Using an Apple MacBook Air Superdrive with a non-Apple PC not running Mac OS - possible or not?

EDIT: Up and running like a champ - 'click here' to go to the solution!​

Hiya guys,

I thought I'd ask this here, as I didn't get a response from the Apple section - maybe I posted in the wrong part of the Apple sub forums - don't know. Anyway, I also thought it might be relevant as many AW owners also have/use Apple products as well as their AW, so I'll ask you guys as well.

Basically, I picked one of these 'Superdrives' up yesterday - brand new/sealed at a price level where I simply could not leave it on the shelf. Now that leaves me with two options. Use it or sell it. I'd like to maybe use it, but before opening it, I wondered if any of you guys have any knowledge of using one with a Windows/non-Apple computer.

I also grabbed a 'Magic Mouse' as well, seems I can use that on a Windows PC without too much hassle....wondered if the ODD would work, too.....I'd be planning on using them with my Z830 (no ODD) and whilst it's probably not something your average AW owner needs - as ODD is there anyway - but might have an Apple too...

Any info greatly appreciated, as would advice/instructions on how to get it working. :thumbsup:

Thanks in advance

Stevie.

 

It seems like it's locked out of any non-Apple computer. You might be able to download and force the BootCamp driver, though. (Since it will work on a MBA running Win7, but not on another laptop running Win7.)

Source: Is it windows compatiable - Apple Store (Canada)

Assuming this is the SuperDrive you mean: Apple USB SuperDrive - Apple Store (Canada)

Drivers you can download/extract and try to force one of: http://www.cafe-encounter.net/p682/download-bootcamp-drivers and http://www.cafe-encounter.net/p860/opening-a-bootcamp-driver-download-on-windows-7-or-8-with-7-zip

Now ITT: Apple bullcrapery, and hardware that rejects connecting to 'unapproved' computers.

Dumb.

 

Thanks for the info, Bro - and yeah, that's the drive I picked up.

After a little Google, I've come across this: Does Apple MacBook Air Superdrive to work on any PC? - Microsoft Community

It's very recent - only the other day - and it looks like some guy got it working on a Windows 8 Ultrabook.

I wonder if anyone here has actually got one working....maybe via that workaround......I need someone to test it before I bust mine out of it's cellophane....

 

I agree... it is dumb. But, not any dumber than Microsoft pushing the UEFI roadmap with restrictive trash like Secure Boot and Secure Flash and locking out the installation of any OS other than Windows 8 64-bit or newer. They will have the ability to completely shut out hardware that isn't approved and the installation of any OS other than the version they think we need. A UEFI Class 3 Bios will have NO Legacy support and only SECURE BOOT always. The advanced UEFI roadmap is an open assault on end users that want to utilize any operating system that competes with Windows 8 or newer. The UEFI roadmap ultimately leads us to a place that eliminates the ability to boot and/or flash from DOS and prevents unauthorized Linux distros from booting. Canonical paid Microsoft's Extortion Team to get a 64 bit certificate for UBUNTU 12.0.4.2, but Microsoft, and only Microsoft, can arbitrarily decide what we get to do with the PC that we own under the new Micro-Nazi way of doing things.

It also gives them the ability to exercise exclusive control and prevent us from having any hardware that they decide we do not need to have on our PC. Microsoft is gradually becoming everything PC users have historically despised about Apple, maybe even worse. It is even possible for them to implement an "expiration date" on booting within the BIOS. When that day arrives, the motherboard is bricked and it's time to go buy a new PC... ready or not. Nice, huh? So, the potential exists that down the road on UEFI your new PC hardware will be licensed and effectively "rented" for a defined period of time.

 

If the follow the links, that's exactly what the guides help you do, except without needing the disk. (Downloading the DMG, converting it to ISO, extracting the drivers, etc.)

Lets put it this way. It'll take some time, but you can make it work, and of that I'm 99% sure.

@Fox

Aren't there tonnes of ways around Secure Boot and etc, though? It's not forced, just an option that's often enabled on OEMs.

 

Hmm, not sure there are tons of way around Secure Flash once it is deployed. That is still a work in progress. If there were ways around it, we would not be waiting for Dell/Alienware to release a new BIOS for the 18. It would already be unlocked and ready to rumble. You cannot flash a modded BIOS on a new Alienware with Secure Flash. It will fail and a workaround has not been found yet. Plus, we haven't seen UEFI 3.0 yet, which will not provide any option to use Legacy Mode. We're having a difficult enough time in the current sorry state of affairs with only the Secure Flash impediment. Short of an organized mutiny by hardware vendors, it will only get far more difficult in time if Microsoft is hell bent on controlling their "business partners" and end users.

If the OEM wants to have their products "Microsoft Certified" they are not afforded any discretion on this. Unfortunately, most OEMs act like they care about that, if for no reason other than a misguided perception on the part of consumers that believe that it somehow matters and adds value. We know it is absolutely worthless. But most are completely ignorant of the fact that Microsoft's Certification reduces the functionality of their fancy new PC and prevents them from doing whatever they feel like doing with their own personal property. If more people knew what it meant as far as their autonomy is concerned, it most definitely would detract value in the eyes of many. As long as ignorance continues leading most consumers down the wrong path, computer OEMs are going to do what they believe consumers want in order to keep the cash flowing. Most won't buck the system based on principle or ethics.

The easiest way to stir up a hornet's nest is to tell someone they cannot do something or they are "not permitted" to do it. Even if they had no plans to begin with, hearing it will make them angry and some will seek a way around it for no reason other than to spite the notion that something is not allowed. Angry and retaliatory consumers and defiant hackers will be our only salvation in this evil mess that Microsoft is pushing.

 

Fair point, forgot about Secure Flash. Mind you, hopefully it'll be cracked soon enough, and we'll see a way to sign our modded BIOS'.

Once it's out for desktop mobos, I bet there'll be more opportunity.

 

I wonder if just downloading and running the AppleODDInstaller64.exe file from this web site: Index of /bootcamp/iMac 10.6.7/Boot Camp/Drivers/Apple/x64 would work ??

Man, I need someone who's got one of these Superdrives and a Windows machine to chime in here and confirm before I eagerly rip into the packaging LOL

 

Run it on VirusTotal, then try it out!

 

Well, it came back with all green ticks....detection ratio 0/47....presuming it's safe?

BTW, that's a very nifty little checker there.....still, would be nice if someone from NBR could say if they have one working or not....it's seriously a case of 'chicken and the egg' here !

 

On the inside, drive is pretty much same as any other odd, but it's the external case that's the issue. I bought a damaged drive few moons ago and ripped the SuperDrive out, plonked it inside a m15x and it worked without any issues, so I presume easiest way is just buy a cheap external case and swap the drive over, voila no more fuss with drivers, plug and play.

 

Interesting!

Still, wouldn't mind finding out if it works 100% 'as is' before unboxing it. I only picked it up 'cos it was cheap and it'd look good with my current ODD-less Z830....until I make my mind up if I'll buy another AW.......

 

Sorry, I have to go against you in some ways, you see, this control feature adds value to large corporation that need security, that hand out thousands of laptop to their employees who all connect over vpn and such for access to corporate resources.. the uses, being able to travel everywhere and use the computers unsupervised, in theory, can only connect with that machine to the network, and by restricting what can be done to the machine, we garuntee no usb snifters..

this is very very very valuable in companies like Glaxo Smith Kline who have a large network of very sensitive research but is accessed remotely non-stop all the time, and if something was interecepted, could mean billions of dollars in damage.

Like all the REAL sideeffects research done on all their drugs... how many of their doctors were offered 6 month vacation packages to their private resort if they "approve" of the product, or how many REAL fatalities they have caused in testing yet denied to the press, just as they released a new product.. Trust me, I was exec support for them for years and Ive seen that made me question the ethnics of ANY large corp.. but to these guys, this sort of security is making everyone rich..

we the enthusiasts have no place in this level of gold mining politics and ... we just play games and bench and ..

 

That's fine. I understand what you are saying and understand the business case for being able to lock down a machine. Stealing proprietary information and exporting it to competitors is also a serious issue (corporate espionage) and I mostly agree it has some legitimate business purposes in certain environments. I work for a very large corporation and I am used to having a crippled pile of trash for business use. They can have that garbage in the corporate world. However, there's no reason to do a peanut butter spread and smear feces on the rest of the "non-corporate" computing world where this kind of nonsense is completely unnecessary and unwelcome. It's an optional implementation and should be available to customers that want it. They should charge extra for it and exploit it for financial gain, but leave the rest of us alone.

 

Anyway, corporate espionage to one side for a moment - I'd still love to hear from any AW owners who might have a mac and a superdrive, too - just to find out how/if they got it working on a Windows 7 PC before I open the box.....

 

In a way I am sort of surprised nobody can comment, in another way not so much. It was hard to get input about the iPad that doesn't charge on the new 18 as well. Maybe there are not as many Apple customers out there as they would like us to believe. That, or none have tried using their Apple external ODD with a PC, which also seems kind of hard to believe. I'd be trying all kinds of things that are not intended just for the heck of it.

 

Maybe you're right, bro....I thought there were a plethora of AW owners who had Mac stuff, too. I guess that's why I asked here. I also caught that iPad thread....seems there is little Apple input into the AW community....and probably vice-versa, too. Still, maybe someone can comment before I have to (just for the hell of it) rip this little drive open, just to satisfy my own curiosity at this point in time.....

 

I was hoping you might do that, just of curiosity. I'm still kind of kicking around the idea of a Hackintosh. Not because I have any use for it... just for something to mess with that is "unauthorized" LOL. I'd love to see some dirty looks on a cross-country flight playing Solitaire under OSX on a Alienware or fancy Dell laptop.

 

Hackintosh would be sweet just for the kicks. I imagine an even better reaction would be had if you walked into an Apple store, 18 sporting OSx, pulled out a 'proprietary' Superdrive and hooked it up to the beast just for fun....:thumbsup:

 

Stevie, I can't believe you're still going on about this!

How 'bout this. If we cannot help you get it to work, I'll buy it off of you for your full sale price, plus shipping. Would that make you just bite the bullet and do it?

Is there anything else I can do to help you make your decision? What if I extracted the driver from the DMG and packaged it for you?

 

Steady on there, Cowboy!! - I'm just being sensible. A sealed product sells better than an open box item, that's all. Whilst it ain't a lot of cash, and I'm not concerned over that side of things anyway, there is little point in me opening it if it cannot be made to work. All I was doing was trying to find out if someone here on NBR with a Superdrive HAD got it to work with their non-Apple PC.....and if so, how they managed it.

I'm sure I'd get my money back if it did not work, so that isn't an issue....I just like to know...that's all....

If I run into difficulty, I'd be appreciative of any help, so thanks for that....

 

I'm young and brash. I like to open boxes, and fix it later.

Besides, I was looking into an external ODD, so if you couldn't get it to work, win-win? =P

 

Hahaha, guess I'm just stuck in my 'old(er) man' ways! - if it ends up not working, I'm sure we could sort you out with it :thumbsup:

 

Well, I opened "Pandora's Box" (actually, just took the Superdrive out of it's cellophane in reality ) as I couldn't contain myself any longer!!! - I just had to grab the bull by the horns and give it a shot. SUCCESS!!

It was actually a lot easier than I anticipated. After looking over the WWW (and Brother Hybrys' links - thanks for those) it seemed that it would work, one way or another, but I took a slightly different approach which I'll explain - pretty similar with regards to the end goal of getting the darn thing to power on and work. Initially, upon plugging into a USB port, Windows installs some drivers and the drive indeed appears in device manager as "Apple Superdrive" but will not accept a disc due to no power being supplied to the Superdrive.

After much reading, it appeared that I needed the AppleODDinstaller64.exe to actually get things to work. That file is found in the BootCamp stuff. Brother Hybrys' previous links showed how to do that, but seemed a lot of 'faffing about' to grab a small file - extracting .ISO's, mounting stuff, downloading different file download managers etc etc....(I hate faffing, so decided to see if the easy approach worked).

With a bit of deliberation, I decided to try that 'slightly different' method. Here's what I did....(it's working, so it might not have been the 100% correct way....but, it seems all good so far.....):

1. I went over to Apple support web site here: Apple - Support - Downloads and downloaded "Boot Camp Support Software 5.0.5.033" - seemed to be the latest, so that's why I opted for that one - it's quite large at around 550Mb.

2. Once downloaded, I used 7Zip to extract the contents.

3. Plugged in the Superdrive - do not insert a disc at this point as there is no power to the drive. Windows installs some drivers and the drive shows up in "Computer" and "Device Manager" - great.

4. Navigated to the AppleODDInstaller64.exe file which is located in the following path: C:\Users\Username\Downloads\BootCamp5.0.5033\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple (or wherever you extracted it to)

5. In the above location, you will see the file needed - AppleODDInstaller64.exe - just run it and accept the agreement that pops up:



6. That's it - you can reboot if you want, but the drive now has power and accepts/ejects and reads/writes just fine.

I had no problems in downloading the Boot Camp stuff above direct from the Apple site, no problems in opening the extracted file and no problems running the required file. No need to extract .ISO's with various download managers or whatever, no mounting required...just simple as.

I haven't tested transfer speeds etc just yet, but will do. In the spoiler below, you can see the drive and all the info - not sure if it's supposed to show as a 'Superdrive' but DVD will do me just fine:

Spoiler

And here is a quick video I made to demonstrate things in action!!!! - excuse my lack of an Alienware beast to demo it on - still got an Alienware mousepad though, as you can see!! ...oh, and the video itself as it was taken on my Xperia S, which ain't the best camera in the world.....All in all, I'm pretty chuffed ...... It's amazing how something so minor can put a huge grin on your face!!!!

 

Fantastic! I'm glad you got it to work so easy; I had heard that those drivers were encrypted or again packaged in some way that made them difficult to get out, but that's so simple!

 

Yeah, it was pretty easy to do after all my deliberation. I've just changed the video that I made as it was fairly naff. I'm no 'YouTuber' but since I recently upgraded my internet to fiber, it is sooo much quicker to upload stuff - before it was painfully slow to upload vid's. Now I'm getting almost 38Mbps download and 10Mbps upload compared to 4.2 download and 0.68 upload!

Anyway, I'm digressing - I too was also quite surprised to find out that the drivers from Apple did not require any additional steps to get at....really made things nice and easy! - hopefully, someone else from our community will find this of use if they have one of these nice little drives.

 

Nice video, Brother Steve. It's always nice to see hardware re-purposed to serve a higher calling than what was originally intended.

 

Thanks, Brother Fox. It was fun to do. It's particularly gratifying to get hardware that is not intended for use in a particular fashion to work in the fashion YOU want it to, bypassing 'proprietary' technologies - implemented to make life hard for end users - by major manufacturers.

 

The AppleODDInstaller64.exe works great on my Windows 8 64-bits computer. You may find it here: http://badger.imedia.ru/bootcamp/iMac 10.6.7/Boot Camp/Drivers/Apple/x64/AppleODDInstaller64.exe

 

Yep. That's all you need really. I grabbed it from the extracted bootcamp for Windows stuff........works a treat. Sadly (well, kinda) I no longer need my superdrive as my new AW14 has a drive LOL....time for selling it on!