Cannot install Win 7 without optical drive on MBP 2012

[Bluesky2011]

I am using macbook pro 13 mid 2012. I replaced 500gb HDD by 120gb SSD and moved HDD to optical drive place. Now there are two hard drive in my mbp and no optical drive. I tried many times but I couldn't install win 7 on HDD without an optical drive. I used usb to boot win 7 but until the stage of choosing partition to install, it always showed " window cannot support booting from this disk..." .
I also tried using Winclone but after restoring It still couldn't boot from the window partition which I'd just used winclone to restore win 7 in. ( just a black screen appeared after holding option key and choosing window instead of mac)
Anyone can help me? Thanks.

 

[snaky69]

I am using macbook pro 13 mid 2012. I replaced 500gb HDD by 120gb SSD and moved HDD to optical drive place. Now there are two hard drive in my mbp and no optical drive. I tried many times but I couldn't install win 7 without an optical drive. I used usb to boot win 7 but until the stage of choosing partition to install, it always showed " window cannot support booting from this disk..." .
I also tried using Winclone but after restoring It still couldn't boot from the window partition which I'd just used winclone to restore win 7 in. ( just a black screen appeared after holding option key and choosing window instead of mac)
Anyone can help me? Thanks.

If you'd done a forum search, you would've found out that you need a physical, internal disk drive to install windows, it's a windows setup thing, has nothing to do with OS X.

 

[LeeM]

If you'd done a forum search, you would've found out that you need a physical, internal disk drive to install windows, it's a windows setup thing, has nothing to do with OS X.

rubbish. i installed windows 7 on my 13" 2012 pro using a usb becuase ive got dual hdd setup.
problem is probably that you have osx on the ssd, and trying to install windows on the hdd.

 

[GadgetGeek407]

Correct, I just installed windows 7 on my 13 MBPR last night using a USB drive and it took all but ten minutes to do.

 

[snaky69]

Correct, I just installed windows 7 on my 13 MBPR last night using a USB drive and it took all but ten minutes to do.

That's normal.

The retinas and mba and all the other optical-less macs will have no trouble as their EFI is set to fool windows setup into thinking it's being installed from an internal dvd drive.

 

[hallux]

That's normal.

The retinas and mba and all the other optical-less macs will have no trouble as their EFI is set to fool windows setup into thinking it's being installed from an internal dvd drive.

There's no "tricking" needed. Google it and you'll find LOTS of tutorials online for creating a Windows 7 installation flash drive.

Here, I did it for you

 

[LeeM]

i dont see the need for tutorials. bootcamp created the bootable usb for me?

 

[onerovico]

I think the problem is that you want to install windows on to the hdd in the optical bay!!

I think there is something like a permission on the macbook 2012 (in firmware), so its not possible to change the partition table on the optical bay hdd or ssd.

You have to change the position of your drives.

And i know connection on optibay blah blah, I have a 15 inch 2012 and have full speed on both driveways.

 

[wathefak]

this is too troublesome to open up my MBP and unplug the main system SSD to install winblows in my HDD well, maybe I should live with virtualization...