iM 4,1-14,4 Can't boot from external dvd drive on iMac 4.1 A1174

[Sean.R]

I was able to reinstall OS X 10.6 through USB flash drive but Windows 7 and Linux on USB flash drive won't appear at all when I hold down the option key on startup. Also Windows 7 and Linux wont appear at all on USB external DVD drive on startup with option key held down.

With different external DVD drive connected to firewire Window 7 will show on startup but will not boot and the screen will say No Bootable Device - insert boot disc and press any key

 

[DeltaMac]

Can you get a Windows install DVD to respond with a Boot Camp Assistant setup?

 

[Sean.R]

Can you get a Windows install DVD to respond with a Boot Camp Assistant setup?

The Windows install DVD will show up but when the iMac goes to reboot after I set up Boot Camp the iMac will come back on with a blank screen with nothing happening

 

[DeltaMac]

Try a Mac OS X installer DVD, just to see if you can boot anything on a DVD. You wouldn't need to install a system, just see if you can successfully boot to a Mac installer from a DVD.
Another possibility is to connect the external DVD to its own power supply, so the drive is self-powered. You may not be getting good bus power to the drive, and if the bus power is not available to the drive, perhaps that affects both USB and FW drives. Self-power (external power supply to the drive) might be a good test.

 

[Sean.R]

Try a Mac OS X installer DVD, just to see if you can boot anything on a DVD. You wouldn't need to install a system, just see if you can successfully boot to a Mac installer from a DVD.
Another possibility is to connect the external DVD to its own power supply, so the drive is self-powered. You may not be getting good bus power to the drive, and if the bus power is not available to the drive, perhaps that affects both USB and FW drives. Self-power (external power supply to the drive) might be a good test.

I don't have a OS X installer DVD, only a usb flash drive installer. Yes my external DVD drive has it's own power supply

 

[Amethyst1]

The iMac has a 32-bit EFI which may prevent the Linux installer from booting. See here. I’m not sure if this issue also affects 32-bit Macs since it mainly affects 64-bit Macs with a 32-bit EFI.

The Windows 7 issue may be an inability to boot from an external drive in BIOS emulation mode. I don’t know if that’s possible. You can’t boot Windows in UEFI mode on this machine.

Since this is a Core Duo (unless it’s been upgraded to a Core 2 Duo) you also need to use 32-bit (“x86”) Linux and Windows editions.

 

[Sean.R]

I figured out what I was doing wrong, I tried to put Windows 7 on a USB flash drive using Balena Etcher but I had to use Rufus for it to work. And it won't boot from USB flash drive without rEFIt Boot Loader installed. Also the last 32 bit versions of Ubuntu and Mint could install by USB flash drive. Debian would install till it was time to boot to home screen then I would see nothing at home screen.
I still couldn't get it to boot from external dvd drive.