Is there a way to use a USB super drive on an older Mac Book Pro? Old internal drive died.

As many slot-loading drives can act "dead" when they get dirty, an inexpensive drive cleaning disk may well restore you existing drive to full function foregoing the need to trick the computer into recognizing a SuperDrive. I've seen it happen many times and the disks, which also work on any CD or DVD drive, are only US$5-15 at most home electronic centers, computer shops, and large office supply outlets that carry computers and their accessories.

I have heard there are some workabouts to get a SuperDrive to work with older Macs but the fact that it requires an unsupported procedure means any instructions posted here would not last long before being reported. However internet search engines are your friends.

I took my laptop to the Apple store and they checked it out and told me the drive was done.

I've heard that before. Remember, most techs regardless of the computers they service are in a "replace" mode, not one of saving working parts. You are not so constrained.

I've had three people I know be told exactly the same thing by Apple-certified techs in two cases and an Apple Store tech in the third. All three friends borrowed my cleaning disk and the drives were still working flawlessly as long as they owned those computers. Also a number of people have posted here that the disk method worked when the tech had already filled out a death certificate.