Bootcamp without Optical disc drive

***Solution That Worked for ME***

I had a similiar problem where I wanted to install windows on a macbook pro (early 2009) that had a broken optical drive, using a bootable windows 7 USB, but the mac wouldn't recognize the USB because it only checks in the optical drive.

Solution:

1. Download the Windows 7 ISO file here: http://www.w7forums.com/threads/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-image-downloads.12325 /

2. Use Windows 7 USB DVD Download tool (found here http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool to make a bootable windows 7 USB. (this has to be done on an exisiting windows machine, but there are googable solutions to do this process using just a mac)

3. Also transfer a copy of the ISO file to the mac

4. Use Daemon Tools Lite (free, found here: http://www.daemon-tools.cc/products/dtLite) to mount the ISO file thats on your mac. (open daemon tools, click quick mount, click the iso file, very easy!) This tricks bootcamp into thinking that a windows 7 install disk is inserted.

5. Run Boot Camp, I chose to skip downloading the drivers and did that separately here: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5634 by cliking on the macbook pro model and then the number in the grid to download the boot camp drivers to a separete usb. Once windows was installed, it was easy to open the USB and run bootcamp settup.

**THE TRICK**

6. When the computer restarts after bootcamp finishes, insert the bootable windows 7 USB into the mac when the screen is black, and then hold down the C key as soon as you hear the mac turning on sound. This command tells the mac to boot from USB.

I did not find any discussions of simply pressing the C key to boot from USB in similiar threads, and people just said that you need the disk if your mac has an optical drive. I finally found this trick out here: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1533

The windows installation should now be running, and all thats left now is to choose the Bootcamp partition when it asks, and to click on it, click drive options, click format, and then click next to continue on with the installation.

Hope this helps anybody that had the same problem as me, I did a lot of googling!

In order to boot from the USB drive it will need to be partitioned as GUID file system and formatted as Mac OS X extended journaled. Check the drive in disk utility.

You can only install Windows from an external disk if you have a Mac that didn't come with a SuperDrive: the MacBook Pro with Retina display, the MacBook Air, the Mac mini and the Late 2012 iMac.

If you haven't got one of these computers, you can't install Windows from an external drive. Firmware doesn't allow it, so you will get a no bootable device message if you try to install Windows. The only thing you can do to install Windows in Boot Camp is to get a SuperDrive.

Another option is to get an external optical drive and install Windows in VMware Fusion

An external optical drive is a peripheral that you can connect to a USB or FireWire port and use it to load DVDs onto the iMac.

With an external optical drive, you can't install Windows in Boot Camp, but you can install it in VMware Fusion. It will ask you for the source you want to use to install Windows, so insert a DVD with Windows and choose it to install it

There is no other solution

You are welcome

Hey mate,

I know this thread is a bit old but I hate misinformation!

You are able to install windows off a usb key in any mac you choose (regardless if it has an optical drive or not! that's actually irrelevant) The only reason your unable to boot from the key is, you've got to actually make the usb key 'bootable'. (And use a third party boot menu such as refit, which you already have)

From what I'm reading your trying to format the key in a "mac" format and then just simply dropping the iso onto the key. Thats never going to work even on a PC scenario. What you will need is access to someone's windows pc (your friends or work maybe) to make the bootable key using a program like "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool".

Then, and only then will refit see the key as a bootable device.

If you need step by step instructions have a look at this blog

http://www.ksptechnology.com/blog/macbook-install-windows-7-with-boot-camp-witho ut-an-external-dvd-drive/

Hope that help

Update:

I forgot to ask what version of osx you are running, because later version of bootcamp do infact have usb support built in.

Kunu thank you so much. You are DA MAN !!! Spent hours looking in google,

with the tech experts saying to repair the antique optical drive. Your solution

worked perfectly !!!

Kunu, or anyone else.

I have tried your method as well as MANY others with no avail. I recorded the process because I thought maybe I am doing something wrong?

Let me know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5t5zoi-QC8