Windows 8.1 install fails on new 2013 Retina MacBook

Your step 8 is where I get the error and the installation fails. What are you doing different from what I'm doing?

- I am installing Windows 8, not 8.1

- I left the USB drive connected through the installation

- I reformatted the Boot Camp partition; I didn't delete it and recreate it

Otherwise, the same. How do other people's attempts compare?

I would follow step 7 exactly delete the partition then select format and proceed. Also I used a dvd external drive not a usb I would try that. If your referring to leaving the boot camp usb I would reboot that before windows starts to install and remove all devices.

I think it's something about deleting and recreating that partition that helps. I am sure better support will come but probably not for awhile.

Weird that deleting/recreating a partition would be the key to it. Can anyone else confirm?

It has not yet worked for me.

It appears this procedure can get you to Windows 8.1 using in place upgrade. It does not solve a new install of 8.1. We are still waiting on support for Apple from this.

Late 2013 rMBP Build 13A3017 Running OSX 10.9 Maverick

Windows 8.1 Professional OEM English International, Selecting English (Australia) as only variation from default.

Using Apple bootcamp installation process.

• Deleting partition and reformatting a new one from Windows install does not solve the problem.
• Formatting the partition with Disk Utility then installing into that does not solve the problem

It appears the partial solution is a workaround where Windows 8.1 cannot update the boot information prior to first reboot during the installation process. Windows 7 does not appear to suffer from this issue. So installing it then upgrading gets you around the problem.

so is this a mbr or efi installation now. because you can start it in parralels i suppose it is mbr? can you check the partitioning system in windows?

ok thanks, thats unfortunate for my usecase. still someone mentioned he did an efi install. will have to try it myself when i get my 13"

No DVD drive here. Anyone have a variation of this without a DVD drive that works?

I have the same problem and the solution doesn't work for me 😟

Tried something new, but it didn't work. This is what I tried.

1. download trial version of windows 7 premium SP1.

2. Prepared bootcamp install using USB flash drive

3. Rebooted and installed windows 7.

4. Say skip when it asks for a CD key (unless you have one).

5. Windows 7 premium installs fine and so do bootcamp drivers.

6.Boot back into OS X and use Bootcamp to make USB flash drive using windows 8 iso.

7. Boot into windows 7.

8. Run the setup of windows 8.

9. At this point I thought it was going to work but then after install it boots into OS X.

10. Booting back into windows continues install but then it just ends with a black screen.

11. Rebooting says no OS installed.

12. Rebooted back into mac os.

Note. If you ever have trouble returning your windows parition back into one partition using bootcamp use disk utility to erase the windows partition and format it MS-DOS (FAT). After doing this bootcamp will be able to repartition your drive to be one drive again or so I found.

Anyway, still can't get windows 8 on this computer. I think I'm going to give up and just use windows 7. All I'm using windows for is to play games anway. Don't really need 8. Just that I bought a copy. Now, I have to buy a copy of windows 7 too.

I just can't wrap my head around how random this issue seems to be. The fact that it didn't work the first time, but it then worked the second time, with presumably the same routine.

I have followed this thread for 24 hours and tried every method to the point to install Windows 8.1, and still i get the either the "unable to prepare for next boot phase" (paraphrasing) with EFI, or i get GPT error in BIOS mode. When i try to convert GPT to MBR with refit, it gives me another error at install: "Can't create or find partition" (paraphrasing again).

Almost everybody reports success in installing Windows 7, but since that uses BIOS mode, i get the same issue as above.

I am at the point where i am considering wiping the entire drive, just to make sure any faulty partition tables/settings are cleared:-(

I am glad it works for some of you, but it hurts my heart knowing that it should and has worked for you guys.

When the W 8.1 EFI setup fails, it is just prior to the final reboot, suggesting that only boot settings needs to be changed. Is there a way to manually edit the EFI to make the bootcamp partition bootable? Maybe using refit?

Best regards

Exhausted owner of new 2nd tier late 2013 15".

Hello everyone,

I am now too affected by this issue, however my story is a bit different. We bought two machines, one for myself and one for my dad.

When I got my new late 2013 15" MBP Retina yesterday, I did install Windows 8 just fine. The installation went through without a hitch and like 20 minutes later Windows 8 was up and running.

Then I did try to install on my dad's MBP, and it did not work. I'm getting the same error everyone else here seems to get. In some brainfart moment and because I couldn't believe that it is not working, I removed the Windows partition on my MBP and tried again, and then it did not work mine anymore, either.

This is baffling me, and I have no idea why it is so random.