How do I get Parallels to recognize an external DVD RW drive.

I have a 21.5" Imac, and I bought a Lacie D2 DVD RW external drive. I am having a problem I will try to describe as clearly as i can.

I put Parallels and windows 7 on my Imac because there are a couple of Windows programs I use, and i don't want to have to hook up my old PC everytime I want to use them. Exact Audio Copy and MP3Gain.

When setting up EAC it tests any optical drives that you have connected and will list them in order of performance.

This feature works fine on my old PC. It tested the PCs internal DVD RW and the Lacie D2 External drive and told me the Lacie would be the preferred drive to use.

Now comes the problem. when I try to test both drives on my Imac, EAC will only recognize one drive or the other but not both so It can't recommend the better drive to use.

Windows 7 shows my Imacs internal DVD RW as drive D: and the Lacie External DVD RW as drive E:, but Parallels will only show one drive or the other, but not both.

Is there a way to add a CD/DVD2 under devices in parallels, I'm not even sure if that will be the answer but its my best guess at present?

Windows 7 shows my Imacs internal DVD RW as drive D: and the Lacie External DVD RW as drive E:, but Parallels will only show one drive or the other, but not both.

Click to expand...

Not sure I understand? How can Windows 7 show two drives and Parallels only one if you're running Windows 7 in a virtual machine from within Parallels? Unless you're running Windows 7 both from a Boot Camp partition and again from a VM in Parallels. Please clarify.

Also, did you install the Parallels guest (helper) tools? See the following LINK.

Regards.

Sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner.

I did not use Bootcamp at all, only Parallels, because I wanted to be able to switch between Mac OS and Windows easily.

I did install the guest tools.

I even uninstalled Parallels and reloaded it to be sure I did it right., and still when I click on devices it shows only CD/DVD1. When I move over and click on source I get to choose either my internal drive or the external as CD/DVD1, but it should be listing both drives under devices, the internal drive as CD/DVD1 and the External as CD/DVD2.

So I'm stumped.

When you click on it, can you use it? Did you install it under USB devices? You could also unplug it and see if any dialog comes up (ie asking where you want it to be installed mac or pc) Sorry I've only dealt with a scanner and an external backup drive so I'm not sure what should come up with a cd/dvd.

I'm using Parallels 5.0 and win XP. SnowLeopard released a security update a few days ago and so did Parallels, but since then both have been a bit slow and some things just don't get acknowledged when my machine has been off but then again I think I need to repair disk and permissions maybe..

Good luck!

Raveon said:

Sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner.

I did not use Bootcamp at all, only Parallels, because I wanted to be able to switch between Mac OS and Windows easily.

I did install the guest tools.

I even uninstalled Parallels and reloaded it to be sure I did it right., and still when I click on devices it shows only CD/DVD1. When I move over and click on source I get to choose either my internal drive or the external as CD/DVD1, but it should be listing both drives under devices, the internal drive as CD/DVD1 and the External as CD/DVD2.

So I'm stumped.

Click to expand...

If I select my external drive in configure it will work. when I shut it off or unplug it and then plug it back in or turn it on, a message comes up stating a new USB device has been detected and asks if I want to install it as a windows device or a virtual machine device, and i choose virtual machine device.

I finally got it. I had to spend about a half hour digging through the manual. In order to add a new device you have to open virtual machine then select confirmation, then shutdown the virtual machine. the confirmation window will still be up, and once the virtual machine is shut down a + (add) button appears in the lower left corner of the configure window which allows you to add hardware devices.