Problems with dedicated Boot Camp SSD

Question

Problems with dedicated Boot Camp SSD

I just bought a new 15" MacBook Pro (9,1) and right away I installed a 256GB SSD (Crucial M4) in the HDD bay (dedicated to OS X 10.8), as well as a 512GB SSD (Crucial M4) in the optical bay with OWC Data Doubler. I intended to use the 512GB SSD as a dedicated Boot Camp Windows 7 disk (planning on installing lots of Steam games).

I installed 10.8 on the 256GB SSD with a bootable USB stick I had prepared earlier and happily OS X works great so far. Getting Windows to install on the 512GB SSD has been challenging, to put it lightly.

At first I couldn't get Windows 7's installer (on a bootable USB stick prepared by Boot Camp Assistant) to allow installation on the SSD, repeatedly getting the error message, "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu."

After much googling I found out some people having this problem had success installing Windows after they pulled out all internal drives except the one Windows is to be installed on. So I temporarily removed the 256GB SSD with OS X on it which was in the HDD bay. I was relieved to find that then the Windows installer would finally accept the disk for installation. I installed Windows 7, installed the Boot Camp support files, and rebooted. Everything on Windows seemed to be working great.

So then I re-installed the OS X SSD in the HDD bay, and option-booted back into OS X. OS X still works fine. Then I tried booting back into Windows, both through the Startup Disk preferences, and by holding down option during boot. The Boot Camp disk (the 512GB SSD in the optical bay) is visible as a boot up choice and I can select it, but it never boot into Windows now. Every time now, I get a black screen with "No bootable device. Insert boot disk and press any key."

Does anyone have any ideas for me to try? I'm basically at wit's end here. Thanks in advance!

MacBook Pro, Windows 7

Posted on Aug 1, 2012 5:52 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 2, 2012 9:13 PM in response to gallopingghost

Update... couple of things I have tried: zapping the PRAM, and just now I tried to use a Windows 7 bootable repair memory stick, but after booting from it I got the Windows error message, "This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a recovery disc that is compatible with this version of Windows." Then it reboots into OS X.

I can always boot into ML no problem; it's just not booting from the Boot Camp Windows SSD. I'm sure it would boot if I just pulled out the OS X disk but that's no way to live.

I'm sure it's possible to have an internal dedicated OS X disk and an internal dedicated Boot Camp Windows disk on a MBP (isn't it?). I feel like there's a good chance that there's something relatively simple to fix this, but I'm not very experienced with Windows or Boot Camp.

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Answer 2

Aug 2, 2012 10:34 PM in response to gallopingghost

After more reading, I think maybe booting Windows from a second internal disk might not be possible at this time. I thought I had read of some people doing it, but now I'm seeing conflicting information as to whether it's possible.

Maybe this is my best worst-case scenario:

- format both SSDs in HFS+

- install ML on the bigger 512 SSD

- run Boot Camp Assistant and give Windows something like 350GB of the 512 (for Steam games, etc.)

- 2nd smaller SSD just becomes general storage on OS X ..?

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Answer 3

Aug 3, 2012 10:31 AM in response to gallopingghost

Well, I tried that and it didn't work either... I don't think I can get Boot Camp to work at all with 2 SSDs installed, not even with OS X and Boot Camp partitions on the same disk.

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Answer 4

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Aug 3, 2012 1:09 PM in response to gallopingghost

It is always possible as I have been doing Windows on dedicated drives for 6 yrs incl SSD for the last 3.

The thing I keep telling people is remove your other drive and leave only the one for Windows.

Some people backed up OS X and then formatted the drive as MBR and FAT, installed Windows, then restored bacvk to normal GUID and HFS+.

you can't have OS X on one drive though during the install of Windows present.

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Answer 5

Aug 4, 2012 7:00 AM in response to The hatter

Thanks for the reply.

Earlier I had installed Windows by removing the OS X drive like you suggested, but afterwards when I put the OS X drive back, the Windows drive wouldn't boot any more, with message "No bootable device. Insert boot disk and press any key."

Do you think it would make a difference if the Windows drive was in the main HDD bay instead of the optical bay?

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Answer 6

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Aug 4, 2012 7:53 AM in response to gallopingghost

Trial and error and I'd give it a "Probably" but also you should leave Windows where it was when installed; see if it shows in Startup Disk, and also try Windows DVD.

OS X doesn't care as much where it is.

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Answer 7

Aug 9, 2012 8:18 PM in response to gallopingghost

The hatter basically solved my problem by assuring me that it can be done.

At first, before I even read hatter's first response, I gave up on the idea of a 2 drive system. I pulled the smaller drive and moved the bigger 512GB drive from bay 2 to bay 1 (leaving an empty optical bay). Then I clean installed ML from USB, booted into OS X, repartitioned with Boot Camp Assistant, and installed Windows from USB. Windows booted, and I enjoyed some Steam games for a few days.

Yesterday I decided to try the 2 drives thing again. I cloned the OS X partitions with CCC to an external HDD, and then saved an image of the Boot Camp partition I made with WinClone. Then I installed the smaller 256GB drive into the optical bay and cloned OS X to it from the external. Next I booted from the 256GB and formatted the bay 1, 512GB drive to FAT. Ran Boot Camp Assistant and quit the installer after formatting for NTFS. Rebooted into OS X and used WinClone to restore the image to the 512GB.

Anyway, everything works just fine now, thanks for the assurance.

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