Q: Windows 8.1 install fails on new 2013 Retina MacBook

TroelsL wrote:

 

Just cleaned my macbook, did all the things JC suggested, and I still get the error at the end.

 

I'm getting pretty sick of this. What are the disadvantages of just running BIOS legacy mode?

So running in BIOS mode means:

1) The partitions are a hybrid-MBR partition which (I've heard) means for slightly slower disk access

2) You don't get the full hardware support (i.e. not all hardware is available)

3) Longer boot times

4) Takes longer to wake from sleep

5) You can only have one Window partition e.g. you can't have multiple versions of windows installed like I do

Other than that, it's all good!! :-)

Note that EFI boot is only supported with 64-bit editions of Windows.

Funny, the impression I had after reading this thread (although some weeks ago) was that many had reported success with the upgrade route and I can't remember one single post which reported failure. But I do remember people spending days trying the same thing over and over again...

Why would anyone with a late rMBP 2013 use 32bit Win?

Heh JC. I think we're talking past eachother. I'll see what happens with Apple Support tomorrow.. seems I've tried everything now.

Windows 7 -> Windows 8 -> Windows 8.1 upgrade path did work for me.

Thank you Dourn, i'll ping AppleCare, and hopefully either new one won't have EFI Update 1.2 installed, or it won't matter.

Its funny.  I get a very different experience on my machine (late 2013 MBP with NVIDIA 750M):

On step 7, It automatically resizes the main partition back to the entire disk.  No biggie, just created a new partition (resizing again) and leaving the format as free space.

Step 10 (and I think this is the deal breaker) problem is I only have two icons when I hold option down.  The main Mac HD partition and a "Windows" partition.  It is orange but there is no reference to EFI.  As soon as I pick this the Windows install starts and I get no keyboard or mouse (Win 7 but I would assume the process would be the same).

Model Name:          MacBook Pro

  Model Identifier:          MacBookPro11,3

  Processor Name:          Intel Core i7

  Processor Speed:          2.3 GHz

SteinarD wrote:

 

Why would anyone with a late rMBP 2013 use 32bit Win?

You'd be surprised :-)

In any case, I just wanted to be explicit in case someone tried with 32-bit Win7. I figured not everyone eould know the difference.

agregory23 wrote:

 

Step 10 (and I think this is the deal breaker) problem is I only have two icons when I hold option down.  The main Mac HD partition and a "Windows" partition.  It is orange but there is no reference to EFI.  As soon as I pick this the Windows install starts and I get no keyboard or mouse (Win 7 but I would assume the process would be the same).

 

Model Name:          MacBook Pro

  Model Identifier:          MacBookPro11,3

  Processor Name:          Intel Core i7

  Processor Speed:          2.3 GHz

So the Orange icon you referred to above means that it's booting form an external drive - the OSX bootloader uses grey icons for internal disks, orange icons for external disks.

The fact that there is no EFI boot option means that the CD/USB Stick/USB Drive you're booting from isn't EFI aware (generally it means it hasn't been formatted with a GPT partition, so the only option is a BIOS boot).

One you get to windows setup you can immediately if you've done a BIOS boot or EFI boot: A BIOS boot will start with a black screen with flashing cursor in top left for a few seconds, then when Windows Setup starts it'll look like you're in VGA mode (large graphics).

EFI boot means you'll go straight to the installer (no flashing cursor) and the Windows installer screen will be super tiny - this is because EFI gives full access to the hardware to the windows installer, so it starts up in full 2880×1800 (Retina) resolution. Which is pretty small on a 15" screen... :-)

The fact you only get a Windows boot option and not the EFI Boot option from your external CD/USB Drive indicates that something went wrong somewhere.

You can always create your own Windows EFI install drive following the instructions here:

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create- windows.html

They use a tool called Rufus which creates a GPT partition on a USB drive and places the Windows installer files on there.

It's pretty much identical to the one created by BootCamp except you don't have the BootCamp drivers on there as well.

As I've mentioned earlier in the thread I have the exact same MBP you have and installed the EFI Update 1.2 and was able to install Win 8 via bootcamp assistant and didn't have to go through any hoops. It's booting via EFI and if you read further back in the thread everytime someone thinks they found the root cause someone else reports success that debunks their hypothesis.

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15" rMBP Late-2013 (Haswell), 512GB, 16GB, 2.3 GHz, nVidia 750M, MacBookPro 11,3

Just installed a Windows 8.1 Pro MSDN .iso through Boot Camp Assistant last night on my new 2.3ghz MBPR. Ran into zero issues, smooth as silk. Probably a resolved issue at this point. I'm happy, this thread had me worried.

eternalhack wrote:

 

As I've mentioned earlier in the thread I have the exact same MBP you have and installed the EFI Update 1.2 and was able to install Win 8 via bootcamp assistant and didn't have to go through any hoops. It's booting via EFI and if you read further back in the thread everytime someone thinks they found the root cause someone else reports success that debunks their hypothesis.

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15" rMBP Late-2013 (Haswell), 512GB, 16GB, 2.3 GHz, nVidia 750M, MacBookPro 11,3

OK cool thanks eternal hack - yeah, I saw earlier on that installing EFI Update 1.2 made no difference to them.

I think we're all clutching at straws here - it's infuriating that it works for some, and not others!

One thing I did notice (on my original rMBP before I replaced it) was that the Windows Installer corrupted the EFI partition. So all of this pain seems related to the fact that the Windows Installer is either:

a) Not able to write certain files to the EFI partition (specifically in the EFI\Microsoft\Boot\Resources folder in my case, but there was also a problem with updating the BCD file)

b) Not able to update the EFI boot nvram settings (which I think is more likely)

What you seem to end up with is a template BCD file, which you can't boot from.

In any case, I feel strongly that this will only be resolved if all those that have problems contact Apple and demand to have their rMBPs replaced - Apple need to understand it's a real issue so that they up the priority of fixing it.

And it could be that the fix has to come from Microsoft, depending on what the issue is.

But we need as many support cases open as possible so that Apple sees a pattern. And we need people to chase those support cases.

Asking for help on these forums feels useful and may help some people, but doesn't lead us any closer to getting Apple to fix the problem, IMHO.

My model identifier is also MacBookPro11,3 but I am not able to install MacBook Pro retina EFI update. It says software is not supported on your system. Still trying to get windows 8 to boot with EFI

For the issue of No Keyboad or Mouse control... Go back and re-instate the

$WinPEDriver$, and BootCamp forlders and the AutoUnattend.xml file in your boot USB. These contain the drivers for the USB3 controler in your MAC. Since Windows 7 does not have native USB3 support you loose keyboad and mouse once you get into the setup software w/o having the driver install itself thru the AutoUnattend.xml file

So far no luck with AppleCare. They had me reinstall OSX again and format the USB drive from OSX rather than Windows.

Those of you who succesfully installed it from an MSDN iso - which one did you use (listed name / filename)?

Trust me, I'm annoyed and frustrated as well despite the fact that I got lucky and was able to install without any issues. When I get some time I am going to try to reinstall Win 8 in various ways to collect more data on what works and what doesn't, for me. I'm not that hopeful Apple will even consider this an issue unless you can't get Windows installed in BIOS mode.