installing win 7 64bit is a no go on 2011 15" macbook pro on 10.6 or 10.7

OEM as in really OEM? or just what is called "System Builder" and will install universal hardware.

Burned ISO or shipped as physical media?

A lot of schools and others offer electronic versions themselves or off MSDN. Burnikng is an issue.

Doesn't matter what version of OS X you use, other than it has to be able to download drivers for after Windows is installed. The MB Air needs USB-DVD support driver for the install.

Rumors are just that. What you want is someone that it worked for. Forums are usually those it doesn't and had trouble. Hopefully not the norm either.

3rd party RAM has been blamed once or twice, not compatible with Apple's.

Truth be told, you should not need anything other than poip in the DVD, hold the Option key down so you can get to the Apple boot manager to select the optical disc, and install. Anything less and either the Mac, the optical drive, the DVD.

Burning ISO electronic versions: slowest burn speed in Disk Utility.

Also, you have your Windows partition, that should be 50GB.... or more.

You could try VirtualBox and seeing how that goes and install Windows in a VM.

Just to test. A VM is forgiving. Most can be installed off an ISO as well.

If Paragon CampTune 9.5 (latest, supports Lion partitions, Lion now has its Recovery partition etc) supports resizing partitions between Mac and Windows, but I think can also be used as quick assist with the install process. Most of their products have good demo and $19 to resize etc isn't bad.

If you just bought Windows 7 then it should also be "SP1" already included rather than the old original version which is now a full two years old!

Can you exchnage the DVD etc? I'd go that route, there are reports of bumb DVDs. And hope it isn't the optical drive, which happens but less often.

Andrew, did you ever get this resolved?

I've got the same problem with that 2.3ghz quad in a 17 MBP. Infinite cursor....

And that is why there are Apple drivers for the MacBook Air that support use of external superdrives.

The VM was 1) to insure it install, 2) some people need to burn an ISO and works better from there. Not as an ultimate solution, though we are in the dark as to what/why/needs people have for running Windows as most don't mention or include all tidbits.

In some cases people have had to swap SSD, superdrive etc to get Windows up and running.

I have been told that specifically limiting the burning speed of a Windows DVD in macs to 2x can be successful.

The explanation given me was "some strange compatibility issues about Mac drives, Mac software, and Windows systems".

Not saying that explanation helps, and when given to me it was offered with the same caveat.

Actually that "saying" is mine, based on feedback and comments and school of hard knocks, Apple Disk Utility does not burn Windows 7 ISOs under OS X properly unless one reduced the speed.

Lion may allow one to use Boot Camp Assistant to take an ISO and burn to DVD, and be better.

And some people had best luck burning with Windows, whether that was VM or on a PC.

Sorry, hatter

I lose track of my sources.

Has anyone figured anything out?

I have tried various DVD including a Windows 8 preview. I even tried the rEFIt program and a usb drive. Blinking cursor is all I get.

I have a different DVD drive, actual blu-ray/dvd combo drive. It does not work.

I tried via USB and still got nothing.

Pain!