Unable to install Windows on MacBook with external optical drive

Hey all!

I'm new to the forums, I hope you can help me with my problem:

I would like to install Windows on my MacBook, using Bootcamp. Since the internal optical drive from my MacBook is broken, I use a LaCie d2 external optical drive.

Patitioning with Bootcamp is no problem, but when I restart my MacBook to install Windows, it does not recognize the optical drive when it is connected via USB. I tried with holding down the option key, holding down 'c'. Nothing seems to work.

When I leave the Windows-disc out and push the option key, and then insert the Windows-cd, my MacBook will stop working.

I tested the CD, it's fine. I use a Windows XP SP2-cd. I run the newest version of Bootcamp and all updates are installed.
The weird thing is that this method worked fine for me, half a year ago. Also, when I connect the optical drive in OS X, it will work fine. It is just not recognized as a bootable device (it is when I connect the drive via FireWire, but then Windows will tell me: no bootable device etc.) Could it have something to do with teh firmware (it's update to the newest version)?

Is anyone able to tell me what I should do?

Thank in advance!

If the drive will boot when attached to the firewire port and not the USB port, it's a matter of determining which is causing the problem - the drive, or the MacBook USB port. (Especially since you say it worked 6 months ago) About the only way to test it is on another Mac or, possibly a PC whose BIOS allows booting from USB.

Have you thought about repairing\replacing the drive in your MacBook? If you're handy, you may be able to do it yourself.

www.ifixit.com sells the drive and has very clear do it yourself instructions that are easy to follow.

Regards.

same problem

does anyone have a solution for that? the external optical drive works fine as i can boot mac osx from it. however, i can't boot up from winxp install disk.

[Another complementary solution]

Hello, I know that it’s quite late, but yesterday I had the same problem, I installed rEFIt, and I when I restart the machine (with a external usb cd drive Samsung), I had three options, Boot Mac, Boot the bootcamp partition and Boot from CD, I choose boot from CD and the installation started, later when the Win installation needs to reboot, I only get a black screen and nothing else, THE SOLUTION for me was, shut down the machine, DISCONNECT the usb drive, turn on the machine, select the boot from bootcamp partition (or Win partition now) option from rEFIt menu, and the installation continues! Now I’m running Win7 in my macbook mid 2007 again! I hope it helps. Ciao!