MacBook Pro - Booting from USB DVD Drive - Possible?

Scorpy · Scorpy #1 (**permalink**)

02-20-2009, 07:07 AM

Hi

My dvd drive on my MBP has gone down and I can't afford the £90 (

) for the replacement yet. I'm wanting to re-install OSX though. I was going to borrow one of our external USB/Firewire dvd drives from work over the weekend if it's possible to use it as a bootable drive from which I can boot off the OSX dvd.

Does anyone know if this is possible?

Thanks in advance

cwa107 · cwa107 #2 (**permalink**)

02-20-2009, 08:39 AM

Yep. Attach the drive, insert the disc, hold down the option key whilst turning the power on. It should offer the external as a boot option.

Scorpy · Scorpy #3 (**permalink**)

02-20-2009, 08:47 AM

I was hoping it was going to be as easy as that. I'll give it a go but other sites I've read say its only possible with firewire. Unfortunately, this drive is only USB, but i'll try.

I'm actually having the same problem as the people in this thread on the apple site. Not sure if anyone else here has had the same thing and managed to solve it?

Apple - Support - Discussions - Drive reads no discs ...

cwa107 · cwa107 #4 (**permalink**)

02-20-2009, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpy

I was hoping it was going to be as easy as that. I'll give it a go but other sites I've read say its only possible with firewire. Unfortunately, this drive is only USB, but i'll try.

That applies to older, PPC Macs. Based on the specs you're listing, it looks like you have an Intel Mac - and I can tell you from experience that it works fine with Intel Macs.

Scorpy · Scorpy #5 (**permalink**)

02-20-2009, 08:55 AM

Yeah it is a Intel Mac. Those specs are out-dated anyway after a couple of upgrades.

Thanks for the help

B&O · B&O #6 (**permalink**)

02-20-2009, 10:08 AM

If not rip your disc to a USB iPod and install from it. I have an old iPod just for this.

Scorpy · Scorpy #7 (**permalink**)

02-20-2009, 06:25 PM

OSX installed just fine from the external USB. No problems at all. Can't install windows on boot camp from the external tho. Recognizes the disc when in OSX but won't see it after starting the installation and rebooting, even if I hold the option key.

Oh well, only wanted it installed for the odd game of Oblivion anyway.

cwa107 #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 20, 2006 Location: Middletown, Pennsylvania Posts: 25,916 Mac Specs: 15" MBP, Core i7/2GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB Crucial M4 SSD	02-20-2009, 08:39 AM Yep. Attach the drive, insert the disc, hold down the option key whilst turning the power on. It should offer the external as a boot option. Liquid and computers don't mix. It might seem simple, but we see an incredible amount of people post here about spills. Keep drinks and other liquids away from your expensive electronics!
	QUOTE Thanks

B&O #6 (permalink)
Member Since: May 18, 2007 Location: Brit in Tokyo. Posts: 745 Mac Specs: MBP i7, Mac Mini & iPhone 3G.	02-20-2009, 10:08 AM If not rip your disc to a USB iPod and install from it. I have an old iPod just for this. MacBook Pro 2.66Ghz i7. Mac Mini 2.26Ghz C2D iPhone 3G 16GB iPad 3G 64GB Check out my flickr
	QUOTE Thanks

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Scorpy #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 01, 2006 Location: Guildford, UK Posts: 22 Mac Specs: 17" MBP, 1Gb RAM, 100Gb HDD, Wacom Intuos 3	02-20-2009, 07:07 AM Hi My dvd drive on my MBP has gone down and I can't afford the £90 ( ) for the replacement yet. I'm wanting to re-install OSX though. I was going to borrow one of our external USB/Firewire dvd drives from work over the weekend if it's possible to use it as a bootable drive from which I can boot off the OSX dvd. Does anyone know if this is possible? Thanks in advance
	QUOTE Thanks

Scorpy #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 01, 2006 Location: Guildford, UK Posts: 22 Mac Specs: 17" MBP, 1Gb RAM, 100Gb HDD, Wacom Intuos 3	02-20-2009, 08:55 AM Yeah it is a Intel Mac. Those specs are out-dated anyway after a couple of upgrades. Thanks for the help
	QUOTE Thanks

Scorpy #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 01, 2006 Location: Guildford, UK Posts: 22 Mac Specs: 17" MBP, 1Gb RAM, 100Gb HDD, Wacom Intuos 3	02-20-2009, 06:25 PM OSX installed just fine from the external USB. No problems at all. Can't install windows on boot camp from the external tho. Recognizes the disc when in OSX but won't see it after starting the installation and rebooting, even if I hold the option key. Oh well, only wanted it installed for the odd game of Oblivion anyway.
	QUOTE Thanks

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