# Which External DVD Drive to Install Operation System on iBook G4?



## vja4Him (Jun 23, 2009)

Which External DVD Drive to Install Operation System on iBook G4?

I need to find an external DVD drive that is compatible with my iBook G4, and will allow me to install Tiger.

I just bought a Sony Optiarc 8x External Slim USB external DVD drive, but my iBook will not recognize Tiger so I can select the installation disk to install Tiger the internal HD in my iBook.

The internal disk drive on my iBook is jammed, so that is why I need to get an external drive to install a system.

TigerDirect told me that there are no external DVD drives that will allow me to install a system on my iBook. So no help there ... 

Any suggestions on which DVD drives would work for me?


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

Okay, here's the skinny, iBooks are PowerPC Macs, and PowerPC Macs, 99% of the time, will not boot from USB, ever. If you have a firewire DVD drive, you'd be fine. I have heard that there is some firmware hacking you can do on the iBook to get USB boot to work, but it's really not a good idea, I've never done it, nor know where to find how to. The last thing you could try to see if you have one of the 1% PowerPC Macs that will boot USB for some odd reason is to put the DVD in the drive, turn the drive on, making sure it is ready to go, then turn the iBook on, and as soon as you hear the bong, hold down the option key. Keep holding it down until you get some large icons on the screen. This is the boot manager, and it'll so you the connected, and readable bootable drives that the firmware will use. If you see a DVD icon, then it should boot from the drive. Click on it and then the arrow under it, or the arrow all the way to the lower right. If not, then there isn't anything you can do.


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## vja4Him (Jun 23, 2009)

I just ordered this from TigerDirect:

Lacie d2 22X DVDRW External Drive - USB 2.0, FireWire (Mac)

So, hopefully I should be able to install Tiger on my iBook.

I'd rather not mess around with trying to get the USB drive to work.


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