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
Marcoman68
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Q: "Create a Windows 7 or later version install disk" does not show up as an option in Select Tasks

I have a MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) running El Capitan.  I just installed a new hard drive and am trying to install Windows 7 using Boot Camp Assistant.  On the Select Tasks window "Create a Windows 7 or later version install disk" does NOT show as an option.  How do I create the install disk?

Screen Shot 2016-03-10 at 7.51.41 PM.png

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Mar 10, 2016 6:06 PM

by Loner T,Solvedanswer
Loner T Loner T
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A:

Apple no longer publishes these. The first screen in your post is your guide. Check "Download..." and create a USB with Windows Support Software. Once you have the USB created, disconnect it. Insert the physical DVD, once it is recognized as valid (not the text in that option), check the box, and start the Windows partitioning and installation. Once it is finished, run setup.exe from Bootcamp folder on the USB drive to install BC drivers. Make sure the version is appropriate for your hardware.

Posted on Mar 10, 2016 7:01 PM

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Marcoman68

Q: "Create a Windows 7 or later version install disk" does not show up as an option in Select Tasks

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  • by Marcoman68,

    Marcoman68 Marcoman68 Mar 10, 2016 6:17 PM in response to Marcoman68
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    Mar 10, 2016 6:17 PM in response to Marcoman68

    I am using https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205016 for step by step instructions

    I already created the disk image of the Windows DVD Install Disk following the instructions from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203909

    When I open Boot Camp Assistant I am unable to Create a Windows 7 install disk

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Mar 10, 2016 6:19 PM in response to Marcoman68
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    Mar 10, 2016 6:19 PM in response to Marcoman68

    Your 2011 Mac requires a physical DVD to install Windows. USB Installer is not supported on your specific model.

  • by Marcoman68,

    Marcoman68 Marcoman68 Mar 10, 2016 6:43 PM in response to Loner T
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    Mar 10, 2016 6:43 PM in response to Loner T

    Thanks for the reply.

    Do I still follow the following steps from HT205016:

    1. Connect a 16 GB or larger USB flash drive that you can erase. Leave this flash drive connected to your Mac until Windows installation is finished.
    2. Open Boot  Camp Assistant from the Utilities folder (or use Spotlight to find it) and click Continue.
    3. Select only the options to create a Windows install disk and to download the latest Windows support software from Apple. Then click Continue.
    4. Insert your Windows install disc, or choose your Windows installation ISO, then click Continue. Boot Camp erases your USB flash drive and prepares it for Windows installation. After the flash drive is prepared, close the Boot Camp Assistant window to quit the app.
    5. Use the tables at the end of this article to find the Windows support software (drivers) you need for the version of Windows and the Mac that you're using.
    6. Click the link in the table to download the related software.
    7. After the file downloads, double-click it from the Finder to decompress (unzip) it.
    8. Open the resulting folder. Locate the following files in this folder and drag them to your USB Flash drive. When prompted if you want to replace the existing items on the flash drive, click Yes.

      $WinPEDriver$ (folder)
      AutoUnattend.xml
      BootCamp (folder)

    9. Open Boot Camp Assistant again, then click Continue.
    10. Select only the option to "Install Windows… or later version."

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Mar 10, 2016 6:47 PM in response to Marcoman68
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    Mar 10, 2016 6:47 PM in response to Marcoman68

    These are the steps for W7, which is no longer supported on 2015 Macs. El Capitan no longer downloads W7 BC software. These are the manual steps to accomplish the same for Macs that support USB-based installations. 2012-2014 Models support USB-based installation.

  • by Marcoman68,

    Marcoman68 Marcoman68 Mar 10, 2016 6:52 PM in response to Loner T
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    Mar 10, 2016 6:52 PM in response to Loner T

    Is there a link to view the manual steps for Boot Camp for Windows 7 on a 2011 Model?

  • by Loner T,Solvedanswer

    Loner T Loner T Mar 10, 2016 7:01 PM in response to Marcoman68
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    Mar 10, 2016 7:01 PM in response to Marcoman68

    Apple no longer publishes these. The first screen in your post is your guide. Check "Download..." and create a USB with Windows Support Software. Once you have the USB created, disconnect it. Insert the physical DVD, once it is recognized as valid (not the text in that option), check the box, and start the Windows partitioning and installation. Once it is finished, run setup.exe from Bootcamp folder on the USB drive to install BC drivers. Make sure the version is appropriate for your hardware.

  • by Marcoman68,

    Marcoman68 Marcoman68 Mar 10, 2016 7:11 PM in response to Loner T
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    Mar 10, 2016 7:11 PM in response to Loner T

    So do I still follow steps 5-8 to get the Support Software 5 (listed in the Table for Macbook Pro Late 2011) or is the original download on the Select Task screen going to be the correct Support Software?

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Mar 10, 2016 7:29 PM in response to Marcoman68
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    Mar 10, 2016 7:29 PM in response to Marcoman68

    If you are running BC Assistant 6.x (from El Capitan), you will need to get the appropriate zip from Install Windows 7 and earlier on your Mac using Boot Camp - Apple Support and unzip on the USB. The steps you are referring to are used in cases your Mac supports a USB Installer. This is not the case for a 2011 model.  If you had a 2012-2014 model, you would have replaced folders as directed in step 8.

     

    If you are using the BC Assistant 5.x (from Yosemite or older), your download from BCA should be correct.

     

    In all cases, the appropriate software is Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5621, which has

     

    Post Date: Feb 11, 2014

    File Size: 924.9 MB

    System Requirements

    • MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2011)
    • MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2012)
    • MacBook Pro (15-inch & 17-inch, Mid 2010)
    • MacBook Pro (13-inch, & 15-inch, Early 2011)
    • MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
    • MacBook Pro (13-inch,15-inch & 17-inch  Late 2011)
    • MacBook Pro (13-inch & 15-inch, Mid 2012)
    • MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
    • MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
    • MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch and 15-inch, Early 2013)
    • Mac Pro (Early 2009)
    • Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
    • Mac Pro (Mid 2012)
    • Mac mini (Mid 2011)
    • Mac mini (Late 2012) 
    • iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010)
    • iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2011)
    • iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Late 2012)
    • iMac (21.5-inch) Early 2013
    • Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1, 64 bit

  • by Marcoman68,

    Marcoman68 Marcoman68 Mar 11, 2016 10:12 AM in response to Loner T
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    Mar 11, 2016 10:12 AM in response to Loner T

    Thanks Loner T for all your help,

    I was able to load Windows 7 using the install DVD in Boot Camp Assistant.

    Once Windows 7 was installed I was able to install the Boot Camp drivers from the USB drive onto the Windows platform.

     

    It sure was confusing trying to use the Apple Support information since it really did not apply to my MacBook Pro.

     

    Sure wish Apple would have left a published page on this.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Mar 11, 2016 10:24 AM in response to Marcoman68
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    Mar 11, 2016 10:24 AM in response to Marcoman68

    Very nice. Please back up OSX, Windows and create a Windows System Restore point. From BCA, if you click on help, it does take you to an older link - https://help.apple.com/bootcamp/mac/5.0/help/#/bcmp173b3bf2 . This is much closer to your case.

     

    Install Windows on your Mac

    With Boot Camp, you can use Windows on your Mac.

    What you need

    • The keyboard and mouse or trackpad that came with your Mac. (If they aren’t available, use a USB keyboard and mouse.)
    • An external USB drive (a hard drive or a flash drive) that is 8 GB or larger, formatted as MS-DOS (FAT).To format an external USB drive as MS-DOS (FAT), use Disk Utility, located in the Other folder in Launchpad.
    • A Windows ISO image (a disk image that contains the entire contents of a DVD) downloaded from Microsoft, or both a Windows full-install installation disc (not the upgrade version of Windows) and a built-in disc drive or compatible external optical drive.To download Windows ISO images, see Microsoft Software Downloads.To find out which versions of Windows your Mac supports, see the Apple Support article System requirements to install Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp.
    • At least 32 GB of free space on an internal hard drive.

  • by Bjoern Adamski,

    Bjoern Adamski Bjoern Adamski Jul 26, 2016 11:25 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Jul 26, 2016 11:25 AM in response to Loner T

    What if the DVD drive isn't working anymore or has been replaced by a SSD drive? There must be another solution, no?

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Jul 26, 2016 11:30 AM in response to Bjoern Adamski
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
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    Jul 26, 2016 11:30 AM in response to Bjoern Adamski

    You can look at possible VMware/Winclone solution. If you still have your old Optical drive, it may be the easiest solution to go back to the standard hardware configuration.

  • by Bjoern Adamski,

    Bjoern Adamski Bjoern Adamski Jul 26, 2016 11:46 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Jul 26, 2016 11:46 AM in response to Loner T

    I found a better solution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE8If6gabUI

     

    Due to System Integrity Protection I had to copy the Boot Camp Assistant to the Desktop and replace the Info.plist file inside this copy. Incredible.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Jul 26, 2016 11:56 AM in response to Bjoern Adamski
    Level 7 (23,603 points)
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    Jul 26, 2016 11:56 AM in response to Bjoern Adamski

    You have taken the first step on this road. Be prepared for issues. Do not use EFI Boot on your 2011 Mac. It does not work correctly.

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