HT205016: Install Windows 7 and earlier on your Mac using Boot Camp

Learn about Install Windows 7 and earlier on your Mac using Boot Camp
Kawabounga
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: BootCamp Install button is greyed out

I need to install a Windows 7 on my MacBookPro but the installation button is actually greyed out.

 

bootcamp1.png

 

I first managed to install a first windows but i needed it to be bigger, so i deleted the BootCamp partition with a live GParted USB and here it is, impossible to get this again.

 

 

Here are the `diskutil list` and `diskutil cs list`

 

bootcamp2.png

 

And here is what my disk looks like actually

bootcamp3.png

 

Please help me, i don't know what to do ... I got a live USB of GParted if needed.

 

Thanks in advance !

 

PS: I'm on a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014), with Yosemite 10.10.5

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Aug 27, 2015 12:45 AM

by Loner T,Solvedanswer
Loner T Loner T
Level 7 (23,603 points)
Safari
A:

Do you have a choice of Windows and EFI Boot? If yes, choose EFI Boot.

Posted on Aug 28, 2015 5:32 AM

Close
Kawabounga

Q: BootCamp Install button is greyed out

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Aug 27, 2015 5:30 AM in response to Kawabounga
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
    Safari
    Aug 27, 2015 5:30 AM in response to Kawabounga

    Can you please create USB Installer first? If it is still greyed out, please run the following two procedures

     

    Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

    How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

     

    and test?

  • by Kawabounga,

    Kawabounga Kawabounga Aug 27, 2015 10:12 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 27, 2015 10:12 AM in response to Loner T

    I just tried all of this, and it did not fix it :/.

     

    I just noticed someting. When i'm launching the BootCampAssistant he pops me this out :

     

    bootcamp4.png

     

    Which means something like "The startup disk can't be neither partitioned, nor restored in one only partition.
    The startup disk has to be formated in one only 'Mac OS extended Volume (journalized) or already partitioned by the Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows"

     

    If you take a look at the last screenshot in my first post, you see a small "Recovery HD" (~600 Mo) partition, which means that my disk is partitioned. And when i'm booting my Mac with holding Option Button to choose my startup disk, i still see my old windows, even tough the BootCamp partition isn't viewable on the disk (I removed it with my GParted Live USB)

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Aug 27, 2015 10:19 AM in response to Kawabounga
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
    Safari
    Aug 27, 2015 10:19 AM in response to Kawabounga

    You still have a possibility that the MBR corresponding to the Windows side has not been cleaned yet.

     

    Please post the output of the following OSX Terminal commands.

     

    diskutil list

    diskutil cs list

    sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk0

    sudo fdisk /dev/disk0

     

    The "sudo" commands will prompt for your password, and it will not be echoed back. You may also see a warning about improper use of "sudo" and potential data loss due to "abuse" of the command.

  • by Kawabounga,

    Kawabounga Kawabounga Aug 27, 2015 10:24 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 27, 2015 10:24 AM in response to Loner T

    diskutil.png

    Here it is !

     

    Thanks a lot for helping my by the way !

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Aug 27, 2015 3:31 PM in response to Kawabounga
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
    Safari
    Aug 27, 2015 3:31 PM in response to Kawabounga

    There is a large chunk of free space after GPT3. It should be converted to a FAT32 partition and a new MBR created to allow BC Assistant's Install option to be used. What year is your Macbook Pro?

  • by Kawabounga,

    Kawabounga Kawabounga Aug 28, 2015 12:24 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2015 12:24 AM in response to Loner T

    Mid 2014 !

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Aug 28, 2015 2:43 AM in response to Kawabounga
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
    Safari
    Aug 28, 2015 2:43 AM in response to Kawabounga

    Windows can be installed by using two methods on Macs after Late 2013. The traditional method is using BIOS emulation and a MBR. This is the legacy (older) method. Later models support UEFI/EFI Boot. The current Free Space chunk can be used as it is now to install W8 or W10 using this method. W7 has some challenges with EFI booting and driver issues like GPU and audio.

     

    The EFI method is faster because it eliminates BIOS emulation.

  • by Kawabounga,

    Kawabounga Kawabounga Aug 28, 2015 2:47 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2015 2:47 AM in response to Loner T

    Which means, i can boot on a Live Windows 8 Installation, install it on my 40 Free Go and boot on it after ?

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Aug 28, 2015 2:52 AM in response to Kawabounga
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
    Safari
    Aug 28, 2015 2:52 AM in response to Kawabounga

    Windows cannot be installed on USB/Firewire disks, but it can be installed on Thunderbolt/PCI/SATA storage.

     

    You can install it in the Free Space after GPT3. It will be split into MSR (System Reserved) and MSD (Data) partitions by the EFI installer.

     

    40 Free Go confused me first, but I assume you mean the Free Space of 40gigabytes after Recovery HD.

  • by Kawabounga,

    Kawabounga Kawabounga Aug 28, 2015 2:58 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2015 2:58 AM in response to Loner T

    Yes, i have some space left on the disk especially for this Windows

     

    And, i'm sorry, but i don't get your message totally (I'm french ). How, am I exactly supposed to do this. So, I have my Windows 8 iso, and then ? The only way I installed distributions so far (Windows or Unix), were by burning their iso on an USB drive, boot on those USB and then follow the installations steps, so i'm a bit lost with

    it can be installed on Thunderbolt/PCI/SATA storage

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Aug 28, 2015 3:10 AM in response to Kawabounga
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
    Safari
    Aug 28, 2015 3:10 AM in response to Kawabounga

    The steps are the same for W8. I would recommend W8.1. Burn your ISO installer to a USB. Power down your Mac, poor it up and use Alt/Option and choose the USB installer. When prompted for the destination partition, point it to the Free Space part.

     

    I have the EFI setup on my son's Late 2013 15-in rMBP. Here is the disk layout. GPT4 is MSR and GPT5 is MS Data.

     

    gpt show: /dev/disk0: mediasize=500277790720; sectorsize=512; blocks=977105060

    gpt show: /dev/disk0: PMBR at sector 0

    gpt show: /dev/disk0: Pri GPT at sector 1

    gpt show: /dev/disk0: Sec GPT at sector 977105059

          start       size  index  contents

              0          1         PMBR

              1          1         Pri GPT header

              2         32         Pri GPT table

             34          6        

             40     409600      1  GPT part - C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B

         409640  487712920      2  GPT part - 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

      488122560    1269536      3  GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

      489392096         32        

      489392128     262144      4  GPT part - E3C9E316-0B5C-4DB8-817D-F92DF00215AE

      489654272  487450624      5  GPT part - EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7

      977104896        131        

      977105027         32         Sec GPT table

      977105059          1         Sec GPT header

     

    sudo fdisk /dev/disk0

    Disk: /dev/disk0 geometry: 60821/255/63 [977105060 sectors]

    Signature: 0xAA55

             Starting       Ending

    #: id  cyl  hd sec -  cyl  hd sec [     start -       size]

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    1: EE 1023 254  63 - 1023 254  63 [         1 -  977105059] <Unknown ID>

    2: 00    0   0   0 -    0   0   0 [         0 -          0] unused     

    3: 00    0   0   0 -    0   0   0 [         0 -          0] unused     

    4: 00    0   0   0 -    0   0   0 [         0 -          0] unused     

  • by Kawabounga,

    Kawabounga Kawabounga Aug 28, 2015 3:21 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2015 3:21 AM in response to Loner T

    I'm trying it this afternoon ! Thanks !
    I'll tell you if it worked well

  • by Kawabounga,

    Kawabounga Kawabounga Aug 28, 2015 5:25 AM in response to Kawabounga
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2015 5:25 AM in response to Kawabounga

    I tried, but i'm having an issue ...

     

    After selecting the 40 Go the installation disk says "Windows cannot be installed. The selected disk is of the GPT Partition style"

     

    I burned the iso with the Boot Camp Assistant btw.

     

    Any idea ?

  • by Loner T,Solvedanswer

    Loner T Loner T Aug 28, 2015 5:32 AM in response to Kawabounga
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
    Safari
    Aug 28, 2015 5:32 AM in response to Kawabounga

    Do you have a choice of Windows and EFI Boot? If yes, choose EFI Boot.

Page 1 Next