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Data doubler + bootcamp story

M

magimat

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 4, 2010
17
0
Hi,

Just wanted to share my experience so maybe it will help someone else with the same scenario.

I have a brand new MBP 15" that I bought with apple's 128Gb SSD.

My plan from the beginning was to replace the superdrive with a data doubler and a 750Gb 7200 HD, so this is exactly what I did and everything went just as expected.

My trouble started when I tried to install Windows 7 on the 750Gb with bootcamp. I ran the bootcamp utility inside OSX and created a 100Gb partition for win7 on my secondary disk. Then I restarted the computer and put the Windows 7 install disc in my external usb drive (remember superdrive is removed because of datadoubler).

I tried several things, including two different external usb drives, but I just couldn't boot the win7 install disc from an external dvd drive even though both drives work just fine inside OSX. It just happens that it is impossible to boot a 2011 MBP from an external usb drive. I really tried a lot of options, including holding the option key and installing stuff like REFIT, but it always refused to boot from my external drive.

So, here is how I solved my problem:

I reopened the laptop and removed my main SSD disk to replace it with my 750Gb hd and I also put back the superdrive. So now my computer couldn't boot at all, but since the partition for windows was already on the HD and the superdrive was in, I was finally able to boot win7 install disk and install windows 7. Lastly, I reopen the laptop and replaced everything as wanted (SSD in main bay, datadoubler with 750Gb in secondary bay and superdrive removed)

So now I finally have a dual boot system that works flawlessly, but it wasn't easy to achieve! So I just though I should share and maybe help someone in the same situation.

Bootcamp dual boot can be done on a MBP 2011 with windows installed on a secondary disk, but you just can't install it using an external usb drive, it has to be done using the internal superdrive. Or at least it was the only way I was able to do it. Maybe there is another way, but I really doubt it, because I really read a LOT of thread and tried many many things and nothing else worked for me. Maybe with a firewire external drive, but I didn't have one to try it out.

enjoy!
 
magimat said:
Hi,

Just wanted to share my experience so maybe it will help someone else with the same scenario.

I have a brand new MBP 15" that I bought with apple's 128Gb SSD.

My plan from the beginning was to replace the superdrive with a data doubler and a 750Gb 7200 HD, so this is exactly what I did and everything went just as expected.

My trouble started when I tried to install Windows 7 on the 750Gb with bootcamp. I ran the bootcamp utility inside OSX and created a 100Gb partition for win7 on my secondary disk. Then I restarted the computer and put the Windows 7 install disc in my external usb drive (remember superdrive is removed because of datadoubler).

I tried several things, including two different external usb drives, but I just couldn't boot the win7 install disc from an external dvd drive even though both drives work just fine inside OSX. It just happens that it is impossible to boot a 2011 MBP from an external usb drive. I really tried a lot of options, including holding the option key and installing stuff like REFIT, but it always refused to boot from my external drive.

So, here is how I solved my problem:

I reopened the laptop and removed my main SSD disk to replace it with my 750Gb hd and I also put back the superdrive. So now my computer couldn't boot at all, but since the partition for windows was already on the HD and the superdrive was in, I was finally able to boot win7 install disk and install windows 7. Lastly, I reopen the laptop and replaced everything as wanted (SSD in main bay, datadoubler with 750Gb in secondary bay and superdrive removed)

So now I finally have a dual boot system that works flawlessly, but it wasn't easy to achieve! So I just though I should share and maybe help someone in the same situation.

Bootcamp dual boot can be done on a MBP 2011 with windows installed on a secondary disk, but you just can't install it using an external usb drive, it has to be done using the internal superdrive. Or at least it was the only way I was able to do it. Maybe there is another way, but I really doubt it, because I really read a LOT of thread and tried many many things and nothing else worked for me. Maybe with a firewire external drive, but I didn't have one to try it out.

enjoy!
Click to expand...

Great, thx for sharing.
 
Can you tell me how can you connect back the optical drive to MBP when you replace it with the data doubler ? buy a new external dvd drive ? Waiting your advice
 
I simply temporarly removed the datadoubler and put the superdrive back to its original location
 
I'm planning the exact same thing, hardware-wise, but I'm going to put my 60GB Windows7 partition on the SSD. (And use VMWare Fusion.)

The SSD will have the 60GB for windows7 and 60GB for Mac Boot/Apps.

(I'll get the partition created and Win7 all installed before I remove the optical drive and put in the HDD. The 750GB HDD will be for Mac Data -- and will include a backup of the windows files.)

Not saying this is "the correct way" to do it, but I'm hoping for a smoother experience. :)
 
Merkyworks said:
just out of curiosity what is the right way to do what he did?
Click to expand...

Since the 750GB HDD was probably brand new, bare, here's what I would have done.

Removed the stock Apple SSD and put in the 750GB. Leave the superdrive in for now. Slap in the Win7 and repartition/format install Win7 by booting from the Win7 disc, doesn't matter if there's no OS of any kind available (hold alt on boot). From there you can install windows and all that jazz. Macbook has problems installing windows from USB anything, I've tried this a ton.

From there you can either leave the HDD in the main slot and move the Apple SSD into the superdrive slot inside the Data Doubler and just boot into OSX and make it the boot drive. Or you can swap the HDD and SSD slots, but this is purely just up to the user. Bam. Only have to remove the superdrive once.
 
I got the same problem about installing windows from an external dvd drive.
I am wondering if one would have to set jumpers on both internal drives so the macbook would be able to boot and install win from external. I don't see any jumpers on the removed superdrive, maybe one's set internally by the manufacturer?
 
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