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Need Help Installing Bootcamp on New SSD (Desperate)

O

ORTOX

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 6, 2011
61
0
Here's my predicament.

Just got my new SSD in the mail. Going to use it solely for bootcamp.

I have a 500 gb in bay 1 a 500 gb in bay 2. They are in RAID 0 for my mac install.

Bay 3 is a 1 TB for time machine. Bay 4 is a 2 tb for storage.

I connected the SSD to one of the extra SATA ports right next to the graphics card power connectors. The SSD is connected to the top SATA port of the two extras.

I have a Molex power to data power adapter connected.

I booted into os x 10.7. Immediately recognized the SSD.

Initially I was going to install windows without using the bootcamp utility. I booted up my windows 7 disk.

It showed all of my drives except the SSD.

Okay, I figured I just needed to format the SSD for windows 7 to see it. I formatted it and it still wasn't visible.

So, I figured what the heck, I'll just use the bootcamp utility. Used bootcamp to format the SSD, it restarted automatically into the windows disc, and the SSD still wasn't visible....

Then I though maybe windows 7 would only be able to see 4 drives (no idea why but it was a thought) so I unplugged the 2 tb storage drive. the SSD still wasn't visible.

I've hit a brick wall. Please help!
 
Bootcamp can only be installed to a drive in one of the four bays. I believe you can move it to one of the optical bay SATA connections (where you have it now) once you've got Windows on there.
 
Had same issue with my Early 2008 Mac Pro and an Intel SSD. The only thing that worked for me was attaching the SSD to one of the four main drive bay connectors. I just connected the SSD without the sled and used a folded dish rag underneath to support the drive during installation. I'm still updating Windows and when that's finished I will try moving it to an optical bay port. I'm hoping I'll be able to boot to it.
 
I had exactly the same issue. What I had to do was the following:

I ran boot camp assistant with windows 7 sp1 install disc. Then I powered off the machine and disconnected all the HDDs except the boot camp one, then installed windows.

The partition type will be GPT, so you have to use Windows 7 SP1.
 
badsandwich: were you able to install windows sp1 while the sad was plugged into one of the extra SATA ports? I tried unplugging all other drives and windows still couldn't detect it.

macuser789: I did what you suggested and was able to install windows on the ssd. I moved to the extra SATA port and no longer could boot from it....

looks like i might invest in one of these:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/ADPTADRV/
 
digitalhen said:
Bootcamp can only be installed to a drive in one of the four bays. I believe you can move it to one of the optical bay SATA connections (where you have it now) once you've got Windows on there.
Click to expand...

Not for me, I have my SSD in the unused 2nd optical bay on a 2010 MP and have installed reinstalled Windows 3-4 times with no issue.
 
Hmm. Mine is a 2006 mac pro 1,1

Wonder if that makes a difference.
 
ORTOX said:
badsandwich: were you able to install windows sp1 while the sad was plugged into one of the extra SATA ports? I tried unplugging all other drives and windows still couldn't detect it.
Click to expand...

What I did was just pull out one of the bay sleds and just plug the SSD directly into the motherboard, then put the sled back in under it. Its suprisingly stable, assuming you don't move the Mac Pro much. I've had 3 SSDs in there like that at one point and they've never come loose. You can invest in a caddy if you want, or someone had a trick using cable ties, but I've not found those necessary.
 
Thanks gullysnowcat. I wish that wasn't the case but so be it.

badsandwich thanks for the tip. I might just bite the bullet. It's only 20 bucks. But when I get home Ill try it out with the stock sled and see how it works.
 
I decided to use the sled with cable ties. This SSD isn't going anywhere.
 
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