jdhiro

Q: 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

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Q: Windows 8.1 install fails on new 2013 Retina MacBook

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  • by Bata76,

    Bata76 Bata76 Nov 2, 2013 1:04 PM in response to forbegos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 1:04 PM in response to forbegos

    Finally solved the problem with my new Haswell Macbook Pro 15" Retina, 512Gt SSD with 750M GPU. I started installing Windows 8.1 Enterprise downloaded from MSDN yesterday. First try ended with "Windows could not update computer's boot configuration". I tried almost every possible combination and suggested fix found from boards without success. This includes lots of different partition configurations, different third party tools (Tuxera, Windows 7 USB Install Tool, etc), fresh install of Maverics at least three times and so on.

     

    Today I decided to give up and started cleaning my house. During cleaning I noticed that I had changed everything except the USB install media with Apple Support Software created by Bootcamp of out-of-the-box installation of Maverics.

     

    So I gave it one last try:

    1. Deleted all partitions with Disk Utility from recovery boot

    2. Fresh install of Maverics by internet recovery

    3. Downloaded Win 8.1 Enterprise again from MSDN

    4. Ran through Bootcamp wizard with all options checked (creates new USB-install media)

    5. Decided to divide partitions equally (I don't think it matters at all what size you choose)

    6. Formatted newly created partition (disk 0, partition 4) and installed Windows 8.1 on that

    7. Everything went smooth until the installation finished

    8. Ran setup.exe from Bootcamp folder of installation media

     

    Now I have perfectly working Windows 8.1 Enterprise on my baby. No special moves, no workarounds, no third party utils, no notable problems.

     

    I believe there are more than one different Bootcamp problems with new Haswell Macbooks. Many of the workarounds and quickfixes are quite misleading and they work with more luck than knowledge. We should be really strict with describing symptoms and the environment and try not to seek one common solution for everyone.

     

    In my case I am pretty confident that the problem was the USB Windows installation media created with the Bootcamp version on out-of-the-box Maverics. Installing a fresh copy of Maverics changed the Bootcamp version, which I believe is able to create working USB installation media. Playing with partition configurations, file systems, disk tools and so on had simply no effect in my case.

     

    If I am wrong with this, I have a backup theory. I used Windows 8.1 Enterprise (English) media downloaded from MSDN in all my failed attempts. In my last attempt I downloaded Windows 8.1 Enterprise (English - United Kingdom). This really cannot be the difference, but you never know

     

    Hope this helps!

  • by junlin,

    junlin junlin Nov 2, 2013 7:41 PM in response to Bata76
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 7:41 PM in response to Bata76

    Did any of you have success with installing Windows 8.1 on Bootcamp from DVD instead of iso file?  Thanks.

  • by RSRose,

    RSRose RSRose Nov 2, 2013 8:22 PM in response to junlin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 8:22 PM in response to junlin

    junlin wrote:

     

    Did any of you have success with installing Windows 8.1 on Bootcamp from DVD instead of iso file?  Thanks.

    Yes.  I had the Boot Camp drivers on a USB drive and had to remove it before booting the Windows DVD in order to get the partition to format and proceed.  Booted EFI.

  • by Bata76,

    Bata76 Bata76 Nov 3, 2013 2:02 AM in response to junlin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 2:02 AM in response to junlin

    I don't have a DVD drive at all. I didn't have USB-stick either so I used my 1 TB USB drive used as HDD on my TV.

     

    But none of these changed during my attempts, so I believe in my case root cause was the original Maverics installation or actually it's inability to create working Windows installation media on my USB drive.

  • by classified11,

    classified11 classified11 Nov 3, 2013 3:33 AM in response to jdhiro
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 3:33 AM in response to jdhiro

    I have the same Problem. I tested all possible ways since thursday. I phoned an hour with my local dealers support and 3 hours with apple care support. But it doesn't work at all.

     

    I tried it with usb Stick or Superdrive and with Win 7 and Upgrade, Win 8 and Win 8.1 and nothing work.

     

    I hope Apple will fix the Problem fast, because I need Windows 8 or 8.1 for work.

     

    PS: I have the 2.3GHZ 16GB RAM 750gt and 512 SSD Macbook Pro Retina 15 late 2013

  • by Dan9802,

    Dan9802 Dan9802 Nov 3, 2013 4:51 AM in response to jdhiro
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 4:51 AM in response to jdhiro

    Everyone: for what it's worth, there seems to be a solution that has worked for a number of people (including me), that entails launching the EFI boot into an empty partition (rather than a Bootcamp partition), and letting the EFI installer handle all the formatting. See discussion here:

     

    discussions.apple.com/thread/5474614

  • by yxc2010,

    yxc2010 yxc2010 Nov 3, 2013 7:20 AM in response to Bata76
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 7:20 AM in response to Bata76

    Can you verify that windows 8.1 works on a external monitor with correct scale?

  • by Bata76,

    Bata76 Bata76 Nov 3, 2013 10:21 AM in response to yxc2010
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 10:21 AM in response to yxc2010

    I don't have a external monitor, so I can't verify it. Windows 8.1 scales nicely on Macbook 15" Retina display, only installation menus are way too small.

  • by jdhiro,

    jdhiro jdhiro Nov 3, 2013 11:18 AM in response to yxc2010
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 11:18 AM in response to yxc2010

    Windows does not support per-monitor pixel-density scaling.  If you run at the default 200% scaling for retina displays, anything on external monitors will be huge.

  • by rasel_tr,

    rasel_tr rasel_tr Nov 3, 2013 12:24 PM in response to Bata76
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 12:24 PM in response to Bata76

    All solutions so far does not work for me except the bios method. Since I don't want to use bios mode, waiting for an EFI solution.

     

    I have a ME294LL/A

  • by windows_user,

    windows_user windows_user Nov 3, 2013 2:02 PM in response to yxc2010
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 2:02 PM in response to yxc2010

    Windows does support per-monitor DPI setting from 8.1. I can confirm that windows 8.1 works on a external monitor with correct scale.

  • by windows_user,

    windows_user windows_user Nov 3, 2013 2:03 PM in response to rasel_tr
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 2:03 PM in response to rasel_tr
  • by junlin,

    junlin junlin Nov 3, 2013 7:53 PM in response to yxc2010
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 7:53 PM in response to yxc2010

    Yes.  Windows 8.1 works with external monitor.  Mine is an old Acer 1920x1080.

     

    I used some ideas from https://discussions.apple.com/message/23548999#23548999.  In case any one is interested, here are the steps I used to install Windows 8.1 on my MacBook Pro 15 inch, 16GB RAM, 500 GB SSD, GT 750M.

     

    What you need:

     

    Windows 8.1 (full version) DVD.  One USB drive,  One Apple USB SuperDrive (external DVD drive since MacBook Pro Retina does not have an internal DVD drive)

     

    Steps:

     

    1.    If needed, remove existing (not properly installed) Windows by running Bootcamp Assistant.

    2.    Connect USB drive and Apple USB SuperDrive.  Insert Windows 8.1 DVD into the SuperDrive.  Run Bootcamp Assistant.  Check “Download the latest Windows support software from Apple” and “Install Windows 7 or later version”.  Leave the first option unchecked as we already have Windows install DVD.

    3.    When Bootcamp assitant reboots your machine you need to interrupt the installation.  When you hear the startup sound, hold option key until it presents you with boot options.

    4.    Select your Macintosh HD to boot back into OSX.

    5.    Run Disk Utility, select the 500.28GB APPLE SSD (or the like) on the left pane, then choose the partitions tab on the right.  The BOOTCAMP partition should be at the bottom. Select this partition by clicking on it. Ensure it is the highlighted partition then press minus to remove it.  Drag the Macintosh HD partition so it occupies 100% of the SSD drive.

    6.    Click apply on the bottom right to make the changes.

    7.    Now press plus to add a new partition which will likely be named Macintosh HD2.   Select this new partition.   Rename the partition to BOOTCAMP.   Change its type to ExFAT.  Give it a proper size (I gave 290 GB because I mainly works with Windows).

    8.    Now click apply on the bottom right again to make the changes.  Exit Disk Utility.

    9.    Reboot your Mac, press option key again during the boot and this time select the Windows device with the DVD image (not the orange USB drive) as the boot device.

    10.    Now it will start the install process. When it gets to the list of partition you should see four of them. You want to use the last one (BOOTCAMP) as Windows install partition. It will say it cannot install on this.

    11.    Make sure the fourth partition (BOOTCAMP) is selected then click format. When it is done, the error message should go away and you should be able to continue with the install.

    12.    When Windows install is finished, the computer will reboot a few times.  You need to intervene each time by pressing option key during reboot.  Select the Windows device with the picture of the hard drive as the boot device.  It is silver in color.

    13.    During the Windows configuration process, turn off the automatic Windows update off until the bootcamp drivers are installed.

    14.    At the end of the installation, it will prompt you to install the Apple Bootcamp Drivers.

    15.    That is it.  The whole process takes about one hour.  You should not leave the installation unattended.

  • by rasel_tr,

    rasel_tr rasel_tr Nov 3, 2013 10:14 PM in response to windows_user
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 10:14 PM in response to windows_user

    No. Bios way also does not support Iris graphics. For battery life, I'm looking for a solution with iris graphics also available.

  • by Colin Cornaby,

    Colin Cornaby Colin Cornaby Nov 3, 2013 10:55 PM in response to jdhiro
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 10:55 PM in response to jdhiro

    I've tried all the solutions in this thread except for the one that required me to wipe my entire drive. So far none have worked. Not going in and mucking with Disk Utility. Not deleting the partition from the Windows 8 installer and recreated. The accepted answer did not work for me, nor did the answers above that didn't require wiping.

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