External USB DVD Question

[tomjc]

Quick question.

Currently using Parallels with a Win7 virtual machine.  I connect my external dvd drive via USB to and all is well, except it shows up in my Win7 virtual machine as a network drive with a different drive letter each time.  The software I'm trying to run requires the CD be inserted into the same drive in which it was installed, so this is obviously a problem.  I can't afford to uninstall then reinstall the software each time I want to use it.

Does Fusion mount usb drives properly with the same drive letter each time?  Or, at least mount it as a non-network drive which will allow me to change the drive letter through disk management if need be?

I would like to know before purchasing, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks folks,

Tom

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

Using VMware Fusion Professional 5.0.3 on an early 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display (15.4/2.8/16GB/768GB FLASH) I just tested, several times, connecting/disconnecting the Apple USB SuperDrive to the Virtual Machine directly as a USB Device and each time it maintained the originally assigned Drive Letter.  It also was shown as a normal DVD-RW Drive and not as a Network Drive.

[avanish321]

Well in fusion, the drive letter does not change for external usb dvd drives.

I suggest you to try the trial version of fusion before purchasing.

[RJIn]

Can you check if the drive is added to shared folder? Virtual Machine>Settings>Sharing.

Also, Fusion has it's own generic NEC driver see the CD/DVD drive but you just need to ensure that CD/DVD drive is always connected mac side not to Windows side when prompted and then go to Virtual Machine>settings>CD/DVD drive and then turn it on.

Note:- In this case Fusion will think that your Mac has an inbuilt cd/dvd drive.

Hope this helps.