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Q: Windows 7 fails to install completely via Bootcamp on El Capitan

Configuration info:

iMac: 27 inch, late 2009, with internal optical drive


Internal hard drive capacity: 1TB, 593 GB available (after giving Windows 96 GB)

OS: El Capitan, 10.11.2

Processor: 3.08 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo

RAM: 8GB

Boot Camp: 6.0.1

Windows 7, Professional, SP1, 64 bit


 

My Windows 7 install does not complete, stopping somewhere on the last phase that says "Completing Installation." 
I had Windows 7 installed on my Mac before El Capitan was installed and it worked well (used the 32 bit version then-I tried that too after installing El Capitan, but that did not work either). I did a fresh install of El Capitan than then tried to install Windows 7 again, but nothing worked, as noted below.


 

I am using Bootcamp 6.0.1 to install Windows 7 Professional (full version) on a DVD via the internal optical drive. Bootcamp does not offer the option to select an ISO file. My select task selection for Bootcamp shows only these two options:



- Download the latest Windows support software from Apple


- Install Windows 7




 

I selected both options and had the support software installed on a 64GB thumb drive. Since the only option after installing the support software is to quit BCA, I did that. I reopened BCA, deselected the option to download the support software and continued to install Windows 7, making Bootcamp's partition 96GB. I chose custom install and formatted the Bootcamp drive. The Windows installation software completes the list of things to do (copying files, expanding files, …) and then reboots.  The starting Windows screen appears and window shows “completing installation.” Now this where the odd behavior begins, I think. It reboots again. After the Windows startup screen comes on, the screen turns black for about a couple of minute and then reboots. This happens again, but the reboot does not occur, acting as if it is hung. I even let it run overnight just in case it needed some time, but I found it still hung in the morning. The computer was still on and the screen was black. I rebooted by pressing and holding down the power button, Windows starts up showing the starting screen, goes black and hangs. ... I booted Windows into safe mode and it says that it cannot complete the setup in safe mode. So it looks like I am stuck. During all this the thumb drive was still connected.


 

Is there something I need to do to have it complete the install?

 

Note that I have tried to install Windows using Bootcamp a number of times, varying one thing at a time; like removing all external drives, physically disconnecting from the internet (I am using a USB to Ethernet adapter since my Ethernet port was fried during a lightning storm), etc. I have also tried various ideas that I found on there internet, but none of those worked.


 

Thanks in advanced for any help.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Jan 8, 2016 8:00 PM

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