Windows 8 Install Issue

[Homer2556]

So, I've been trying to install W8 for the past 24 hours, off and on, and continue to run into the same problem. I was able to successfully partition my HDD, but when BC restarts to install Windows, it loads the gray screen, then goes black. And I get a warning saying "Not bootable drive - insert boot disk and press any key." Neither my Bluetooth nor USB keyboard have any effect. Nothing happens. I am able to hold 'Option' during startup to boot to OS X, and can select the Windows disc as well. This does nothing. I think it may be caused by the use of an external DVD drive, as my internal Superdrive is toast.

System stats:

24-inch Mid 2007 iMac
2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1 TB WD partitioned to 500 GB for Windows
LaCie USB/Firewire external DVD-RW

I've tried connecting the DVD via USB and Firewire, with no change in outcome. Is there any way this will work, without having to shell out cash for a USB flash drive? Any help would be appreciated.


EDIT:

I forgot to mention I'm trying to install the 64-bit version, but at this point, I'll be happy with either 32-bit or 64-bit.

 

[AnonMac50]

It may be that the external drive you have is unsupported.

 

[Sesshy]

I've always found that installing from an external disk is less of a pain in the ass than booting from an optical drive. Your iMac may or may not boot to flash drives, but it should have no problems booting from any USB 2.0 external HDD, so I suggest using Boot Camp Assistant to format one with the W8x64 .iso. I'm running a copy that I managed to install from a flash drive without a hitch. Maybe you could borrow a device from a friend? Back up data to internal drive, install Windoze, restore data?

 

[Homer2556]

Update

I tried making a bootable flash drive, but either I didn't do it correctly (quite possible), or something just doesn't like my machine. I'll search around for a tutorial to create the .ISO flash drive.

 

[Geckotek]

I placed the ISO on the Mac HD an let the Boot Camp assistant build my bootable USB thumb drive. It just asked for a location to the ISO file, size of my partition, and did the rest. Once the Win 8 installer booted up, I had to format the Boot Camp partition as NTFS.

One issue I'm having, Windows 8 won't activate, keeps telling me it's an upgrade version when I swear this DVD (from the MS employee store) is a full version.

 

[Sesshy]

I tried making a bootable flash drive, but either I didn't do it correctly (quite possible), or something just doesn't like my machine. I'll search around for a tutorial to create the .ISO flash drive.

Well, like I said, your machine may or may not be able to boot properly to flash drives. If you told boot camp assistant to make a bootable USB flash drive, there's really nothing you could have done wrong; either the flash drive shows up as bootable in the option boot menu, or not. Only other thing I can think of is hold option, and the at the boot selection menu, take out and re-insert the flash drive. I know my rMBP does this thing where unless I've just reset the SMC, I have to reinsert any connected USB devices every time I reboot. It really sucks.

But if that doesn't work, booting from an external hard drive rather than a flash drive should pretty much always work, so try it with one of those instead.

 

[Bheleu]

One issue I'm having, Windows 8 won't activate, keeps telling me it's an upgrade version when I swear this DVD (from the MS employee store) is a full version.

Hoping to find out what happens when I try to do the same from my downloaded "upgrade" copy. I know I was able to install it to the Win 8 Dev Beta. If push comes to shove, may want to toss a copy of XP or Win 8 Dev Beta before trying to install it?

 

[Geckotek]

Hoping to find out what happens when I try to do the same from my downloaded "upgrade" copy. I know I was able to install it to the Win 8 Dev Beta. If push comes to shove, may want to toss a copy of XP or Win 8 Dev Beta before trying to install it?

No need, I don't have it handy, but I found an article last night that stepped me through a registry change and a command line entry that reset it and it is now activated. Try searching the error that comes up telling you that you can't activate and you'll most likely find it.