Level 1

8 points

Black/Blank Screen with Boot Camp Win 7 Install on new 27" iMac

I'm having a problem getting Windows 7 on a new 27" iMac and am familiar with the Boot Camp Windows installation process. Here's what I've done...

1. Run Boot Camp from OSX, partition the drive.
2. Insert Win 7 cd, proceed with installation.
3. Computer restarts and the 'preparing for initial setup' message displays with the Win 7 splash screen. When it switches to where it should be displaying the Win 7 desktop, the screen is black.

I can hear the Mac still running, but there's no display. It's like it's waiting for some type of user input for the intial Windows setup (haven't yet entered the key).

I've done a hard shutdown and restarted Windows with the exact same result. After reboot, I get the 'Windows was not shut down properly' message with the 3 safe mode options, where choosing either gets me the 'Windows cannot complete setup in safe mode'. And any key reboots it.

The Mac side still runs fine and holding the option key at start up gives the Mac/Win boot options.

I'm inclined to think that it's a video driver issue since the 27" is brand new. Maybe Apple used a new video card for the larger screen and haven't updated the Boot Camp drivers. I checked on ATI's site for an updated driver for the Radeon HD 4670 they say is in the new 27" model that's currently available. (not the quad core)

Is there any workaround for this? I was thinking of installing Vista instead, and upgrading to Win7 once installed, but if it's a driver thing, it would just be a long way to the same result and could have the same problem with Vista as well.

Any ideas?

iMac 27", Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Oct 22, 2009 12:18 PM

36 replies

Jan 25, 2010 9:21 AM in response to McFlossy

I also had this problem, and I wrote this step-by-step guide on how I solved it:

http://klauskjeldsen.dk/2010/01/04/boot-camp-imac-error-fix-black-screen/

However, before that I also had another problem, namely that partition for windows could not be create by boot Camp. I got this message: “The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved”. I also found a solution to that problem, which I wrote here:

http://klauskjeldsen.dk/2010/01/03/boot-camp-create-partition-error-files-cannot -be-moved/

Enjoy! ;o)

Feb 5, 2010 12:35 PM in response to joudbren

Yup. That's it. I connected the second monitor, did the last part of the install on it and as soon as the install was complete, Windows immediately downloaded an updated ATI driver and switched the video back to the 27" screen.

Thanks joudbren, you saved me some pain.

:s.

Miguel.B

Level 1

0 points

Feb 25, 2010 4:37 PM in response to McFlossy

Hello,
This is my first post and I generally don't post in forums (dedicated lurker) so please forgive me being a neophyte on board/forum etiquette. That being said, I've have had this problem on a brand new imac and found this page on Apple's support site: [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3986]

What really helped was this: [http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3173] which has the steps for creating a bootable usb drive with the required imac's drivers to complete the installation.

Hope this helps, it worked for me. My head still hurts from bagging it against the wall because of this issue.

Cheers.

Dmite

Level 1

0 points

Mar 8, 2010 9:39 AM in response to McFlossy

For those of you still having problems finding the right file to delete, here is what worked for me. My computer specs are Imac 27" 3.06 4gb ram and ATI 4670 graphics card, this solution will not work for Nvidia card macs. I installed Win 7 x64 via bootcamp and got to the black screen, restarted and booted to the Win 7 x64 disc. Clicked on repair system and chose my Windows 7 installation, then I hit next and clicked on the icon to open command prompt. While in command prompt type in: "Del C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\atiilhag.infamd64_neutral951c1812f542740a\atikmdag.sys" without the quotations. I found it to be case sensitive at least for me so just type it exactly as you see it here. Restart you computer and it should complete the installation.

May 11, 2010 3:35 AM in response to mpuck972

mpuck972 wrote:
So I just spent the past 5 hours trying to install Windows 7 via BootCamp on my new 27" iMac. It would get past the initial installation and then after the final reboot just before it runs off the hard drive and asks you for a serial number, the screen would go black and I couldn't do anything. So I found this solution here:

http://geekswithblogs.net/ajames/archive/2009/08/12/take-an-imac-and-windows-7-r tm-ndash-and-have.aspx

Except the instructions on that site are for an iMac with an NVIDIA Graphics Card. The 27" iMac has an ATI card. So at step 6 I deleted the file named: ATIKMDAG.SYS from the same directory.

Then clicked restart and was able to finish through the install process.

Summary:
It seems as if for some reason Windows 7 installs some random NVIDIA graphics driver that the ATI card just cant handle. Once the install get to the point where it's turning on that driver, the iMac's display simply turns off because there is no card to run it.

The BootCamp driver that loads only give a max resolution of 1980 X 1440 so everything looks stretched. Installing the ATI drivers from ATI did no good.

There also seems to be an issue with the sound drivers, and the bluetooth usb host controler. There is no sound, and the mouse doesn't become active until everything is done loading.

Also be aware that only the keyboard will be active during the install so you will need a usb mouse unless your really good at navigating Windows with only a keyboard.

This solution worked for me, thanks!!

May 14, 2010 2:44 PM in response to joudbren

Joudbren!

That's amazing - I had tried to install twice (even placing the drivers onto the thumb drive) and had specifically unplugged my second monitor to install. I had been getting the black screen, but when I restarted in Win7 with the 2nd monitor plugged in there it was.

Man, thank you so much.

Graloth

Level 1

0 points

Jun 27, 2010 1:17 PM in response to Jeremy Knight

I am still not able to boot to windows.

Using the guide supplied by apple with the USB disk allows me to complete the install (as in, i finished creating an account and everything) but afterwards it boots to a black screen with a white "_" in the upper left corner.

Anyone know a solution to this problem?

MarkN123

Level 1

0 points

Jun 27, 2010 3:23 PM in response to Graloth

With the iMac, we had to remove the ati drivers in order to continue. The steps I did with the iMac are as follows:

35. Boot from the Win7 install DVD.
36. Click Next
37. Click Repair your Computer
38. Select "Restore your computer using a system image that you created earlier
39. Click Next
40. Click Cancel
41. Click Cancel
42. Click Command Prompt
43. > c:
44. cd c:\windows\system32\drivers\

45. del ati*

46. Close the command prompt
47. Click Restart
This time, Windows should successfully initialise a more appropriate display driver, allowing you into the desktop.

UptNorth

Level 1

0 points

Jun 30, 2010 2:35 AM in response to Jeremy Knight

Hi,

Blank screen

I got my PC ( macbookpro) fixed by a local shop. Seems like the blank screen was due to a windows 7 update. They used the restore feature to roll back prior to the update and it worked. I have since turned off windows automatic update.

Aug 15, 2010 3:19 PM in response to MarkN123

MarkN that is brilliant! on restart, my new iMac displayed the final leg of the Windows 7 installation. Thank you Thank you Thank you! Just saved me hours of headache and money buying display adapters.

Oct 13, 2010 9:44 AM in response to McFlossy

I recently went to my schools computer lab to re-image my macbook pro 15 inch. They kept sending emails to come over and re-image and get the latest version of mac and windows 7. Bombarded with emails. So, I went with a couple of my friends. I left my computer there for 2 hours and came back to pick it up. After I logged onto windows side, the screen went black and wouldn't let me onto bootcamp. So, they said it didn't we will do it again. So another 2 hours goes by and I go to pick it up. It worked for the time being. Let me on Windows side and let me open and install autocad. I go to log on yesterday and it did the same thing. The screen went black and wouldn't let me on. My computer lab of helpdesk as they call themselves, said "Oh, I guess we will have to re-image." Obviously, re-imaging doesn't work. They obviously have no clue what is wrong with my laptop. Can anyone help?

Nov 16, 2009 8:03 PM in response to daviejohannes

Nevermind ... found a solution to my Bluetooth problem http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10591292#10591292

billr317

Level 1

0 points

Oct 24, 2009 7:55 PM in response to mpuck972

Thanks for the post! I just ran into the same thing. Picked up the new 27" imac today and immediately wanted to do the bootcamp setup. So far all is going well after your workaround!

mpuck972

Level 1

20 points

Nov 6, 2009 12:36 PM in response to amnesiac

Try running both Windows Update and the Apple Update in Win7. I have no issue with scrolling on the Magic Mouse.

Have no clue about #2

M.D.C.

Level 1

4 points

Dec 6, 2009 5:28 PM in response to mpuck972

I had this exact problem. Thanks for the solution, totally work.

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Black/Blank Screen with Boot Camp Win 7 Install on new 27" iMac