10.7.2 Boot Camp update allows diskless Win 7 Install

[rossip]

An update to the Boot Camp Assistant in 10.7.2 allows a Win 7 ISO to be installed via thumb drive. This means MacBook Airs can now be Boot Camped with out the need for an external DVD Drive.

 

[balamw]

Wonder if this applies to all Macs or just the MBAs?

B

 

[rossip]

Wonder if this applies to all Macs or just the MBAs?

B

Not sure, but the option is grayed out for my iMac, however I already have Win 7 installed and I'm not sure if that's the reason the option is unavailable.

 

[MJL]

Wonder if this applies to all Macs or just the MBAs?

B

I've done it on a Mac Mini 2011 with a bootable Windows 7 USB key. Made the USB key bootable using the command prompt: Diskpart.exe and then copying all the files from a DVD accross.

On another note: If you have a TimeMachine backup from LION then to restore (and have a totally blank internal HDD, e.g. after formatting it with Windows....) this TimeMachine backup: all you have to do is at boot time select the TimeMachine backup (should be green icon with option key) and it will give you the option to restore without the need for anything else.

If you have Windows installed then with Paragon Partition Manager you can create an Apple HFS partition and use TimeMachine to restore in that. That partition is then also under MBR and no conflict of GPT / MBR plus Windows is at the start of the HDD immediately followed with the OS X.

 

[balamw]

I've done it on a Mac Mini 2011 with a bootable Windows 7 USB key. Made the USB key bootable using the command prompt: Diskpart.exe and then copying all the files from a DVD accross.

FWIW Neither of my current Macs (late 2008 MB and mid 2009 MBP) will boot from a USB flash drive I created this way and successfully used to install Windows 7 on a DIY desktop PC.

The new BCA apparently leads you through a flash drive creation process which may be different, but may require special boot loader or firmware.

B

 

[MJL]

FWIW Neither of my current Macs (late 2008 MB and mid 2009 MBP) will boot from a USB flash drive I created this way and successfully used to install Windows 7 on a DIY desktop PC.

The new BCA apparently leads you through a flash drive creation process which may be different, but may require special boot loader or firmware.

B

It won't work on the 2010 mini - something in the bootup has changed....