I have managed to get Windows 7 (RC1 build 1700) running on my MacBook Pro (MacBookPro1,1). It'd like to say it was easy, but in truth it's taken me about 12 hours.
Reason: My CD/DVD will READ but not WRITE (burn).
The basic steps I went through:
- Install rEFIt
- Create USB install, as described by thefunkymunky
- Use Boot Camp Assistant (10.5.6, BCA 2.0) to repartition the internal drive
- Boot holding Option, select rEFIt option, boot Windows 7 installer
- Proceed through installer
- Install Boot Camp drivers (downloaded via Google, because we can't get them off the 10.5 disk)
- Installer drivers for graphics card (X1600) and airport via Windows Update
Now me bitching about why it took so long:
The first issue I had was with rEFIt. It didn't seem to activate itself, so I had to manually run /efi/refit/enable.sh. Easy enough to do, but I had to check the documentation for it.
Then I have some problems creating the USB installer. Formatting in Disk Utility (quick format I think), and copying the files across does not appear to create a bootable disk that rEFIt can use. I didn't have a proper Windows machine to go through the process described by thefunkymunky, but I did have a VM (VMware Fusion) with Vista. So, I mounted the USB stick directly to the VM, and created the disk. I can now boot into the installer using rEFIt.
It is at this point I realise, Windows doesn't let you install it to an external drive (in the way that OS X will quite happily allow you to). So, time to break out Boot Camp and make a partition on my internal drive. The first time around, Boot Camp Assistant tells me it can't move some files, and so can't finish the repartition. I've had this error before. When people first get a Mac, I tell them to create a partition, even if they aren't going to install Windows right away. Disks get themselves confused, and this breaks. Anyway, I tried fixing any errors using Disk Utility from the Leopard install DVD (running on an external firewire drive), but the same error happens. So, I backup and wipe the internal drive, reinstall OS X, then go back to trying to install Windows. It should be noted at the time of writing this, my Windows install is actually more configured than my OS X - ugh!
The installer is running, but at around 44% it complains some install files are missing or corrupt, and it can't continue. Great. So, I boot back into OS X, delete (but not format) all the files on the USB stick. Then I copy them using Finder from the mounted ISO in OS X. Reboot, and another go at installing Windows.
This time it gets all the way through the installer (including reboots where appropriate). It's not until the end it complains that drive C: is corrupt and unreadable. Thankfully these errors don't seem to have caused any real problem. The installer reboots, and next I'm looking at the Windows 7 first run screens.
Once I've got myself logged in, I install the 32-bit (for my lowly Core Duo) drivers from Boot Camp, as downloaded from the Interwebs. The main thing I notice working is audio! Still no graphics acceleration though.
I tried downloading the X1600 Vista 32-bit drivers from the ATI/AMD site, but they didn't seem to do anything. A quick Google, and I see someone asking the same question. Turns out you can download the right drivers (for both gfx and airport) via Windows Update (found in the Control Panel).
So now I have an install of Windows 7. Already they new task bar is creeping me out. This better be worth it.
Update: Things seem to be running fine, with one major exception: If I try to play any games, after a little while (5-20 minutes) the machine will suddenly shutdown, as if it's lost power. *poof* - gone. I don't know if this is a general problem with Win7, or if it's Mac-specific. Either way, it makes it pretty useless to me.
Update #2: Installed Vista with similar method, and have the same problem. I don't get this in OS X, so I guess it's an issue with Windows. I don't know if I can be bothered to install XP to test that.
