bootcamp app doesnt recognize my usb stick so cant download the bootcamp software

[madeirabhoy]

my mac had to be wiped and ive just got it back from apple. ive had bootcamp on it before without any problem. i have a windows 10 disc which is activated so all good....

i run the bootcamp assistant, the first thing it wants to do is download the helper software and copy it to a usb stick. ive tried 2 usb sticks and an SD card. each time ive reformatted it in disk utility as FAT, and run the bootcamp app it says that it cant find a usb stick thats formatted one partition FAT. the two usb sticks are as different as you can get, a pretty new 32 gig stick, and an old freebie 2 gig stick.


unfortunately i made the situation worse by unticking the download software box and went ahead with installing windows without it. now its installed windows, started up in windows, but it doesnt recognise my apple keyboard so its stuck. ive tried restarting it holding down the option key but it still restarts in windows !

 

[chscag]

my mac had to be wiped and ive just got it back from apple. ive had bootcamp on it before without any problem. i have a windows 10 disc which is activated so all good....

i run the bootcamp assistant, the first thing it wants to do is download the helper software and copy it to a usb stick. ive tried 2 usb sticks and an SD card. each time ive reformatted it in disk utility as FAT, and run the bootcamp app it says that it cant find a usb stick thats formatted one partition FAT. the two usb sticks are as different as you can get, a pretty new 32 gig stick, and an old freebie 2 gig stick.


unfortunately i made the situation worse by unticking the download software box and went ahead with installing windows without it. now its installed windows, started up in windows, but it doesnt recognise my apple keyboard so its stuck. ive tried restarting it holding down the option key but it still restarts in windows !

The USB media must be formatted as Mac OS X Journaled not FAT, which is the reason the helper software and drivers can't "see" it. You need to erase Windows and start over. Make sure you use the Boot Camp assistant to remove the Windows partition.

 

[Gjwilly]

The USB media must be formatted as Mac OS X Journaled not FAT, which is the reason the helper software and drivers can't "see" it.

That is incorrect.
If you're making a USB stick to be used by Bootcamp assistant it must be FAT, it must be USB 2.0, and it must be partitioned as one single MBR partition.
Or at least that's how it worked with all of my 2013 or earlier Macs. Maybe it changed after that.

 

[chscag]

That is incorrect.
If you're making a USB stick to be used by Bootcamp assistant it must be FAT, it must be USB 2.0, and it must be partitioned as one single MBR partition.
Or at least that's how it worked with all of my 2013 or earlier Macs. Maybe it changed after that.

No, you're right. I was thinking about something else.

 

[madeirabhoy]

That is incorrect.
If you're making a USB stick to be used by Bootcamp assistant it must be FAT, it must be USB 2.0, and it must be partitioned as one single MBR partition.
Or at least that's how it worked with all of my 2013 or earlier Macs. Maybe it changed after that.

did all that, didnt work. since i installed windows any way i ended up in windows without bootcamp and couldnt get back, so i found the files on apple support and downloaded the zip file, unzipped it and copied it.