC patrition on the SSD.
Make more sense?
Thanks,
Kevin

Install Tiger from an external DVD drive?

I have an old blue & white G3 OS 9.2.1 and I want to install Tiger.
Internal cd drive but an external dvd reader/writer.
Does anyone know how to get the CPU to recognize the external dvd drive for startup?
I tried changing in startup menu - drive was not allowed to be accessed.
Is it all possible to install with a dvd internal drive?
Hughrayfeather

That machine will not recognize an external DVD reader/writer as a bootable system.
You can get the Tiger Media Exchange on http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/ on the right hand side, which is a CD version of Tiger.
Only newer AGP PowerMac G4s and iMac G3s and iBook G3s with Firewire can boot off external Firewire drives.
For more on upgrading to Mac OS X, also see this FAQ:
http://www.macmaps.com/macosxnative.html
Disclaimer: Reference to links I make to my Macmaps.com website are a for your information only type reference. I do not get any profit from this page, and it is open to the public.

Install Windows from external dvd drive?

ok.there is my problem.
I have a Mac Pro here.Last week the dvd driver stopped work and I do not have time to fix it now and I need urgently install the windows xp because need to use a specific app for windows.
Is it possible to install windows xp on bootcamp using a external dvd drive (usb).
thank you.

I have the exact same problem - my internal SuperDrive died and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay over $500 to get a new one. It appears to be utterly impossible to install Windows from an external DVD drive. At least it seems to be that way for me and my machine.
I've tried my drive connected with USB and with Firewire. I've tried rEFIt. I've tried booting with the Option/Alt key. My Mac seems unable (or unwilling) to do this.
I've found many many people with the same problem and only a very small handful that seem to eventually get it to work.
I've even tried to use the 30 day trial of VMFusion (which is not a long term solution because it doesn't use/mimic sufficient video drivers to support the games I want to play) to install Windows to the partition and I can't get that to work either. The Windows installer seems to refuse to install an older version of the system when the boot version has already been updated to a new one.
Does anyone out there have a way to reliably install Windows on a BootCamp partition?
Cheers,
Fusilier

2011 MBP MC700 13" cann't install win7 from an external usb CD/DVD ROM

My new 2011 MBP MC700 13" cann't install win7 from an external usb CD/DVD ROM,WHY?

Yes, very annoying. Not unworkable though. We've a bucket load of different external devices too, tried all of them.
It's not common to one OS either - can't boot OSX DVD, Ubuntu, Win7.... Only way I can is via the internal SuperDrive when it's actually internal.
Even tried it with just 1 x Hard Disk & an External USB. No joy.
Obviously not annoying enough for me to try and find a solution I just work around it now. Interesting it's been the same on my last three MBPs though - no problem on both the Air's I've owned.

Installing OSX.4 from an external DVD

I have an old B&W G3 that only has a CD. It won't seem to let me start up from my external DVD, although it sees the OSX.4 disk. Is there a way to install this OS from my external DVD, or do I have to put the DVD on the internal ATA chain or do I have to buy CD's?
Thanks!

Your computer probably doesn't support the use of an USB drive to start up your computer, and it doesn't support FireWire booting. An internal drive needs to be used.
(22526)

Problems booti and install Tiger on a G4 running 9.2.2 from an external DVD

G4 PCI powermac, just a cd drive built in, running 9.2, sees external iomega dvd drive, reads dvds, cds, but when I try loading tiger from a dvd there are problems.
I puu the tiger disc in, click on install, then get a message that startup disc cannot set this drive as the startup disc (or similar). Restarting and holding the c key doesn't work- I get blinking question mark and have to disconnect the iomega drive, put the 9.2 cd in the internal drive and restart again holding down c key to get anything. Then, running from the cd I can reset the startup disc to the hard drive. Neither can I install tiger running 9.2 from the internal cd, with the tiger DVD in the Iomega drive- it sees it, but requires that the tiger install disc be the startup drive, and we go around again if I try that.
Q- is this possible, ie to load tiger on a PCI 400mhz powermac from an external DVD drive? has anyone done it? how?
Thank you.
by the way, PCI 400mhz powermac- doesn't need firmware updating, can't be put into target mode, can't boot from a firewire device (and I have tried, just in case)

Joe, thank you very much for your post. The PCI G4 won't boot from an external USB dvd drive. Part of the apple support site says it will, another part says it won't. It won't. And it's well documented that the PCI G4 won't boot from a firewire device, neither can one put it into target mode.
The method Joe suggests does work. I arrived at it independantly, with this method- I ran 9.2 from a CD and partitioned the internal hard drive 10GB dive, ended up with two 5GB partitions. then installed 9.2 on one partition.
Restarted and I'm running 9.2.
Then copied the Tiger install dvd from an external dvd rom, just a normal drag n drop copy, while running 9.2 (you can't do this under OS X) Then set the startup disc as the partition with the OS X install files on it.
(I copied the Tiger files ontot he partition that wasn't running 9.2)
Pressed restart, a long wait and then it sprang into life and installed OSX on the other partition, but without asking if I wanted a clean install- it just installed it alongside the 9.2 system folder.
I had to specify no extras, it prompted for that, via a message that said free space was tight.
All went well and it's running 10.4.4
Problems that have arisen- 1. won't update the system. Downloads the files via software update, then says it can't use them. The update dmg files from the apple site won't work either.
2. won't shut down properly- goes to a blue screen, then stays there- I have to unplug it every time.
Otherwise ok.
prior to working this out out, I visited the local apple store- no cd copies of tiger, exchange program withdrawn. Suggested I call apple. Did so, was directed to technical support. Technical support, very nice guy but knew zero about this.
this is really a bit of fun for me, I have other macs, so no worries, but if anyone has a copy of Tiger on CD, I'd really like to borrow it.
Thanks everyone
Mike

How do I install windows from USB on Macbook pro 3,1

How do I install windows from USB on Macbook pro 3,1 ?
My Superdrive is far from super anymore, So I managed to make an extern drive with both Snow Leopard Partition, Lion Partition (Since I thought Boot Camp 4,1 would bypass my problem), and Time Machine partition, Since I got 1. USB drive that works.
- My general issue is that Boot camp Refuse to see the USB drive - (Many "how to"´s though show how they install windows perfectly through the USB port, but they use airbooks!, and somehow the Macbook will not ?)
I fix that issue with >> rEFIt <<, that suddenly makes it possible for the Mac to see the USB drive, and partitions.
Which was very strange since I could use an extern HD with the whole installation to start up wipe the whole disk, and then use my extern drive with partitions to install Snow Leopard and get everything as before with timemachine. Very smart with timemachine, but very lucky that I have a extern drive that runs the whole system and that I made the partitionsdrive before. DVD-drives are the past!
Point: So the original system could see the Snow Leopard installation USB disk, but boot camp cannot find the USB drive ?????????
After rEFIt I booted and then I got this error:
Starting bootmgr.efi
Error: Unsupported while loading bootmgr.efi
I read it could be a problem with the Windows software, so I purchased an extern DVD drive, Used Disk Utility to make an image (.DMG), then used another program to convert the .dmg to .ISO.
Then downloaded a trialversion of vmWare fusion, and installed windows from the iso. Everything worked brilliant, except and that is why I want to use boot camp, Running windows in another program while running the mac system is a little hacky and slow.
Point: Nothing is wrong with the windows software, and windows runs fine.
I then downloaded the Windows DVD / USB Tool, reformatted a USB drive as Master Boot Partition, MS-Dos Fat partition, then after lots of struggling got Vmware, windows to recognise the USB drive. And installed the windows software on the USB drive, as all the walkthroughs recommend.
Then I tried for "fun"! to just install windows form the extern USB drive, and with rEFIt it will see the drive and start to do something, but then when it starts to boot, the screen just turns into black and nothing happens, and you can see the drive does NOTHING. (I think it is because I only have 1 USB drive and the Extern DVD drive does not get enough power, but again the mac refuse to see the USB drive unless it is a Snow Leopard installation USB-drive!
Well trying to install Windows Ultimate 64 Bit, which worked great in vmware, because that program installed from the .ISO file that I had on the desktop, but trying with Boot Camp did not get anywhere, what kind of **** program is this boot camp anyway!?, but then I try the new USB disk with windows made from windows, thorugh rEFIt, it sees the disk and then starts and then I get this ERROR:
rEFIt - Booting Legacy OS
Starting legacy loader
Using load option ´USB´
Error: Not found returned from legacy loader
Error: Not found from LocateDevicePath
(x 9 times)
Error: Load Error while (re)opening our installation volume
The firmware refused to boot from the selected volume. Note that external hard drives are not well-supported by Apple´s firmware for legacy OS booting
(Hey Apple please send out a updated firmware that fix this issue?!)
So how do I do it ? - or is the only option to fix the partition running the system from the extern disk. Format the whole drive in 2 from the "bottom" and install windows and then afterwards install Mac on the other partition ? Or just run windows on the mac and forget about mac software ? What a stupid solution...

There are strings in the pliist file to add other Macs so that you can use some USB-DVD drives.
This is 5 page thread, so a little more 'meat' to it:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3410900?start=60&tstart=0
And on PC booting Windows from a USB DVD to do the install is usually a piece of cake, sometimes you just need to specify that USB in the BIOS boot order and sometimes select via F12 (or another Fkey) and that is it.
What you have here seems to be everything and everyone is excluded unless there is a mac-model device ID string that specifies yes. An unnecessary hurdle.

How do I run system recovery dvd from an external dvd drive?

I am having trouble trying to restore my DV 6000 (dv6915nr) from an external dvd drive. I am aware that this laptop has had several hardware issues, including the loss of use of the internal dvd drive and have tried all the fixes that I could find,including changing filter settings in the registry, changinging the boot order in the bios and even removing the intenal drive. Since none of these fixes worked, I removed the hard drive and installed window 7 Prodessional in a desktop computer. After reinstalling drive in laptop, I installed all the Vista drivers from HP. Computer works fine except for sound card and Nic that failed and have been replaced by USB devices. Simce I am not 100% sure the hardware failures are motherboard failures and not software, I would really like to run my System Restore DVDs that I purchased from HP. And that's where I need help.
I am A Plus and Network Plus certified, so I am pretty sure that I have tried all the obvious soutions. Evedrything turned on, checked the cables, accessed dvd in wimdows and even ran restore disk in a desktop machine to the point that it told me I was trying to restore the wong computer. I downloaded a program called Win To Flash that allows you to copy a setup disk to an external hard drive, but that didn't work. HP restore disk does not have Setup file on it, so it wouldn't copy to drive. Tried just copying the disk to external and that didn't work either. Also tried switching drive letters D and E without any success.
Bios choices are:
USb floppy
ATAPI cd/dvd rom drive
USB diskette on key
Notebook Hard drive
Network Adapter
Original restore partition is long gone.
I would rather restore it with an external Hard drive, not an USB memory stick. I think both would work the same. I do have an USB floppy drive, if there is some way of starting installation from floppies.
Like I said, I really like the computer, even with all its faults, but I would like to restore it to its original Operating System.

Some progress, I got it to try to boot from an external hard drive. Downloaded a program called WINToboot. tried to run it, got as far as formatting my hard drive and might have loaded some kind of boot program. Would not copy my restore disks because they did not have set up program. Copied both restore disks to hard drive and tried to boot laptop. F0 produced choose external hard drive choice. Got "no OS found" error. only choice ctl alt del. I think I am headed in right direction. Just need to know what to load on external hard drive.

How to run windows from an external usb drive

Hi,
I've just install windows using bootcamp. after that i restore that windows installed bootcamp volume to an GUID partitioned external HDD. Now it is shown in startup disc, but when i select that (external HDD) volume it is unable to start.
I don't know what to do? I just want to run windows from an external usb drive like i can run mac osx.
please help. thanks

Windows will not run from an external drive.

Installing windows from an external DVD-RW

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