Can't install Win7 BootCamp on latest Macbook Pro

[hfg]

Help!

I am trying to install windows 7 on a BootCamp partition and the DVD only boots to a blank screen with a flashing dash "-" in the upper corner.

This is on the latest 15" Macbook Pro (Lion) which has been modified. The original HD was replaced with a OWC SSD, then the original HD was installed in the optical bay. The optical SuperDrive was installed into a external USB enclosure. The SSD is the boot drive and was "restored" with a fresh OS X install.

The BootCamp 80GB partition was created on the SSD without problems, but when the system reboots and the windows DVD starts loading, it doesn't get to the installation screen. I see a blank screen with the flashing "dash", and eventually the optical disk stops spinning.

Booting to the windows installation on a 2011 Macbook Air with the same drive and the same DVD disk works fine. (Windows/BootCamp was already installed on the Air, I just booted the windows DVD to see if it would load to the install screen, which it did)

Could having 2 internal disk drives cause this problem with too many partitions for the installer?

Any ideas on how to fix this problem?
(Hopefully without having to take it apart again).

Thanks....
-howard

 

[johnhurley]

Help!

I am trying to install windows 7 on a BootCamp partition and the DVD only boots to a blank screen with a flashing dash "-" in the upper corner.

This is on the latest 15" Macbook Pro (Lion) which has been modified. The original HD was replaced with a OWC SSD, then the original HD was installed in the optical bay. The optical SuperDrive was installed into a external USB enclosure. The SSD is the boot drive and was "restored" with a fresh OS X install.

The BootCamp 80GB partition was created on the SSD without problems, but when the system reboots and the windows DVD starts loading, it doesn't get to the installation screen. I see a blank screen with the flashing "dash", and eventually the optical disk stops spinning.

Booting to the windows installation on a 2011 Macbook Air with the same drive and the same DVD disk works fine. (Windows/BootCamp was already installed on the Air, I just booted the windows DVD to see if it would load to the install screen, which it did)

Could having 2 internal disk drives cause this problem with too many partitions for the installer?

Any ideas on how to fix this problem?
(Hopefully without having to take it apart again).

Thanks....
-howard

I think there are similar threads in this forum if you search around a little you may find something.

My first guess is that you have to actually get the bootcamp stuff setup before having 2 internal hard drives operating. Seems like that rings a bell?

One way to try proceeding would be to pull out the ssd drive out and work on it using an external caddy via usb.

 

[hfg]

Hi ... Thanks for the info! I did find another thread similar to my issue.

However, for others seeking solutions, I have been working on mine and this is what I have found so far:

I opened up the computer and disconnected the drive cable to my optibay-mounted HD to remove it from the drive list and again attempted to install windows from the external DVD USB drive ... same problem.

So I reluctantly removed the optibay HD and reinstalled the SuperDrive in its original location. Now Windows is installing normally to the SSD drive!

Once it is finished installing and I have it all running OK, I will again replace the SuperDrive with the optibay-HD and put it all back together again.

I still don't know why this is such a problem, but it is done now so I am happy!


-howard

 

[dyehead]

So I just got my 15" mbp today, and I'm attempting the same thing. I put in a momentus XT in the optibay, and have the superdrive connected via USB.

When I say 'partition', it kicks it off and then reboots the laptop but all I get is a black screen, and the fans spin up, but nothing happens.

I'm trying to decide what to do, I've already used CCC to move my OS to the hybrid drive. seeing as the drive in the main bay has been partitioned (?) already if I put the superdrive back where the optibay is maybe it will try and boot off of the windows 7 dvd and let me install it, then afterwards I can put the XT back in? what a pain!

 

[johnhurley]

I'm trying to decide what to do, I've already used CCC to move my OS to the hybrid drive. seeing as the drive in the main bay has been partitioned (?) already if I put the superdrive back where the optibay is maybe it will try and boot off of the windows 7 dvd and let me install it, then afterwards I can put the XT back in? what a pain!

There may be some terminal command to alter mac os x behavior here so you can boot up from external ( ? not sure or maybe this is programmed into EFI ? ) when two disks are installed.

Maybe another alternative is using rEFIt ... don't know if that is applicable or not.

It really pays off in a case like this to do your research first and make sure you have a plan step by step that includes all the details before you start pulling drives in and out and back in again. Lots of people have written up blog postings and things like macworld articles on how to accomplish stuff like this ... usually they include after the fact "how not to do it".

 

[dyehead]

Yeah, so I guess I'll just CCC what's on my momentus over to the 750gb 7200rpm drive, put the superdrive back in, install bootcamp, remove the superdrive, etc etc...

zzz but I guess that's what I get for being too excited

 

[seanmorr]

heres my journey...haven't been able to get it up and running
I think I'm just going to buy a 256gb ssd so the bootcamp partition is on the boot drive

http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1160139