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mbprnoob

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 15, 2012
3
0
So I have an .iso file of windows 7 and I'm wondering how do I get that off my SSD and onto a flash drive where it is bootable in bootcamp? i have already tried and kept receiving the error "No Bootable Device" when I try to launch the windows partition that I made through bootcamp. Any step by step help Or what i need, Thank you
 

yusukeaoki

macrumors 68030
Mar 22, 2011
2,550
6
Tokyo, Japan
Burn it to a disc properly.
I know you dont have a super drive but Im pretty sure you cant do bootcamp from a ISO file.

You need an actual disk.
 

stevelam

macrumors 65816
Nov 4, 2010
1,215
3
you don't need a disc or superdrive.

just create a windows 7 install disk onto a usb flash drive from the iso using bootcamp assistant.
 

SchuettS

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
329
0
Burn it to a disc properly.
I know you dont have a super drive but Im pretty sure you cant do bootcamp from a ISO file.

You need an actual disk.

False. With a rmbp you can use a USB and I have done it.

To the op. there's a program you can download that will put your iso onto a USB. I'm away from my computer but I'll chime back in tmr if you still need help. Also YouTube it.
 

mbprnoob

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 15, 2012
3
0
False. With a rmbp you can use a USB and I have done it.

To the op. there's a program you can download that will put your iso onto a USB. I'm away from my computer but I'll chime back in tmr if you still need help. Also YouTube it.

Ok Thanks. I have tried youtube there doesnt seem to be any simple programs for mac. Just a lot for Windows PCs
 

jedolley

macrumors 68000
Sep 18, 2009
1,780
7
Ok Thanks. I have tried youtube there doesnt seem to be any simple programs for mac. Just a lot for Windows PCs

Bootcamp assistant will do it for you (see image).
 

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mbprnoob

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 15, 2012
3
0
Bootcamp assistant will do it for you (see image).

Alright I'll try that again. Does it mess it up if I have both the Bootable iso file and all the drivers on a single flash drive? I think thats why it messed up last time.
 

jedolley

macrumors 68000
Sep 18, 2009
1,780
7
Alright I'll try that again. Does it mess it up if I have both the Bootable iso file and all the drivers on a single flash drive? I think thats why it messed up last time.

I never tried it that way. I used one USB drive for the bootable ISO and another for the drivers.
 

SchuettS

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
329
0
Ok Thanks. I have tried youtube there doesnt seem to be any simple programs for mac. Just a lot for Windows PCs

Yeah the more I think of it, i was using windows when I put the Iso on the drive.

Put the drivers on separate USB.

I used a vid on YouTube to walk me through the rest. Retina bootcamp I believe I searched for on there.
 

MastaBlasta

macrumors newbie
Sep 17, 2012
1
0
you don't need a disc or superdrive.

just create a windows 7 install disk onto a usb flash drive from the iso using bootcamp assistant.

I've been going round and round for the past 6 hours trying to do this myself. I've tried just about everything that I've seen on this forum. WRT the above - my bootcamp assistant does not have that as an option. It only has the last 2 options....
Any other suggestions to make the iso file bootable?
 

imperialnavy

macrumors regular
Jul 22, 2009
191
0
I've been going round and round for the past 6 hours trying to do this myself. I've tried just about everything that I've seen on this forum. WRT the above - my bootcamp assistant does not have that as an option. It only has the last 2 options....
Any other suggestions to make the iso file bootable?

Whats your version of Mac OSX? I heard that this is only available in Mountain Lion..
 

theSeb

macrumors 604
Aug 10, 2010
7,466
1,893
none
Bootcamp assistant will do it for you (see image).

Indeed. You can also download a copy of Windows (legally) from digital river, if you don't know how to create an ISO from the disk, which bootcamp will ask for.

There are tutorials on how to create an ISO using Disk Utility on the web.

----------

Whats your version of Mac OSX? I heard that this is only available in Mountain Lion..

This was definitely available on Lion, because I've installed Windows on a 2011 Mac Mini last year, which had Lion installed at the time. I can't remember if it was available on Snow Leopard though and I don't have a Mac with SL that does not have a super drive.

----------

I've been going round and round for the past 6 hours trying to do this myself. I've tried just about everything that I've seen on this forum. WRT the above - my bootcamp assistant does not have that as an option. It only has the last 2 options....
Any other suggestions to make the iso file bootable?

What Macbook are you trying to do this with? The only time that you don't have the option to create a USB disk from an ISO in Bootcamp Assistant is if you're trying to do with a Mac that has a superdrive.
 

sno1man

macrumors regular
Oct 24, 2011
230
6
Alright I'll try that again. Does it mess it up if I have both the Bootable iso file and all the drivers on a single flash drive? I think thats why it messed up last time.

when you use the bootcamp utility it does erase the USB drive that you put it on. However if you have enough room you can copy over the apple windows drivers to the same USB key afterwards
 

Snowshiro

macrumors 6502
Jan 12, 2008
387
6
The Windows drivers are automatically copied to the USB by bootcamp assistant. They download at the time of installation and are copied to a folder called "Windows Support" on the USB filesystem (or some such name).

Just put the ISO file on your hard drive, run bootcamp assistant, select the ISO file (I just left it on the desktop and bootcamp found it automatically), and the rest is done for you. You may find that the process of making the bootable USB installer takes frickin' ages (it did with my rMBP) and appears to hang at around 40%ish for upwards of 20 minutes. Just leave it - it will eventually complete - it'll give an error if it fails.
 

theSeb

macrumors 604
Aug 10, 2010
7,466
1,893
none
Also disconnect all other external drives when you're booting from the USB stick. I had this weird problem when I would boot. I could select it in the boot menu and then the screen would just go blank instead of seeing the windows setup. I disconnected all other external USB and FW drives and presto...
 

pikkashoe

macrumors regular
Jun 29, 2010
181
0
Ive been trying to get this done also for the last two days.
Havent had any luck. Everytime I try to use bootcamp to create the bootable usb, i get an error saying unable to copy files to the usb drive.

I downloaded another copy of the win 7 iso last night from digital river, so I am going to try that. Couple websites stated to try another iso file, as the one I am using may be corrupted.

Even though the files dont completely copy over, I can still boot into windows after, but It doesnt work from that point on. I think the file is corrupted.

I will try again tonight and let you guys know.
 

jedolley

macrumors 68000
Sep 18, 2009
1,780
7
Ive been trying to get this done also for the last two days.
Havent had any luck. Everytime I try to use bootcamp to create the bootable usb, i get an error saying unable to copy files to the usb drive.

I downloaded another copy of the win 7 iso last night from digital river, so I am going to try that. Couple websites stated to try another iso file, as the one I am using may be corrupted.

Even though the files dont completely copy over, I can still boot into windows after, but It doesnt work from that point on. I think the file is corrupted.

I will try again tonight and let you guys know.

What capacity USB drive are you using? I believe it needs to be at least 8GB.

If that's not the issue, you may want to try formatting it to FAT first and then trying. I believe BootCamp Assistant should be formatting the drive for you, but since nothing else is working it wouldn't hurt to try.
 

pikkashoe

macrumors regular
Jun 29, 2010
181
0
16 gb. It's been formatted the right way, Mac GUId journaled.

Also boot camp formats it too I think.
 

bill-p

macrumors 68030
Jul 23, 2011
2,886
1,548
Alright I'll try that again. Does it mess it up if I have both the Bootable iso file and all the drivers on a single flash drive? I think thats why it messed up last time.

Nope. Once the USB drive is created, you can have drivers on it just fine. It won't mess anything up.

16 gb. It's been formatted the right way, Mac GUId journaled.

Also boot camp formats it too I think.

In order for the USB drive to work, it must be Master Boot Record (not GUID) and FAT.
 

Cassadian

macrumors regular
Sep 4, 2012
140
0
Nope. Once the USB drive is created, you can have drivers on it just fine. It won't mess anything up.



In order for the USB drive to work, it must be Master Boot Record (not GUID) and FAT.

Honestly you don't need to format usually. Most flash drives are already in a format that allows you to boot a Windows 7 or whatever .iso file from it without changing it through Disk Utility, at least this was the case in my experience.
 

bill-p

macrumors 68030
Jul 23, 2011
2,886
1,548
Honestly you don't need to format usually. Most flash drives are already in a format that allows you to boot a Windows 7 or whatever .iso file from it without changing it through Disk Utility, at least this was the case in my experience.

Yep... but if you "accidentally" format it to a partition scheme that's different from "Master Boot Record" (MBR), then it won't boot into Windows as Windows only allows booting from MBR.

Most USB drives come out of the factory formatted to MBR scheme, so that's why you didn't have any problem.
 

pikkashoe

macrumors regular
Jun 29, 2010
181
0
Wait. Everything I read online including a few videos said to format the USB drive GUId journaled.

I will try that tonight if my new ISo copy doesn't work. I thought I read osx needed that format GUId journaled in order to boot. Then u select win 7 after u hold down option at the boot sequence.
 

SchuettS

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
329
0
What capacity USB drive are you using? I believe it needs to be at least 8GB.

If that's not the issue, you may want to try formatting it to FAT first and then trying. I believe BootCamp Assistant should be formatting the drive for you, but since nothing else is working it wouldn't hurt to try.

I have windows 7 on a 4 GB USB. The file was just over 3 GB. I only had one USB so the way I do it is install windows 7 then erase the disc and put the windows drivers on it. Did it today but I used windows to make the USB windows 7 installer.
 

bill-p

macrumors 68030
Jul 23, 2011
2,886
1,548
Wait. Everything I read online including a few videos said to format the USB drive GUId journaled.

I will try that tonight if my new ISo copy doesn't work. I thought I read osx needed that format GUId journaled in order to boot. Then u select win 7 after u hold down option at the boot sequence.

GUID is only applicable to OS X. If you are making an OS X bootable USB drive to install either Lion or Mountain Lion, then yeah, you should use GUID.

Windows will only boot from MBR.
 

pikkashoe

macrumors regular
Jun 29, 2010
181
0
It still booted into windows, so bootcamp most of correctly formatted it.
Still working on it now.
 
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