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Unable to install Windows 7 to 2nd Drive on 2012 Macbook Pro
- Thread starter The Afroman
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apologies - long but worth it IMO
@Klampfi
I think its time you bought some screwdrivers (max 8$). I know its scary the first time, but it does get easier. I've had the back off my MBP only twice - memory, and update drive. This will be the third - separate disks for windows and Mac.
Just make sure the battery is disconnected, no power, no short.
@dikafe
thank you for this detailed response. It looks like english isn't your first language, so thank you very much for sharing you experience. I know I will learn from your experience.
I've been waiting to pull the trigger on the whole optibay/second HD/dedicated-windows drive for a couple of weeks.
So before I found this thread this evening, I went ahead and ordered the whole opti replacement kit from OWC etc. I already have a drive I want to use so total spend was very low.
Now I'm starting to get some shaky fingers that wont go away.
Reading this thread for the first time I am starting to really, seriously, more adjetives, get the jitters.
I already went through the nightmare of upgrading my hard drive (+BOOTCAMP) OS/X 10.8.4 and BootCamp Win7 Ent install. that took a week until I found (http://www.ourfunkyfamily.com/machinations/?p=8)
all because of issues realting to MBR GPT etc.
It all worked bar one issue:
My hard drive (1Tb Seagate Hybrid) wouldn't allow bootcamp to create the win partition.
if you have this issue: Boot into Single user mode: Hold and press: Cmd-S after the chime.
Your Mac will boot to 'root' single user mode
Execute this command
/sbin/fsck -fy
When it boots to single user mode, it tells you there are two commands - why you came there, this is one if them
There actually are more commands you can use as root, but don't go there.
****
So. I ordered my kit 4 hours ago. status now says shipped. I will post back on this thread with a definitive consensus of how to make this work based on the posts so far.
The logical one: Windows needs to be the top dog, in disk0. This has actually always been the case for windows. the main reason people want OS/X on the main HDD is because they believe they will achieve 6G there vs. 3G on the opti. in truth (search google) unless its a super fast SSD, there is really not much real world difference
atb,
Sam..
@Klampfi
I think its time you bought some screwdrivers (max 8$). I know its scary the first time, but it does get easier. I've had the back off my MBP only twice - memory, and update drive. This will be the third - separate disks for windows and Mac.
Just make sure the battery is disconnected, no power, no short.
@dikafe
thank you for this detailed response. It looks like english isn't your first language, so thank you very much for sharing you experience. I know I will learn from your experience.
I've been waiting to pull the trigger on the whole optibay/second HD/dedicated-windows drive for a couple of weeks.
So before I found this thread this evening, I went ahead and ordered the whole opti replacement kit from OWC etc. I already have a drive I want to use so total spend was very low.
Now I'm starting to get some shaky fingers that wont go away.
Reading this thread for the first time I am starting to really, seriously, more adjetives, get the jitters.
I already went through the nightmare of upgrading my hard drive (+BOOTCAMP) OS/X 10.8.4 and BootCamp Win7 Ent install. that took a week until I found (http://www.ourfunkyfamily.com/machinations/?p=8)
all because of issues realting to MBR GPT etc.
It all worked bar one issue:
My hard drive (1Tb Seagate Hybrid) wouldn't allow bootcamp to create the win partition.
if you have this issue: Boot into Single user mode: Hold and press: Cmd-S after the chime.
Your Mac will boot to 'root' single user mode
Execute this command
/sbin/fsck -fy
When it boots to single user mode, it tells you there are two commands - why you came there, this is one if them
There actually are more commands you can use as root, but don't go there.****
So. I ordered my kit 4 hours ago. status now says shipped. I will post back on this thread with a definitive consensus of how to make this work based on the posts so far.
The logical one: Windows needs to be the top dog, in disk0. This has actually always been the case for windows. the main reason people want OS/X on the main HDD is because they believe they will achieve 6G there vs. 3G on the opti. in truth (search google) unless its a super fast SSD, there is really not much real world difference
atb,
Sam..
Do yourself a favour and follow this excellent guide to accomplish this :
http://blog.laaz.org/tech/2012/04/24/installing-windows-7-on-macbook-pro-without-superdrive/#comment-5074
http://blog.laaz.org/tech/2012/04/24/installing-windows-7-on-macbook-pro-without-superdrive/#comment-5074
This is a plain and simple firmware limitation
Apple's implementation of EFI has restricted its BIOS emulator to only seeing the drive on SATA bus 0 as a suitable target for Windows installation. It fools Windows into thinking it's an ordinary MBR disk.
I can't say if previous models supported this on subsequent disks but it wouldn't make sense as Apple only supports what it supplies and it doesn't supply these things with a drive in the optibay. So this has nothing to do with Microsoft. Nothing to do with disk partition schemes. It's the EFI/firmware.
So you just have to accept this. Windows, as supported by Boot Camp, needs to be put on the drive in the main bay. Nothing more. Nothing less. In 2012 models the optibay benefits from full 6Gb SATA so there is no compromise as pointed out by others.
Apple's implementation of EFI has restricted its BIOS emulator to only seeing the drive on SATA bus 0 as a suitable target for Windows installation. It fools Windows into thinking it's an ordinary MBR disk.
I can't say if previous models supported this on subsequent disks but it wouldn't make sense as Apple only supports what it supplies and it doesn't supply these things with a drive in the optibay. So this has nothing to do with Microsoft. Nothing to do with disk partition schemes. It's the EFI/firmware.
So you just have to accept this. Windows, as supported by Boot Camp, needs to be put on the drive in the main bay. Nothing more. Nothing less. In 2012 models the optibay benefits from full 6Gb SATA so there is no compromise as pointed out by others.
Macbook Pro 2012 (non-retina) with SSDs in optical bay and main bay.
I installed windows bootcamp on a ssd in the main bay (with a bootcamp install on a usb key) with a mac os on an ssd in the optical bay without swapping or unplugging drives. I pressed option button every time the computer rebooted and manually choose the drive it expected. If I didn't do this, the computer would go to a white screen then after 30 seconds a black screen and hang after rebooting after preparing a boot camp partition in the boot camp assistant program.
If you don't see the drives you want to boot to, it might help to boot to recovery partition and then reboot again, pressing option key again.
Hopefully this helps someone.
I installed windows bootcamp on a ssd in the main bay (with a bootcamp install on a usb key) with a mac os on an ssd in the optical bay without swapping or unplugging drives. I pressed option button every time the computer rebooted and manually choose the drive it expected. If I didn't do this, the computer would go to a white screen then after 30 seconds a black screen and hang after rebooting after preparing a boot camp partition in the boot camp assistant program.
If you don't see the drives you want to boot to, it might help to boot to recovery partition and then reboot again, pressing option key again.
Hopefully this helps someone.
help
I think you should be able to change the boot drive once you get into the settings of your mac. If you go to the preferences app and the startup disk you should be able to make it boot without having to hold option every time you boot. I have started the process and after hours of struggling have found this post. I still don't know if i want to swap the drives though.
i just press option when booting while i am installing windows on the boot camp partition. everything works fine after windows is installed. the specific problem i had was mac would freeze right after automatically restarting when boot camp assistant was done preparing the partition.
1. using the option key when rebooting to directly boot the windows install usb key (orange drive named windows)
2. if that orange drive isn't available, starting recovery partition, then selecting restart, then holding option key, which reveals the orange windows install drive to boot
why do you have a usb flash drive? I have installed windows on a second internal ssd but i am unable to boot into it since its in the optibay
Solution for OS X an Windows on separate drives
I have OS X 10.10 installed on SSD in main bay and wanted to install Windows on the HDD in optical bay.
The right way is placing drive that you want to use for Windows in main bay. So I placed HDD in main bay and SSD in optical bay.
This is critical for Windows to boot, when OS X doesn't care.
---------------------------
I'm not writing about how to use boot camp or how to switch drives, cuz I believe everyone knows how to do it and there's no need for detailed guide
I have OS X 10.10 installed on SSD in main bay and wanted to install Windows on the HDD in optical bay.
The right way is placing drive that you want to use for Windows in main bay. So I placed HDD in main bay and SSD in optical bay.
This is critical for Windows to boot, when OS X doesn't care.
---------------------------
I'm not writing about how to use boot camp or how to switch drives, cuz I believe everyone knows how to do it and there's no need for detailed guide
Last edited:
Has anyone found any solution for this? I really want to install windows on my second drive in the enclosure optical bay. OSX is already installed on my SSD. I don't want to swap the drives, as I had a really hard time originally swapping the optical drive and optical enclosure. Plus, the enclosure I bought is not SATA 3, just SATA. So I don't think I wouldnget the full speed out of my SSD if it were in the enclosure. My HDD is in the enclosure right now. Is there anyone that can help with getting windows installed on the optical bay HDD and leaving OSX alone in the main bay on its SSD?
Unfortunately not. I just made a 2nd partition on my SSD and a 2nd one on my HDD just for Windows. That was the only solution which worked for me :/
OK, unfortunately you CAN NOT instal Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10 on the 2nd HDD (Optical Bay) of your macbook Pro 2012 model, i have tried & tried for 1 week now & all i get are various issues & errors)...
The only way you can install Windows on a dual HDD setup MacBook Pro is as follows....
You'll need to put the SSD drive into the Optical bay caddy & the other drive (what you would consider your 2nd drive) into the main HDD section of your MacBook Pro 2012 Model.
After having done this (256GB SSD in the optical bay running OSX 10.10.5 & Seagate 750GB SSHD in primary macbook pro hdd bay running windows 10 x64) i was able to successfully instal & use Windows 10 x64 & it installed successfully first time round without any issues.
The only way you can install Windows on a dual HDD setup MacBook Pro is as follows....
You'll need to put the SSD drive into the Optical bay caddy & the other drive (what you would consider your 2nd drive) into the main HDD section of your MacBook Pro 2012 Model.
After having done this (256GB SSD in the optical bay running OSX 10.10.5 & Seagate 750GB SSHD in primary macbook pro hdd bay running windows 10 x64) i was able to successfully instal & use Windows 10 x64 & it installed successfully first time round without any issues.