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Jeffhurd

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 14, 2013
6
0
I am not new to bootcamp, I have used it several times to instal Windows, although this time i am having problems and I'm completely stumped.
I have a 2012 13inch MBR, non retina, 2.9ghz i7, 8GB Ram, 240GB Intel 335 SSD boot drive with the optical drive removed and replaced with a DataDoubler and 1TB drive, OS X 10.8.2, blah blah blah.
Since I removed the optical drive I am currently using a Samsung USB drive (OS X compatible).
I recently used used Carbon Copy Cloner to make a copy of my boot drive to my external 1TB portable drive, booted from there and used disk utility to wipe my internal boot drive. I then used CCC to make a Recovery partition on my internal boot drive, booted from that and did a fresh install of OS X. It is now time to add back my windows partition but heres where the problem is, I am using my "legal" Windows 7 Pro disk that I have used countless times with bootcamp, and several windows machines so I know it is not a disk problem. When bootcamp creates my Windows partition (50gb on my boot drive) it will then restart my MBP and attempt to boot from the disk to complete the installation but gets stuck on the black screen with the blinking cursor.
I have tried several times removing the Windows partition and redoing the process, I have tried partitioning and installing on my secondary internal storage drive (not where I want windows, just thought id see if it works), I have tried using my bootable USB stick, I have tried everything I can think of besides doing a fresh OS X instal. Someone please help?
 

Pharmscott

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2011
624
2
Sacramento, CA
Given your experience, have you actually installed Windows via Bootcamp using an external optical drive? I'm not sure if that can be done, but maybe. I know you cannot install via Remote Disc (but you didn't ask to).

I've had the best luck installing via USB stick: rMBP, MBA, and 2012 Mini - all via USB stick and all successes. Be sure the stick is 8gb minimum and be sure to mount the Windows image onto the USB drive (and not simply copy).
 

Jeffhurd

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 14, 2013
6
0
Hmm I have never tried it using an external optical before, that could be an issue although it doesn't explain why it isn't working using my bootable usb. Any ideas on that? Thank you for helping. oh by I created my bootable usb using a windows machine and the windows usb/dvd tool or whatever they call it
 

vutienha92

macrumors newbie
Feb 14, 2013
7
0
Canberra, ACT, Australia
I am not new to bootcamp, I have used it several times to instal Windows, although this time i am having problems and I'm completely stumped.
I have a 2012 13inch MBR, non retina, 2.9ghz i7, 8GB Ram, 240GB Intel 335 SSD boot drive with the optical drive removed and replaced with a DataDoubler and 1TB drive, OS X 10.8.2, blah blah blah.
Since I removed the optical drive I am currently using a Samsung USB drive (OS X compatible).
I recently used used Carbon Copy Cloner to make a copy of my boot drive to my external 1TB portable drive, booted from there and used disk utility to wipe my internal boot drive. I then used CCC to make a Recovery partition on my internal boot drive, booted from that and did a fresh install of OS X. It is now time to add back my windows partition but heres where the problem is, I am using my "legal" Windows 7 Pro disk that I have used countless times with bootcamp, and several windows machines so I know it is not a disk problem. When bootcamp creates my Windows partition (50gb on my boot drive) it will then restart my MBP and attempt to boot from the disk to complete the installation but gets stuck on the black screen with the blinking cursor.
I have tried several times removing the Windows partition and redoing the process, I have tried partitioning and installing on my secondary internal storage drive (not where I want windows, just thought id see if it works), I have tried using my bootable USB stick, I have tried everything I can think of besides doing a fresh OS X instal. Someone please help?

http://allmactweaks.blogspot.com.au Check out the post on Feb 14, 2013, for SSD+HDD Windows 7 Installation guide (without SuperDrive). I have encountered exact same problem, but fortunately I found a way to fix it. Read my guide on my blog. Cheers :)
 

Pharmscott

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2011
624
2
Sacramento, CA
Hmm I have never tried it using an external optical before, that could be an issue although it doesn't explain why it isn't working using my bootable usb. Any ideas on that? Thank you for helping. oh by I created my bootable usb using a windows machine and the windows usb/dvd tool or whatever they call it

By "bootable USB" I assume you mean a thumb drive and not some kind of media drive (HDD, SDD). If so, then this is still probably the problem. You can't install Win7 via a bootable drive. The ISO file has to be mounted to the drive. The Bootcamp installer will do that for you. Just place the ISO file on the desktop and start bootcamp with the USB stick plugged in. Bootcamp will see the ISO file and take it from there.
 

Jeffhurd

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 14, 2013
6
0
By "bootable USB" I assume you mean a thumb drive and not some kind of media drive (HDD, SDD). If so, then this is still probably the problem. You can't install Win7 via a bootable drive. The ISO file has to be mounted to the drive. The Bootcamp installer will do that for you. Just place the ISO file on the desktop and start bootcamp with the USB stick plugged in. Bootcamp will see the ISO file and take it from there.

Thank you but no bootcamp does allow you to install windows with a bootable usb thumb drive as i just did it, and i have done it several time. The problem turns out to be apparently you have to have all the original hardware in your mac to use bootcamp.
 
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