Big Sur Bootcamp and Windows 10 Failure

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Level 1

4 points

Big Sur Bootcamp and Windows 10 Failure

Having a major issue with Bootcamp. 1st out of the blue one day Windows freezes at boot up at the Logo. all has worked fine for a long time. I try every possible way to get past it and eventually give up. I use Bootcamp to redo the partition again. 128GB. Bootcamp runs through all processes and fails on initial boot at same spot, at the windows logo and I cannot go any further. I have done this 7 times now. Bootcamp deleting and redoing the partition and have tried multiple older, and brand new bootcamp acceptable windows 10 versions, since the original ISO failed first. I updated to newest big sur also. All windows 10 versions Stop at the same point, on the Logo, and go no further. I have after the freezes rebooted into newly started partition after the freeze and the same thing occurs.

Bootcamp won't let me use an external USB drive to install, it asks me to eject it. So that is not it. It is curious why the original mystery failure of a working Bootcamp Windows 10 and the new installs all fail at the same point. Help would be appreciated.

MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015). 500 GB SD.

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Sep 30, 2021 8:47 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 30, 2021 9:30 AM in response to VeeGeeP

VeeGeeP wrote:

Having a major issue with Bootcamp. 1st out of the blue one day Windows freezes at boot up at the Logo. all has worked fine for a long time. I try every possible way to get past it and eventually give up. I use Bootcamp to redo the partition again. 128GB. Bootcamp runs through all processes and fails on initial boot at same spot, at the windows logo and I cannot go any further. I have done this 7 times now. Bootcamp deleting and redoing the partition and have tried multiple older, and brand new bootcamp acceptable windows 10 versions, since the original ISO failed first. I updated to newest big sur also. All windows 10 versions Stop at the same point, on the Logo, and go no further. I have after the freezes rebooted into newly started partition after the freeze and the same thing occurs.

Bootcamp won't let me use an external USB drive to install, it asks me to eject it. So that is not it. It is curious why the original mystery failure of a working Bootcamp Windows 10 and the new installs all fail at the same point. Help would be appreciated.

MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015). 500 GB SD.

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/781678eb-1ae3-4902-a3b2-da70f9eac863

Ill see if i can get this moved...to BootCamp

https://discussions.apple.com/community/windows_software/boot_camp

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Answer 2

VeeGeeP Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 10, 2021 12:02 PM in response to Loner T

external SD was done using VMware fusion and WintoUSB to put the iso on it for booting into for install.

I updated to 11.6 after my internal wd10 boot issues started and did not help.

Attached is the Console system log section from the boot. After seeing this I disabled System Integrity Protect in terminal but same outcome.

console log

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Answer 3

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Oct 11, 2021 6:03 AM in response to VeeGeeP

VeeGeeP wrote:

Just a curiosity. In recover mode on my 2015 I only have this Firmware Protect Mode is "OFF" not the other options that others seem have with Secure Boot and External Boot.

Secure Boot has dependencies on the Apple T2 controller. Your 2015 Mac does not have a T2 controller. See System security overview - Apple Support (specifically Boot process for an Intel-based Mac - Apple Support).

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Answer 4

VeeGeeP Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 10, 2021 12:09 PM in response to VeeGeeP

Just a curiosity. In recover mode on my 2015 I only have this Firmware Protect Mode is "OFF" not the other options that others seem have with Secure Boot and External Boot.

Mine:

What is shown by apple:

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Answer 5

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Sep 30, 2021 2:40 PM in response to VeeGeeP

On the macOS side, if you use BC Assistant -> Action -> Download, and a USB2 Flash drive, you will get the package. There is a file called Bootcamp.xml. Can you look for a line similar to the following and post the output that you see?

		<ProductVersion>6.0.6136</ProductVersion>

		<ProductCode>{FCFFE6B6-BAE8-490E-88D0-097A9DA1C43D}</ProductCode>

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Answer 6

VeeGeeP Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 30, 2021 3:49 PM in response to Loner T

From the .xml: same as above

<ProductManufacturer>Apple Inc.</ProductManufacturer>

<ProductCode>{FCFFE6B6-BAE8-490E-88D0-097A9DA1C43D}</ProductCode>

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Answer 7

VeeGeeP Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 30, 2021 5:13 PM in response to Loner T

System Version: macOS 11.6 (20G165) Kernel Version: Darwin 20.6.0

Im trying to remember so I'm not fully 100% but think this is it. My SSD upgrade was when Big Sur came out. Right after the original install from TimeCap onto the new SSD I believe I I upgraded to Big Sur and did the Bootcamp install right after that without issue. So no other system and all good until this last week. My previous Bootcamp ran off an external HD from a few years back.

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Answer 8

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Sep 30, 2021 7:58 PM in response to VeeGeeP

VeeGeeP wrote:

My SSD upgrade was when Big Sur came out.

Does your MBA have a non-Apple SSD?

Right after the original install from TimeCap onto the new SSD I believe I I upgraded to Big Sur and did the Bootcamp install right after that without issue.

Do you have a TM backup of macOS and your Windows files?

So no other system and all good until this last week. My previous Bootcamp ran off an external HD from a few years back.

Was Windows installed on an external disk after the new SSD and Big Sur upgrade? Are you still trying to install Windows on an external disk?

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Answer 9

VeeGeeP Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 1, 2021 5:36 AM in response to Loner T

Does your MBA have a non-Apple SSD: Yes. But as I said it installed properly and worked clean and fast prior.

Do you have a TM backup of macOS and your Windows files?: It should but I am not where the TM is presently and won't be home to access to that TM for approx. a month.

Was Windows installed on an external disk after the new SSD and Big Sur upgrade? Are you still trying to install Windows on an external disk? No. It was installed with a 128GB Partition and worked internally. Note- Bootcamp on Big Sur does not allow external to be plugged in during the process.

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Answer 10

VeeGeeP Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 1, 2021 7:56 AM in response to Loner T

Loner T you are the only one replying to this and I appreciate the help. It has been working fine in Big Sur and was installed in Big Sur. If something has changed it wasn't at the user end. It appears the issue still has not been found by me or you. It would be nice if there was some commonality with other users at this point to narrow it down, but I seem to be the only one. If this issue has arisen with any other Big Sur users it would help a lot.

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Answer 11

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Oct 1, 2021 8:38 AM in response to VeeGeeP

Big Sur has many EFI updates to accommodate Apple Silicon, which has caused issues with Bootcamp/Windows installations. In most cases, re-installing Windows via Bootcamp in macOS Catalina/Mojave and upgrading to Big Sur provides better results. This misbehavior is Mac model-specific. The symptom you describe is due to GPU drivers and/or Storage drivers. The .6136 package is an old version (circa 2012) and has issues with newer W10 releases.

If the installation hangs, and if you switch back to macOS and look at the Bootcamp partition, there are two logs - setupapidev.log and setupact.log that you should check and see why the W10 installer hangs. Also, there are known issues with MACHALDriver.sys provided in .6136 and newer W10 ISOs. You have tried W10 1607, which indicates a driver issue.

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Answer 12

VeeGeeP Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 9, 2021 2:35 PM in response to Loner T

Hi. So being away and unable to back up I stopped trying the internal SD bootcamp install as did not want to risk anything more. But I did decide to create an external USB one like I had at an earlier time as no risks. I choose the new USB SD as the startup disc and Guess what? Same freeze at the same point and won't go past the logo to complete install. So if it is a driver issue on the newly created USB or on the Mac is this correctable or replaceable at this point. On this drive I only have a file called " setupapi.offline.20191207_091437.log as the closest to the name you listed above on the new drive. Nothing else. Any ideas?

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Answer 13

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Oct 10, 2021 6:57 AM in response to VeeGeeP

Is the external USB SD used for building the Windows Installer or as the destination of the Windows installation. The former should work, but latter will run into issues.

Bootcamp Assistant under Big Sur will check the connection to the external USB SD for the latter case and reject it if it is not SATA/PCIe/NVMe. In some BCA versions, it is also logged in the Console logs.

Based on the experimentation you have done so far, this points to EFI issues. Was the previous installation using Big Sur prior to the 11.6 Big Sur upgrade?

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