Boot Camp partitions and restarts to black DOS screen, white cursor

Question

Level 1

8 points

Boot Camp partitions and restarts to black DOS screen, white cursor

I've tried installing Windows 7 on my MacBook Pro 8,1 three times now. When Boot Camp Assistant finishes the partition it restarts to a black screen with white cursor at top left. Nothing happens after that. If I restart it still happens. The only way to boot into OS X now is to hold option on boot and select my main drive.

Any help is very much appreciated..

Model Name: MacBook Pro

Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,1

Processor Name: Intel Core i5

Processor Speed: 2.3 GHz

Number of Processors: 1

Total Number of Cores: 2

L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

L3 Cache: 3 MB

Memory: 16 GB

Intel 6 Series Chipset:

Vendor: Intel

Product: 6 Series Chipset

Link Speed: 6 Gigabit

Negotiated Link Speed: 6 Gigabit

Description: AHCI Version 1.30 Supported

OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSD:

Capacity: 120.03 GB (120,034,123,776 bytes)

Model: OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSD

Revision: 503ABBF0

Native Command Queuing: Yes

Queue Depth: 32

Removable Media: No

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk0

Medium Type: Solid State

TRIM Support: No

Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)

S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified

Volumes:

disk0s1:

Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)

BSD Name: disk0s1

Content: EFI

I have removed my optical drive and installed an SSD in the main bay, and moved my HDD into the optical bay.

Macintosh SSD:

Capacity: 94 GB (93,999,996,928 bytes)

Available: 10.57 GB (10,569,678,848 bytes)

Writable: Yes

File System: Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk0s2

Mount Point: /

Content: Apple_HFS

Recovery HD:

Capacity: 784.2 MB (784,220,160 bytes)

BSD Name: disk0s3

Content: Apple_Boot

BOOTCAMP:

Capacity: 25.04 GB (25,038,946,304 bytes)

Available: 25.02 GB (25,024,774,144 bytes)

Writable: Yes

File System: MS-DOS FAT32

BSD Name: disk0s4

Mount Point: /Volumes/BOOTCAMP

Content: Microsoft Basic Data

This is my external optical drive (original Apple, taken from my MacBook)

USB to Serial-ATA bridge:

Capacity: 3.22 GB (3,224,993,792 bytes)

Removable Media: Yes

Detachable Drive: Yes

BSD Name: disk3

Product ID: 0x0c31

Vendor ID: 0x1bcf (Sunplus Innovation Technology Inc.)

Version: 1.19

Speed: Up to 480 Mb/sec

Location ID: 0xfa132000 / 11

Current Available (mA): 500

Current Required (mA): 2

Media Name: GRMCULXFRER_EN_DVD

Partition Map Type: Unknown

S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1)

Posted on Aug 29, 2012 1:35 PM

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Answer 1

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Aug 29, 2012 2:13 PM in response to nBode

Apple only supports external DVD (USB-DVD usually) if it didn't come with one.

Some manage to use Flash USB memory.

you can't have two hard drives, you can't have a Windows only (Master Boot Record) and GPT during the install. After fine.

you need to put the optical drive back and leave the drive where Windfows goes.

You can't install Windows while it is using the optical SATA port.

And with 16GB RAM, yes? then your initial Windows partition will try to set aside 16GB hibernation, large page, and Windows 7 64-bit and all the updates needs 40-50GB, and on an SSD room for TRIM and BGC is also needed (10% or 15-20GB is good rule)

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Answer 2

Nov 28, 2012 10:08 PM in response to nBode

Did you end up getting it to work? I am so frustrated. I have spent countless hours trying to install windows 8 on my Mac using bootcamp assistant. I get the same result: the computer restarts to start running windows and then it just goes to the black screen with the cursor blinking. I have an early 2008 iMac, just upgraded to Mountain Lion. Bought the Windows 8 from completesoftwarecenter.com for 69$ bucks. They claimed that it was the 'full' version. I am now not so convinced. I may ask for a refund. Any suggestions? PLEASE HELP!

I got the 64 bit not the 32 bit windows 8, dont know if that plays a part or not.

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Answer 3

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Nov 29, 2012 10:15 AM in response to ultimateshep

ultimateshep wrote:

Did you end up getting it to work? I am so frustrated. I have spent countless hours trying to install windows 8 on my Mac using bootcamp assistant. I get the same result: the computer restarts to start running windows and then it just goes to the black screen with the cursor blinking. I have an early 2008 iMac, just upgraded to Mountain Lion. Bought the Windows 8 from completesoftwarecenter.com for 69$ bucks. They claimed that it was the 'full' version. I am now not so convinced. I may ask for a refund. Any suggestions? PLEASE HELP!

I got the 64 bit not the 32 bit windows 8, dont know if that plays a part or not.

Doesn't matter, Windows 8 is not supported yet (Apple have not released drivers) at the moment it is pure luck if it works (as many have discovered) Use Win 7 or wait for support from Apple.

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Answer 4

Dec 28, 2012 7:20 PM in response to Csound1

to the contrary, that is apples statement. i had windows 8 installed on a 2011 imac and 2011 mbp. both working flawlessly with the windows 7 drivers provided by bootcamp. my only downfall was that i was using an unactivated version of windows 8 a few days before the launch and i could not get it activated to access all of the features, such as personalization of the ui. as for the version ultimateshep bought i think it was a windows 8 pro upgrade pack. the very same that i was considering to buy. as for x86 (32bit) vs x64 (64bit), the 2008 imac is not capable of running the x64 windows 7 kernel. only 32 bit. as seen on this apple support web page http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846

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Answer 5

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Dec 28, 2012 7:22 PM in response to ryanbouvier

What is your question?

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Answer 6

Dec 28, 2012 8:33 PM in response to Csound1

it wasn't a ? just a counter statement to the two above

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Answer 7

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Dec 28, 2012 8:47 PM in response to ryanbouvier

Perhaps you should address the many posters for whom it does not work rather than just saying that it works for you? Look right and up slightly at 'More Like This' you will find many who need your help. Be positive.

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Answer 8

Dec 28, 2012 9:01 PM in response to Csound1

if you do look at my initial reply i did provide advice to ultimateshep on what version of the windows kernel will run on his 2008 imac, it wasn't just a statement that i had it working. i advised that based on this site his imac wont support x64 windows installations, only x86 installations... as for you post, i was just stating that just because apple hasnt officially supported windows 8 with proper drivers, it doesn't mean that the ones for windows 7 provided by bootcamp wont work. windows 8 is only a new ui overtop of windows 7

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Answer 9

Dec 28, 2012 9:16 PM in response to ryanbouvier

So Ryan, on a different site, I found that I had a 64-bit system because I have an 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3696. So I really dont know what to do. I guess I could try to install the 32 bit version if I have to. But I only bought the 64 bit.

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Answer 10

Dec 28, 2012 9:44 PM in response to ultimateshep

i was looking at this view of the page i sent you to.

i did not see your imacs model identifier listed with the others that could use windows vista/7 64 bit and i imagine that will apply to windows 8 in the future as well. i would imagine that the reasoning why is that all imacs prior to the 2009 model year booted a 32 bit kernel by default. that was until snow leopard and new macs were released in late 2009 that booted a 64 bit kernel by default

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