How to install Windows 7 on a MacBook Air?

Question

How to install Windows 7 on a MacBook Air?

Hi everybody,

I am sorry in case this has been covered before, but i couldnt find anything searching different categgories here, so i´d appreciate some help.

I have got a late 2011 MacBook Air with lots of SSD and so on and i want to install windows 7.

I bought a wndows 7 OEM DVD (actually, two discs, one says support software)

I have tried to run bootcamp and follow the instructions, but to now end.

on my macbook air, i get the option "create a windows 7 disc" or something like that (the first option), which doesnt help me because i dont have optical drive

when i start boot camp on my iMac, this option will be greyed out.

Also, I have tried to to ISO copys of the windows DVD and save them to a USB stick but i just wouldnt come to any result.

does anybody have a good, comprehensive instruction on how to install windows 7 on an MBA withou optical drive?

Also, is 30GB OK for Win 7 if you basically dont wanna do to much in windows (no office etc, just some small clients)

thanks!

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7), 256GB SSD, 4 GB RAM, i7

Posted on Feb 9, 2012 7:14 AM

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Answer 1

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Feb 9, 2012 7:39 AM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

30GB is not enough, especially on an SSD. Normally 50-60GB and with SSD I'd go with 80-90GB.

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp faq, how to, special instructions for Air

There is a program to create DVD from ISO or .exe

Apple Boot CAmp Assistant should have prompted to save a driver for you to support a USB-DVD, in addition to the normal Apple B.C. drivers you save to flash card.

Disk Utility is not a good method for burning Windows DVDs.

http://simplyburns.en.softonic.com/mac

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3241150

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Answer 2

dalstott

Level 4

2,639 points

Feb 9, 2012 11:17 AM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

Required read

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Boot_Camp_Install-Setup_Late2010.pdf

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Answer 3

Feb 9, 2012 12:50 PM in response to dalstott

Sorry, but this doesnt help, because it says "What you need..... optical drive" - as stated, I dont have an optical drive.

Thanks anyway

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Answer 4

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Feb 9, 2012 12:59 PM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

MacBook Air Install Win 7 USB thumbdrive

MacBook Air Windows 7 Part II Imperfect

Apple Boot Camp Support

There really is a Apple Tech Note on the support page.

Boot Camp Windows 7 installation FAQ

Lion and Boot Camp 4.0

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Answer 5

Feb 11, 2012 1:19 AM in response to The hatter

Well thanks everybody for the links so far....

i am trying to work my way through, hitting some links which dont work anymore or stuff that doesnt apply (like

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp faq, how to, special instructions for Air - i dont see that. maybe i just oversee it, but i couldnt find that)

Its really strange that for such a product like the new MBA there is not just ONE working simple instruction from apple which doesnt rely on an optical drive that apple deliberately axed....

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Answer 6

Feb 11, 2012 1:29 AM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

After some more time of searching:

somebody or some link suggested to use "SimplyBurns", probably to convert the windows DVD to an USB thumb drive.

Hm, but anybody knows what option to choose or to select? i am sorry, i just have no clue....

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Answer 7

dalstott

Level 4

2,639 points

Feb 11, 2012 8:04 AM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

Try some of these.

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/9136/macbook-air-install-windows-7-with-boot-camp -without-an-external-dvd-drive/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmA-9apQ6kg

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20020513-285/install-win-7-on-macbook-air-fr om-a-usb-drive/

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Answer 8

Feb 15, 2012 12:03 AM in response to dalstott

Sorry people, thats all not working.

All of these instructions do rely on an optical drive or a computer running windows 7!

I dont have such a computer, since i am a complete mac houshold.

I do have a windows 7 DVD which I bought and a flash-drive.

Furthermore, in many instrudctions a "windows 7 dvd usb download tool" is mentioned to be found on the microsoft homepage. i didnt find it, dont know if their search enginge wouldnt show it, but neither the provided link, nor a search turned anything out...

Sorry... thanks for helping... alexander

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Answer 9

dalstott

Level 4

2,639 points

Feb 15, 2012 9:10 AM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

Here is a link that should help.!

http://download.cnet.com/Windows-7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool/3000-18513_4-10972600.h tml#ixzz1fD1WVqFZ

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Answer 10

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Feb 15, 2012 9:22 AM in response to dalstott

Windows 7 Download Tool.... is a Windows executible, not of much help unless you

First use the ISO to load and install Windows in VirtualBox where you then can run that tool, VMs are able to use ISO.

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Answer 11

Feb 16, 2012 12:42 AM in response to dalstott

Yeah thanks but sorry, thats the problem: its a windows program.

It cant be that in those days of new, really working apple you have to go such strange ways to install windows on a macbook air - i dont have an optical drive, i dont have another computer running windows, its so strange that you have to go to such lengths, so un-apple-esque?

Thanks!

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Answer 12

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Feb 16, 2012 4:27 AM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

Burn ISO or EXE to DVD - How To

http://simplyburns.en.softonic.com/mac

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Answer 13

dalstott

Level 4

2,639 points

Feb 16, 2012 5:49 AM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

When you purchase a MacBook Air you have to accept the limitations of the design i.e. no optical drive. This is old history as on my shelf is a working 1999 iBook that was introduced with no floppy drive. Fortunately it has a USB port or I would have to acqure an external drive for inut/output.

While you may feel shorted by not having a built in optical drive we all had better get used to the concept as it going to be the standard.

When I bought my wife a MacBook Air a year ago I purchased the MacBook Air SuperDrive which while little used is good to have on occasion. All thse changes come under the heading of so called progress.

"What is new is not necessarily needed and what is old is not automatically obsolete"

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Answer 14

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

Feb 16, 2012 5:57 AM in response to Alexander Reinelt1

Alexander Reinelt1 wrote:

Yeah thanks but sorry, thats the problem: its a windows program.

It cant be that in those days of new, really working apple you have to go such strange ways to install windows on a macbook air - i dont have an optical drive, i dont have another computer running windows, its so strange that you have to go to such lengths, so un-apple-esque?

Thanks!

Buy the optical drive.

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Answer 15

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Feb 16, 2012 6:27 AM in response to Csound1

For MBA 2010, and probably still true today?

MacBook Air (Late 2010): Installing Windows 7 drivers

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