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

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 ?

Download GPT Fdisk (http://sourceforge.net/projects/gptfdisk/) and see How can i remove a hybrid mbr from my system drive so that Efi booted windows will install. as reference.

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:

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.

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.

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).

Thanks again Loner T,

When you say use disk utility to create a "free space chunk" do you mean just shrinking the partition my OSX is on (the other portion of this 120gb SSD is where I'm trying to install windows 8) or creating a second partition? If it's the latter should I leave the formatting or format it to exFAT ect?

If you wouldn't mind walking me through this a bit I'm happy to test this out. I'm not sure how to use gdisk to target anything specific. At this point i'll just end up doing the same series of commands. I think this is actually about what I did the first time through but I went and created a partition right after which might have wiped out that progress.

1. Can you post the output of sudo fdisk /dev/disk0?

2. Do you have more than one physical disk in your Mac? If it is a single-disk Mac AND you plan to install using EFI Boot (not Bootcamp Assistant), then

a. Run Disk Utility.

b. Click on the '+' sign.

c. Click on the lower part of disk which now should show two parts (at least).

d. In the drop down box choose 'Free Space'. This box has partition types like Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) as the default.

e. Tab over to the partition size field and put a value you want. Tab again, to let DU resize the left 'disk' panes to scale.

f. Boot from the ISO (either on USB) or using an external Optical drive and a physical DVD.

g. Point to this Free Space partition which will be split into MSR (128MB/256MB) and MSD (remainder) parts.

h. Install EFI-based Windows.

3. This will work with W8+ and 2013+ Macs. Previous Macs are not 'full' UEFI compliant.

4. BCA Info.plist modifications are usually unsuccessful, because the NVRAM boot settings created by BCA get ignored. This usually results in 'no bootable device' errors. 2011-2013 Macs are most likely candidates for success because of USB boot support as mentioned.

1.

2. I have another TB disk in there but it's just storage and backup

3. Bummer I have a 2011 (late) MBP

4. Awesome I have a 2011 (late) MBP

I created the free space partition as you outlined - havn't tried that particular setup before so I'm anxious to see if it makes a difference. I am booting from BOOT EFI (windows 8 install USB created by Boot Camp)

1. It is a single entry MBR, and if you notice on a disk with 234441648 sectors, the protective MBR contains 234441647 sectors. It is a protective MBR, which is what I expect.

2. If you replaced your Optibay with a 1TB HDD, you may run into additional issues. The built-in OD is what BCA will point to when installing Windows. If it is not there, you will run into issues. Late 2011 may work, since you see the first 'Create...' option (I assume without manipulating the BCA info.plist).

On a 2012 13" MBP, using EFI, I have had issues with Graphics and Audio, so you may run into the same with EFI/2011 MBP.

I did need to manipulate the BCA info.plist to get the "create" option.

6urden wrote:

I did need to manipulate the BCA info.plist to get the "create" option.

If the first two "Create..." and "Download..." work and you get a USB with the ISO and BC drivers, you can try the EFI boot by power cycling your Mac and holding the Alt key and choose the USB EFI Boot. Use a USB2 flash drive and a USB Keyboard/Mouse, if possible.

I'm typing this reply from my newly created Windows 8.1 partition!

Thanks so much for all the help mate. I had tried creating all kinds of different partitions to install on but what worked was your recommendation to just create that "free space" and direct the install to that. I hadn't seen that recommendation before so I hope others see that who have the same problems I had.

Did the gdisk stuff done in terminal have any effect on this success?

Thanks again, I'll post screens in a consolidated post elsewhere. I did hit an error the first time I tried this method, but I shutdown and tried it again with the USB inserted one slot down and it worked.

**Also I do believe sound isn't working yet which you expected, but I plan on using my eGPU setup into a larger monitor so I should circumnavigate that issue.

**To clarify this is a Late 2011 Macbook Pro using OS X 10.10 Yosemite booting and installing Windows 8.1 with a USB - Success

I made a guide on how to install windows on a OSX Partition without an Optical Drive and without booting on USB

I hope it helps

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=20584499#post20584499

Hi guys,

thnx all for this fantastic thread and helping others....I am also facing a problem....I have Macbook 13" mid 2007 with OS X 10.7 Mountain Lion...last time I installed windows 7 through DVD by using bootcamp and everything was fine...Now I install new HDD and install OSX through USB because my DVD is broken and cannot read anymore...now when I try to use bootcamp to install windows 7 via USB, the Select Task screen and USB option does not come up at all..i.e. the following screens do not come up

The above screens are missing 🙂 (need to give ad in newspaper lol ) ..... any idea ????

The USB option is meant for Macs which do not have a built-in Optical drive. Your OD is broken, but your Model Identifier is telling BCA that there should be one. You will need to try and get it fixed. Your previous successful installation used the then working Optical drive. 😉