External Samsung Optical Drive not working

[Bawsh]

Hello,

I recently bought a MacBook Pro and replaced the SuperDrive with an OptiBay with my original 750GB drive and put an SSD in the HD space. I'm now trying to install Windows 7 in BootCamp but none of my DVD drives work. I tried using the SuperDrive enclosure included with my OptiBay but it didn't work. The drive would turn on but it couldn't eject nor was it detected on my MacBook. I then bought an external Samsung optical drive (this one here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044DEDBG/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details?tag=acleint-20 ). I received it today so I plugged it in to my MacBook and I see it in Disk Utility and Finder when I put in a disc (as seen in the pictures) but as you also see in Finder, there is only 1 file that's a .txt file. Then in Boot Camp Assistant, when I press 'Install' to install Windows 7 it tells me the installer disc can't be found. I don't understand what's wrong because both the SuperDrive and this Samsung external drive don't work even though the Samsung drive seems to be detected by disk utility. Do I need to format it or something? And if so, what do I format it as?
Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[maflynn]

The problem is you cannot boot up the windows 7 disk from any optical drive that is connected to the USB port. There's a number of threads already detailing this.

There may be a work around, but I have not come across one.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Hello,

I recently bought a MacBook Pro and replaced the SuperDrive with an OptiBay with my original 750GB drive and put an SSD in the HD space. I'm now trying to install Windows 7 in BootCamp but none of my DVD drives work. I tried using the SuperDrive enclosure included with my OptiBay but it didn't work. The drive would turn on but it couldn't eject nor was it detected on my MacBook. I then bought an external Samsung optical drive (this one here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044DEDBG/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details?tag=acleint-20 ). I received it today so I plugged it in to my MacBook and I see it in Disk Utility and Finder when I put in a disc (as seen in the pictures) but as you also see in Finder, there is only 1 file that's a .txt file. Then in Boot Camp Assistant, when I press 'Install' to install Windows 7 it tells me the installer disc can't be found. I don't understand what's wrong because both the SuperDrive and this Samsung external drive don't work even though the Samsung drive seems to be detected by disk utility. Do I need to format it or something? And if so, what do I format it as?
Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!

You can't format an ODD, only the medium.

Anyway, since Windows does not like to be installed from an external device, you have some modding to do.
I recently had to reinstall Windows 7 on a PC and I had to use an external HDD (though a USB flash memory thumb drive might work too, but as it is much slower than any HDD, I chose the USB HDD route).
I formatted one of my free HDDs via Windows (in a VMWare Fusion VM) using this video.
It probably can be applied to any USB flash memory thumb drive if you want too.

 

[Bawsh]

You can't format an ODD, only the medium.

Anyway, since Windows does not like to be installed from an external device, you have some modding to do.
I recently had to reinstall Windows 7 on a PC and I had to use an external HDD (though a USB flash memory thumb drive might work too, but as it is much slower than any HDD, I chose the USB HDD route).
I formatted one of my free HDDs via Windows (in a VMWare Fusion VM) using this video.
It probably can be applied to any USB flash memory thumb drive if you want too.

I'm going to try putting it on my USB Flash drive. Hope it works or else I'm going to have to remove the OptiBay and put in the SuperDrive for a while just to do this.

 

[Bawsh]

Alright, I got everything installed by taking my OptiBay out and putting the SuperDrive in to install Windows 7 then vice-versa lol.
Just one more question, is it possible to use part of the 750GB drive in the OptiBay for Windows as well? I set aside 79GBs on my SSD for Windows and only about 38GBs are left after installation of Windows and the drivers.
Edit: Never mind.

 

[cagen]

i've had some problems although i havent had problems with the partitioning; however this post might help you when you get to installing windows 7

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1346929/

i posted a solution for installing windows 7 on a optibay drive