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Cannot get BootCamp to work (Win7 w/ USB)

S

simswithguns

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 20, 2011
23
0
I have tried everything I can think of to get bootcamp to let me install Windows 7. My latest issue is the classic "no bootable device" black screen after bootcamp does all its stuff (which by the way takes an annoyingly long time). Here are the steps I followed

1. Have working ISO of Win7
2. I Removed issue of bootcamp not letting me use USB bootable disks (by editing the info file in the contents of bootcamp itself to include my MBP (which is late 2011). By doing this I added an additional <string> with my MBP model.
3. jump through all of bootcamp's hoops to get it to finally finish (which btw takes freaking forever to just get to the black screen issue :( )
4. reach the black screen...that's about as far as I've gotten.

I spent about 6 hours yesterday trying to get this to happen, but to no avail. Here are some of the other tricks I've tried:
1. Just placing the contents on the thumb drive from the ISO.
2. Using Daemon Tools so that it recognizes it (although I"m not quite sure I may have not fully understood this process because of my previous change to the info folder....
3. doing the whole process in one step (not exiting bootcamp for any reason).
4. putting the bootable files on FAT partition on the actual HDD.

I have yet to try putting the files on a regular external HDD because some people said that worked for them. I know the USB works because my GF used the same drive when she ran bootcamp. If anybody has any ideas I would love to hear them

-Sims

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I have also yet to try a DVD because I don't have any. I'll try to get some this weekend but I was trying to avoid spending more money on this project.
 
Editing the Boot Camp plist file merely removes the blackout from the checkbox. It does absolutely nothing to address booting from USB.

I currently run a dual-boot, dual-SSD setup on my MBP. I have spent hours upon hours trying to install Windows without the SuperDrive.

I've come to the conclusion that it is simply necessary to use the internal drive to install Windows on 2011 MBPs. There's no way around it. I've swapped out the optical with an OWC Data Doubler so many times that I can remove and reinstall it in less than 10 minutes each way. It's inconvenient, but it works 100% of the time.
 
Speedy Gonzalez said:
This guide never fail to me since 2010 to the date the only problem i faced with the retina is that you can't plug more than one drive to the machine or windows wont install http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20020513-285/install-win-7-on-macbook-air-from-a-usb-drive/
Click to expand...

I'll try this out if I have time this morning, thanks

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saturnotaku said:
Editing the Boot Camp plist file merely removes the blackout from the checkbox. It does absolutely nothing to address booting from USB.

I currently run a dual-boot, dual-SSD setup on my MBP. I have spent hours upon hours trying to install Windows without the SuperDrive.

I've come to the conclusion that it is simply necessary to use the internal drive to install Windows on 2011 MBPs. There's no way around it. I've swapped out the optical with an OWC Data Doubler so many times that I can remove and reinstall it in less than 10 minutes each way. It's inconvenient, but it works 100% of the time.
Click to expand...

by internal drive are you talking about the Superdrive or my HDD? I've tried putting the bootable files on FAT partition already and tried booting from that, but it does not give me the option. The only options i receive are the Mac HDD and the Recovery disk
 
saturnotaku said:
SuperDrive
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll have to wait till at least Sunday before I can get a writable DVD. tried the rEFit and didn't work for me, I'll look at it one more time

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Ok so I restarted again and got rEFit to show up but it still gave me the no bootable disk bit. I think the key from reading the CNET article I think is that my drive is formatted FAT32 not NTFS possibly?
 
Tried changing the USB per the full CNET guide but still to no avail...I'll have to wait till i get a dvd
 
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