I'm very frustrated. Here's why.
1) I have WinXP installed under bootcamp for playing games.
2) I purchased a digital version of Windows 7 Home Premium (the upgrade version) in order to upgrade.
3) Since you cannot just "upgrade" from XP to 7, I was prepared for a clean install, which is possible.
4) I first tried to copy and then extract the .iso file 64-bit win7 to an external hard disk, as per the recommendations. Upon clicking setup.exe, I get "this program is not a win32 program." Understandable considering I'm running under 32 bit XP.
5) I copy and extract Win7 32 bit to the same external drive. The install launcher actually loads. When I click "install", an error pops up telling me it couldn't create a setup folder on the volume.
6) Apple has a fix for this... IF you are upgrading from Vista to Win7. It is a program that allows you to unmount your regular mac OS X partition and gives the Win7 installer the ability to write on the Bootcamp partition. I downloaded the program.. and what do you know "This program is not meant for this operating system" (meaning I have to have Vista in order for it to work.)
7. I couldn't burn the .iso files to DVDs... upon which I began to wonder if my Superdrive had crapped out. I have been having problems with it for a while now.
8. I go to my step-dad's computer which runs linux, and after some application searching, we find a program that will burn the .iso image onto the DVD. I get them burned onto the DVD.
9. I put the 64-bit DVD and WinXP doesn't even recognize it. Mac OS X recognizes it but it's a no-show in windows.
10. I put the 32-bit DVD in and restart the computer holding option. The windows 7 32-bit DVD shows up on the boot screen along with my Lion recovery partition, WinXP partition, and Mac OS X partition.
11. I choose the Windows CD and a black screen shows up saying "press any key to boot from this disk"... at this point I'm elated.
12. My hopes are crushed when I get nothing but a black screen with a blinking white cursor in the top left corner... indefinitely.
So here's what I plan to do. Please advise me on this... whether you think it will work, etc.
1. Get a flash USB drive
2. Copy the 64 bit .iso file to the flash drive.
3. Backup and copy my programs that run under windows to an external drive.
4. Run the bootcamp assistant.
5. Attempt to perform a clean install using the flash drive, as per Apple's recommendation... from the Bootcamp assistant.
I'd love to just format the Bootcamp partition and start over, but since I have an "upgrade" copy and not the full install, I'd rather not screw it up.
Any comments, advice, or people with similar problems let me know.
I think the main problem is my Superdrive. The other problem is obviously that the computer won't let the Win7 installer write onto my internal hard drive. I'm hoping that by booting the installer from a flash drive, that this problem will be fixed.
Also, does anyone know if I can put the Apple drivers, etc. onto the same flash drive as the win7 installer?
Thanks a bunch.
1) I have WinXP installed under bootcamp for playing games.
2) I purchased a digital version of Windows 7 Home Premium (the upgrade version) in order to upgrade.
3) Since you cannot just "upgrade" from XP to 7, I was prepared for a clean install, which is possible.
4) I first tried to copy and then extract the .iso file 64-bit win7 to an external hard disk, as per the recommendations. Upon clicking setup.exe, I get "this program is not a win32 program." Understandable considering I'm running under 32 bit XP.
5) I copy and extract Win7 32 bit to the same external drive. The install launcher actually loads. When I click "install", an error pops up telling me it couldn't create a setup folder on the volume.
6) Apple has a fix for this... IF you are upgrading from Vista to Win7. It is a program that allows you to unmount your regular mac OS X partition and gives the Win7 installer the ability to write on the Bootcamp partition. I downloaded the program.. and what do you know "This program is not meant for this operating system" (meaning I have to have Vista in order for it to work.)
7. I couldn't burn the .iso files to DVDs... upon which I began to wonder if my Superdrive had crapped out. I have been having problems with it for a while now.
8. I go to my step-dad's computer which runs linux, and after some application searching, we find a program that will burn the .iso image onto the DVD. I get them burned onto the DVD.
9. I put the 64-bit DVD and WinXP doesn't even recognize it. Mac OS X recognizes it but it's a no-show in windows.
10. I put the 32-bit DVD in and restart the computer holding option. The windows 7 32-bit DVD shows up on the boot screen along with my Lion recovery partition, WinXP partition, and Mac OS X partition.
11. I choose the Windows CD and a black screen shows up saying "press any key to boot from this disk"... at this point I'm elated.
12. My hopes are crushed when I get nothing but a black screen with a blinking white cursor in the top left corner... indefinitely.
So here's what I plan to do. Please advise me on this... whether you think it will work, etc.
1. Get a flash USB drive
2. Copy the 64 bit .iso file to the flash drive.
3. Backup and copy my programs that run under windows to an external drive.
4. Run the bootcamp assistant.
5. Attempt to perform a clean install using the flash drive, as per Apple's recommendation... from the Bootcamp assistant.
I'd love to just format the Bootcamp partition and start over, but since I have an "upgrade" copy and not the full install, I'd rather not screw it up.
Any comments, advice, or people with similar problems let me know.
I think the main problem is my Superdrive. The other problem is obviously that the computer won't let the Win7 installer write onto my internal hard drive. I'm hoping that by booting the installer from a flash drive, that this problem will be fixed.
Also, does anyone know if I can put the Apple drivers, etc. onto the same flash drive as the win7 installer?
Thanks a bunch.