Hello everyone. I've changed configurations in my 2011 Macbook Pro and I'm having trouble installing Windows 7 via bootcamp.
When I first got this computer I installed win7 (via BC) onto the stock 750GB HDD. It was a painless procedure and everything worked as it should have.
Later, I bought a 256GB SSD and an optibay. I reinstalled Lion onto the SSD and put the 750GB drive in the optibay. The bootcamp partition was in good health at this point. I was able to virtualize the partition using Parallels and, IIRC, I could still boot into Windows natively.
Now, I've purchased a 64GB SSD to with the 256GB SSD. I have Lion installed on the 64GB drive, installed in the main hard drive bay. The 256GB drive is now empty and in the optibay. My superdrive is in a USB enclosure and is in good working condition.
BootCamp assistant successfully creates a BootCamp partition on my 256GB drive and reboots my machine. However, when the machine reboots I am left with a black screen and a blinking cursor. The DVD drive spins for 3 or 4 minutes and then stops. The black screen continues forever, I assume.
I've already deleted my old BootCamp partition (which in retrospect was a mistake) and removed the 750GB HDD from the machine, as well.
I am using a legit copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, but it is an upgrade version. This should not (and does not, in my experience with other machines) affect the ability of the DVD to boot a computer. (I have a verified working non-legit full version, but using it does not solve my problem.)
That said, the current legit DVD is in good working condition. I installed it onto a PC to verify this.
Does anyone have any ideas? I know I could run a VM for windows, but I would like to be able to upgrade the firmware on my SSDs without removing them from my machine if possible. Also, I would like to be able to boot into a native windows session on the very rare occasions I decide to game on this machine.
tl;dr: 64gb ssd in main bay, 256gb ssd in optibay, windows won't install on 256gb, i know the install media is good, it used to work with 256ssd/750gb hdd, with win on 750gb.
When I first got this computer I installed win7 (via BC) onto the stock 750GB HDD. It was a painless procedure and everything worked as it should have.
Later, I bought a 256GB SSD and an optibay. I reinstalled Lion onto the SSD and put the 750GB drive in the optibay. The bootcamp partition was in good health at this point. I was able to virtualize the partition using Parallels and, IIRC, I could still boot into Windows natively.
Now, I've purchased a 64GB SSD to with the 256GB SSD. I have Lion installed on the 64GB drive, installed in the main hard drive bay. The 256GB drive is now empty and in the optibay. My superdrive is in a USB enclosure and is in good working condition.
BootCamp assistant successfully creates a BootCamp partition on my 256GB drive and reboots my machine. However, when the machine reboots I am left with a black screen and a blinking cursor. The DVD drive spins for 3 or 4 minutes and then stops. The black screen continues forever, I assume.
I've already deleted my old BootCamp partition (which in retrospect was a mistake) and removed the 750GB HDD from the machine, as well.
I am using a legit copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, but it is an upgrade version. This should not (and does not, in my experience with other machines) affect the ability of the DVD to boot a computer. (I have a verified working non-legit full version, but using it does not solve my problem.)
That said, the current legit DVD is in good working condition. I installed it onto a PC to verify this.
Does anyone have any ideas? I know I could run a VM for windows, but I would like to be able to upgrade the firmware on my SSDs without removing them from my machine if possible. Also, I would like to be able to boot into a native windows session on the very rare occasions I decide to game on this machine.
tl;dr: 64gb ssd in main bay, 256gb ssd in optibay, windows won't install on 256gb, i know the install media is good, it used to work with 256ssd/750gb hdd, with win on 750gb.