Loading Windows 7 question

Yes 64-bit is supported.

Yes 64-Bit is supported as leroydouglas mentions, but you have to update your original bootcamp that comes with 10.6 to the latest version 3.2 (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL979) to get the latest 64-Bit drivers.

Windows 7 64 bit is supported only if your Mac has a 64 bit EFI.

I was able to load the 64 bit version of Win 7 on my Mac Pro, but my wife's older iMac could only use the 32 bit version.

Kurt Lang wrote:

Windows 7 64 bit is supported only if your Mac has a 64 bit EFI.

Good point. The OP does state "I have the new MacBook Pro 2011."

In terminal paste the following to determine EFI

ioreg -p IODeviceTree -w0 -l | grep firmware-abi

The OP does state "I have the new MacBook Pro 2011."

Duh! Looked right past that. And there wan't even that much to read. 😊

So the new MBP I got a week ago doesn't have this?

Yes and no. Once your install Win 7 64 bit via the Boot Camp wizard, you will eventually boot directly into Windows for the first time. Just as if you were installing it on typical PC hardware.

Now! The very first thing to do at that point is to put the Snow Leopard install DVD your MPB came with into the Mac's drive. Windows will ask what you want to do with it. Choose "Run Setup". This installs the Win 7 hardware drivers for your Mac. Restart at the end if it asks.

Lastly, run Apple Software Update, which will now be in the Windows Start menu. If the drivers on your OS X install disk weren't already up to date, it will let you know if you need to download and install the Boot Camp 3.2 driver update. These updates are Windows .exe files, so you install them while booted into Windows from its desktop, not while in OS X.