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Enable Bootcamp to install from usb for OSX 10.9**WORKS**

So basically, I have trying to install windows on my mbp using a usb drive. However bootcamp wont allow me to do so since I have a optical drive on the laptop. I have been searching for a long time and eventually came across this solution and I would like to share this so u guys dont have to google all over the place again 🙂.

The solutions given before by changing info.plist is correct except that now Bootcamp crashes everytime you change it in OSX 10.9.


Full solution:


1. Add your Boot Rom Version(from system info) under DARequiredROMVersions.

2. Add Model Identifier(from system info) under PreUSBBootSupportedModels

3. Delete "Pre" from "PreUSBBootSupportedModels", so you have "USBBootSupportedModels"


The first 3 steps are same as before and if its not clear you can easily google solutions with screenshots.

The next step is only for OSX 10.9, as it employs some kind of code signature to prevent you from changing info.plist and cause bootcamp to crash.


4. Open your terminal, use the following command

sudo codesign -fs - /Applications/Utilities/Boot\ Camp\ Assistant.app


Sudo means using administrator privilege and u need to enter your mac password. And the command resigns the bootcamp application so that it runs with the new info.plist file and not crash.


5. Continue on with your installation....


Cheers.


P.S. back up info.plist before u change anything.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 24, 2013 6:43 PM

Reply
284 replies

Nov 19, 2014 9:38 PM in response to CharlieEEE

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. THANKS. A GReat FIX. Spent all evening with Apple tech skirting around the fact that my MBP Early 2011 (with Optical drive, I had installed a second SSD) hardware has been modified so that's why I was missing the option to "Create Windows Installer". Found this thread and I almost screamed my head off when I ran Boot Camp and Voilaaaaaa, "create windows installer became available. Thanks man. I would pay for this If I could, LOL.

Dec 16, 2014 6:00 PM in response to 6urden

If it's crashing somethong was done wrong when you swap out the plist file you have to sudo comand it and authorize it or it will crash im going to repost what I posted 4 posts ago make sure you follow it to the T


"

hey i just figured out at least to get the usb function. the problem i had was the initial instructions changing the .plist file its very vague on how to do it but what i did was where is has

<key>DARequiredROMVersions</key>

<array>


i added mine from about my mac <string>MBP81.0047.B04</string> looks like that then under the pre usb

<key>USBBootSupportedModels</key>

<array>

i got rid of the pre and under array i added <string>MacBookPro8,1</string> make sure it looks the same as the rest with the coma etc don't do it like this <string>MBP81</string> this wouldn't work for me once its done save it then insert it into the contents folder authenticate it etc go into terminal and make sure you type sudo codesign -fs - /Applications/Utilities/Boot\ Camp\ Assistant.app and type your password this should allow the code change this is what i did just to get the box i will find out if i can even use the usb function or not.


obviously make sure you get your boot info from the about this mac etc and insert it where i had mine


Tom

"

Dec 16, 2014 6:45 PM in response to 6urden

Did you go into bootcamp package contents and change the plist file it won't let you change it so you need to copy it your desktop and then change it with same name etc like i saw you did and then put it back into contents make sure you saved original so you can always go back. when you go and put it into the contents folder it should require authentication etc and then say you want to replace whats there then try again the sudo command


let me know if this helps


and if not try and put back to original and see if it crashes and let me know

Dec 16, 2014 6:52 PM in response to 87ford

Thanks for the help.


I havn't had to move the plist file or anything - it's been saving the changes successfully just wont let bootcamp assistant work. Last time I tried the sudo command it prompted me to install "xcode" from the app store with this message:


User uploaded file


Not sure what that means...


*Also I can delete those lines and add the "Pre" back which i've done a time or two and BootCamp Assistant works again but no create install option obviously.

Dec 16, 2014 6:56 PM in response to 6urden

yes you need to install that first once installed redo the sudo command also I don't think it lets you save your alterations copy the plist to your desktop alter it there save it to desktop then put it back and authenticate it and replace existing then do the sudo command i just did this to make sure i have everything i told you correctly to a 2012 iMac i deleted some info in the plist and put it back and of corse without the sudo it crashed i then copied and pasted exactly what i typed and it allowed boot camp to work i know for a fact you need to download what it said cause i had to do that to my 2011 mbp


but click install button don't click the get button


Tom

Dec 16, 2014 7:08 PM in response to 87ford

That's it! Like you said - who knows how the rest of the Windows install will go but at least i've gotten through this.


I didn't need to do any moving to the file - it let me change it right there in the folder but the xcode was needed for the sudo command to work.


Marvelous. I'll keep updating if I have any problems or solutions to contribute.


Thanks again.

Dec 16, 2014 9:00 PM in response to 6urden

Good glad I was able to help and since I did this already I will tell you after you make the usb you can't use it on your 2011 Mbp it's firmware doesn't allow you too boot from usb you need to use a dvd I was reading some places that holding C when you get to boot screen with usb but haven't tried it I gave up and used a dcd lol but also when you partition your drive make enough space cause windows uses about 40gb at least the one I instaled did and ypi can't repartition it you have to redo the whole install over to make the partition bigger well good luck to you


Tom

Dec 16, 2014 9:48 PM in response to 87ford

Yeah I was able to get through part of the initial Windows setup process after using the BOOT EFI but I have the same problem many have been having with the GTP / MRB issue. Not sure if the disc install circumvents that or not.


This was someone's post a couple pages back which is exactly what I'm seeing:



can you help me with this ?

i got an error msg saying that :- windows cannot be installed to this disk. the selected disk has a MBR partition table. in EFI systems, windows can only be installed to GPT disks.

how do i convert GPT disk to MBR ?

User uploaded file

Dec 16, 2014 11:59 PM in response to Loner T

Hey thanks Loner T


I gave it a try but no change.


I'm not knowledgable enough to know what I'm doing entering those commands but I followed his instructions and terminal looked like this:


User uploaded file

I've created and deleted that 55gb partition so many times between bootcamp and disk utility i'm not sure at what stage it's best to perform these commands. I ended up doing this stuff in terminal when the rest of the partition my primary OS is on was empty and I created the boot camp partition afterwards with disk utility and made it ms-dos FAT. Not that I think that matters. Whenever I reach the partitions point setting up windows I try reformatting that partition, deleting it, and creating a new one right there but the warning sign never goes away and the next button never lights up.


I'll investigate more tomorrow.

Dec 17, 2014 1:28 AM in response to 6urden

The 55GB partition is your OSX partition (AF00 partition code). If you let BCA partition your disk it will always create a Hybrid MBR style partition scheme, which is a GPT and MBR combination. If you run sudo fdisk /dev/disk0 ( or diskN where N is listed via diskutil list command) and see a single entry, then you do not have a MBR on that disk. It has only a single protective MBR. You currently have EFI, OSX and Recovery HD which is the standard configuration of OSX after Snow Leopard (10.6).


If you want to use EFI boot for W8+, then use Disk Utility to create a Free Space chunk of the size you want, which will get split into an MSR (128MB) and a MSD (remainder of the size) partition. MSD will be formatted by the Windows installer as NTFS. EFI boot and BCA do not mix together.

Dec 17, 2014 5:34 AM in response to 6urden

I followed everything in the first post by "BITTe". Then did the "sudo" command shown in no. 4. At first I got the errors but I forgot to do the sudo command. When I did that, it was ok.

I've seen in some forums they say just use the first part of your boot rom version but i copied the whole thing. Don't forget to remove the "pre" before "USBBoot"

I'm using a Late 2008 Macbook Pro with no dvd drive (hard drive caddy now).


User uploaded fileUser uploaded fileUser uploaded file

Enable Bootcamp to install from usb for OSX 10.9**WORKS**

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