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jdhiro Author

Level 1

0 points

Windows 8.1 install fails on new 2013 Retina MacBook

I doubt there are many people out there who can help with this yet. I was able to pick up my 2013 Haswell Retina MacBook Pro from my local Apple store this morning (yay!), and so far everything has been stellar. However, I'm unable to install Windows 8.1 via Bootcamp. I have not tried Windows 8 or 7.

I've tried installing both via USB thumb drive, and via DVD on external SuperDrive, with the same results. I know that 2013 MacBook Airs have to install via UEFI so I've tried that as well. What I've tried:

Booting into UEFI:

- After creating the partition in Bootcamp, I boot holding OPTION

- At the boot selection screen I select "EFI BOOT"

- I go through all the motions, including formatting the BOOTCAMP partition

- After all the files have been copied, I get a message that "Windows cannot update the boot partition and that my progress won't be saved" (not the exact message).

Booting via BIOS:

- After creating the partition in Bootcamp, I boot holding OPTION

- At the boot selection screen I pick "WINDOWS"

- When I get to the partition selection/formatting screen it won't let me proceed, when I expand the error message it tells me that partition can't be used because it has a GPT partition table.

So, I'm stuck =( Any ideas?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 23, 2013 8:56 PM

602 replies

Jaehdawg

Level 1

0 points

Oct 24, 2013 8:25 PM in response to jdhiro

I was able to successfully install windows 8 on my new Haswell mbp by using http://refit.sourceforge.net/... I used this to convert the GPT format partition to MBR... Then booted off of the non-EFI boot partition from the USB flash drive... Next formatted it NTFS and it worked.... I think something is wrong with the new macs ability to update the EFI

Oct 24, 2013 8:56 PM in response to jdhiro

I finally got the nvidia driver to install! it works great, and im getting absolutely great performance in bf3 compared to my old 2012 retina macbook. Just in case anyone else needs to know what I did to get it working, I used winimage to copy a windows 8.1 bootcamp partition from my 2012 macbook to my 2013 macbook, and then I installed the bootcamp drivers and absolutely everything worked, except the nvidia graphics card, but i just ran the nvidia driver file that comes with the bootcamp driver package, and it installed first try. Hopefully Nvidia releases support for this graphics card directly soon, so we can run newer drivers. Good luck!

Oct 24, 2013 11:01 PM in response to jdhiro

Finally got my windows 8 pro installed! Thanks, westcoast.

My installation process:

1. Get the usb-rom and windows partition ready in Bootcamp

2. Format the new partition with "windows NT filesystem" in Disk Utility ( Tuxera NTFS didn't work for me)

3. Boost with EFI

4. Don't format the partition, but just click next

5. Annoying "updating boot configuration failed" gone! haha

Good luck, everyone.

Oct 24, 2013 11:18 PM in response to ImLovinIt

No problem ladies and gents, glad I could be of some assistance.

jdhiro Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 24, 2013 11:21 PM in response to jdhiro

I was able to get Windows 7 installed via USB thumb drive. Installing from DVD did NOT work. I'm attempting to upgrade Win7 to Win8 now.

jdhiro Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 24, 2013 11:22 PM in response to ImLovinIt

ImLovinIt can you elaborate on step 2? After I install Tuxera, it is the only NTFS option. You have another one?

Oct 24, 2013 11:28 PM in response to jdhiro

I got both Paragon NTFS and Tuxera NTFS installed. Probably it's Paragon NTFS, but make sure you select "windows NT filesystem"

jdhiro Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 24, 2013 11:30 PM in response to ImLovinIt

Ah OK, it must be Paragon then, thanks!

Oct 24, 2013 11:57 PM in response to jdhiro

Could somebody please help me by sharing the WindowsSupport folder from the new Late-2013 Retina Macbook Pro 15" (it's the folder that Boot Camp Assistant puts on your USB flash drive). This folder contains the Boot Camp drivers, which I cannot download, but I need it much... Thank you in advance. You can send the link to my email support@powerplan7.com

By the way, Late-2013 Macbook Pro will soon be rewarded with full multitouch gesture support in Boot Camp. I'm a developer and I'm poritng my better trackpad driver named Trackpad++ to those new Macbooks. That's why I need to look at the updated Boot Camp drivers as soon as possible, to speed up making the driver available for you pals.

jdhiro Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 25, 2013 12:59 AM in response to jdhiro

I was finally able to get Windows 8.1 running, including all drivers being fine. It took me all night...

1. Used the Bootcamp Assistant to create a Windows 7 USB thumb drive installer (DVD didn't work)

2. Bootcamp Assistant rebooted the machine, and I let it boot to it's default destination (I assume it was EFI)

3. Installed Windows 7, including formatting the BOOTCAMP partition as NTFS during Windows setup

4. Bootcamp drivers automatically installed after Windows 7 setup was complete

5. Installed Windows 8 UPGRADE from DVD - nothing special just follow the prompts

6. Once Windows 8 install is done, I had to reinstall Bootcamp drivers from the (Windows 7) USB thumb drive.

7. Finally, I downloaded Windows 8.1 from the app store and followed all the prompts

Result -- Windows 8.1 is installed, nVidia 750 graphics work fine and everything else!

Man, what a headache.

Vlad - I'll try to get that directory saved out somewhere for you.

jdhiro Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 25, 2013 1:11 AM in response to jdhiro

Argh, one caveat right off the bat seems to be that I'm unable to run this Bootcamp partition via Parallels 9.

Oct 25, 2013 1:29 AM in response to jdhiro

Is somebody with the mbp with the nvidia graphic card can tell me if it's now possible to use the iris pro graphic card on Windows, even if the switch is not automatic?

Valentin

F-LR

Level 1

0 points

Oct 25, 2013 2:15 AM in response to jdhiro

I created the bootable USB drive with Boot Camp Assistant from a Windows 7 64-bit ISO and included the Apple drivers. But my keyboard and mouse doesn't work inside the Windows installer so I can't do anything. Adding an external keyboard and mouse doesn't help. Does anybody know how to fix this problem?

jarvil

Level 1

15 points

Oct 25, 2013 2:53 AM in response to ImLovinIt

ImLovinIt wrote:

Finally got my windows 8 pro installed! Thanks, westcoast.

My installation process:

1. Get the usb-rom and windows partition ready in Bootcamp

2. Format the new partition with "windows NT filesystem" in Disk Utility ( Tuxera NTFS didn't work for me)

3. Boost with EFI

4. Don't format the partition, but just click next

5. Annoying "updating boot configuration failed" gone! haha

Good luck, everyone.

This does not work with Windows 8.1 clean install.

Prepped and partiioned with Bootcamp, booted back into Macintosh HD, ran Disk Utility and erased BOOTCAMP to Windows NT format. Rebooted back into EFI Boot from the USB, did the install with no formatting and same problem.

""Windows cannot update the boot partition..."

There is something missing.

Oct 25, 2013 2:52 AM in response to ImLovinIt

I tried this, and it did not work. Got the USB Drive ready through bootcamp, installed paragon, formatted to windows NT, booted back into windows efi, and tried to install and get the same error. Did i miss a step?

Windows 8.1 install fails on new 2013 Retina MacBook