Hi everyone. I want to install windows 7 on my iMac 24'' (mid 2008) but my optical disc drive is broken. I tried to install it with an USB flashdrive, but the system don't recognize it as a bootable device. I have the windows 7 ISO, vmware fusion, refit (i searched on the interet for the solution but i couldn't find any). thanks for help !
iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
***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!
I just logged in to thank Kunu very much for this tutorial. It works for me. I have MacBook Pro (mid 2010) Core 2 Due (64 bit). I followed the tutorial. Firs few steps (done on PC), I googled (create bootable ubuntu usb) which direct me to a another page (pen drive linux) page where I download the tool to make bootable windows 7 usb (much better than using Microsoft USB DVD tool). (Before using Pen drive Linux, plug in your usb flash drive, then, download, double click, agree, create, select Step 1, scroll down to the end and select windows 7, step 2 browse for your iso windows file, step three select the usb flash (again most important to plug in the flash BEFORE you start Pen drive tool), then create, accept (Yes) pop-up window and it is done).
Last issue, I tried to boot from USB where I successfully make bootable yosemite yesterday but it does not work. Anyway, it works in recognizing the windows 7 usb plugged in mac as mentioned by Kunu. I guess one of the USB drivers in mac might only work in booting mode (sorry for this naive conclusion)
Regards.
MatRojas wrote:
I made a guide on how to install windows on a OSX Partition without an Optical Drive and without booting on USB
I hope it helps
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=20584499#post20584499
The internal Optical drive is about USD89.95 - https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/Unibody-8x-SATA-SuperDrive-Post-Early-2009/IF16 1-073-2.
Winclone - USD 29.99 - http://www.twocanoes.com/winclone/pricing
Fusion - USD 69.99 (Retail, Upgrade is USD 49.99) - http://store.vmware.com/store/vmware/en_US/pd/productID.304322400&src=WWW_eBIZ_p roductpage_Fusion_Buy_US
If you have replaced the Optical drive with SSD/HDD, then your procedure is very useful. You may not need Paragon, because you should be able to use VMDkmount.
If the Optical drive is in place, but non-functional, then replacing it may make more sense.
Thanks a lot, this helped me too! Got through the process with this tip.
Only now at the end of the Windows installation I get the message that there's something wrong with the boot record. But I guess that's a totally different issue. So thanks so far!
I used 30 Day trials and only paid for the Winclone Software.
Also VDKMOUNT is not included in the new VMware software if im correct.
So my way is cheaper than the 90 dollar Useless optical drive.
Thx for taking the time to look at my guid though.
Well I tried the Kunu method and I'm stuck at the "press the C key" part.
My macbook won't find any bootable USB drive even if I did use pc to put the iso on it.
It's a early 2011 Macbook pro unibody, with a broken superdrive.
Please help me, I had a windows partition running for years, but I had to formate all my HDD and now I can't reinstall it...
Is there a solution?
I tried so many things...
I even bought an external optical drive but my computer won't recognize it either.....
I can't tell you how everything, because I'm stuck as well at the moment. What I can tell you however, is that you can't just copy an .iso to the USB drive. You'll have to create an installation drive, a bootable USB drive.
To do that, you need to download a Windows setup file from the Microsoft site http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads, open it on a PC, and it will give you the option to create a bootable USB drive. The other option is to create an ISO, that you can later burn to a DVD (this is not the option you need, pick the thumb drive one). This got me through the installation process at least.
Next, go back to the Mac, and go through the process again. It does not seem to matter if the extra drivers are on the same USB, or on a second one.
Try not pressing 'C', just press and hold Alt at startup, and select the USB drive. Hope this helps.
I did us a pc to create a bootable iso on my USB stick. Fact is it just won't be there when I push alt, and wont be recognized when I try the "PressC" method.
What I did is follow the Kunu path.
I downloaded a windows 7 home premium x64 Iso.
I installed it on my USB flash drive on a friend PC.
I copied the same iso on my mac os x partition, mounted it, did all the bootcamp procedure,
but now I'm stuck.
I can't go any further cause my USB is nowhere to be found...
There is one possible problem here: you keep mentioning ISO on USB. Please know that in my experience, these are two mutually exclusive things. You either create an ISO and burn that on a DVD, or you create a bootable USB. Have you tried the method I mentioned, opening the setup file and creating a bootable USB from there?
Sorry if I you already have and this is a stupid question, but I just want to let you know what helped me.
Someone please help me out I'm so close...again!! So kunu I followed your instructions perfectly a few months back (right before yosemite was released) and it was amazing how well it worked. But I got a corrupted update from windows along the lines and that messed everything up. But anyway I'm trying to do it again and I keep getting errors after the Windows install completes. Missing critical kernels drivers winload exe. Everything. It won't boot windows. I'm on a MacBook pro late 2009 and I got a hard drive bus bay for an additional hard drive instead of a super drive. I need any help I can get please and thank you!
Hello VittorioZanetti. I know how to help! First, use your windows 7 iso and install it on vmware fusion. When that is completed, download windows 7 usb dvd download tool from the following link http://wudt.codeplex.com/
Then, if you can, configure shared folders and when windows 7 usb dvd download tool asks for your iso, go through your shared folder and continue. You will need a 4gb or more drive or maybe an 8gb and mount it in your virtual machine. When windows 7 usb download tool asks for your usb, choose the one you mounted in your vm and it will start formatting and copying files. When complete, exit your virtual machine. If you haven't already, configure a windows partition of your hard drive at least 10gb. Now, when it says start installation, go to the apple menu and click force quit and quit bootcamp assistant. Now, for the final part, reboot your computer and before the chime, hold the "C" key on your keyboard until you see another black screen. Then, continue with windows setup! If you need any help, be sure to post again and I will get back to you.
Loner T, will not be able to test right now to have just started my working hours.
But I spent all week trying different tutorials and any success. My case is also optico driver and broken as I realized that have enough experience on the subject would an aid her in the procedure described above that I will try later once you arrive home from work. It would be possible? Thank you very much!
Good morning!
Only I out of my mind. I imagine it does not work, but there is a way to create a partition on the ssd to initialize the disk image and make the installation of Windows from it, rather than using the more common ways in media CD/DVD and stick?
1. Create a FAT32 partition on the SSD.
2. Download Paragon NTFS for Mac trial version.
3. Format the FAT32 as NTFS using Paragon software.
4. Copy the contents of the Windows Installer the SSD NTFS partition.
5. Use GPT Fdisk to mark the NTFS partition as bootable.
6. Power cycle your Mac and hold the Alt Key and select the NTFS partition and test.
sudo gpt -vv -r mostrar / dev / disk0
-----------------------------------------------
show de GPT: / dev / disk0: mediasize = 500107862016; SectorSize = 512; blocos = 976773168
show de GPT: / dev / disk0: Suspeito MBR no setor 0
show de GPT: / dev / disk0: Pri GPT no setor 1
show de GPT: / dev / disk0: Sec GPT no sector 976.773.167
iniciar conteúdo do índice tamanho
0 1 MBR
Cabeçalho 1 1 Pri GPT
Tabela 2 32 Pri GPT
34 6
40 409600 1 GPT parte - C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B
409.640 858.913.880 2 GPT parte - 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
859323520 1269536 3 GPT parte - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC
860593056 1120
860594176 115916808 4 GPT parte - EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7
976510984 262151
Tabela 976773135 32 Sec GPT
Cabeçalho 976773167 1 Sec GPT
sudo gdisk /dev/rdisk0
-----------------------------
dyld: lazy symbol binding failed: Symbol not found: __ZN3icu13UnicodeStringC1Ev
Referenced from: /usr/sbin/gdisk
Expected in: /usr/lib/libicucore.A.dylib
dyld: Symbol not found: __ZN3icu13UnicodeStringC1Ev
Referenced from: /usr/sbin/gdisk
Expected in: /usr/lib/libicucore.A.dylib
Bootcamp without Optical disc drive
