As far as I am aware Apple doesn't allow boot from USB for mac thats has a DVD drive. Thats include imac 2011, mac pro with super drive.
I did found a solution using paralle 9 and modify the mbr on the ssd drive.
Here's steps I took.
My setup:
With my Imac 2011, I have removed the superdrive and replace it with a samsung 256Gb SSD, I have also added another SSD to the available SATA slot, which make total 2 x 256Gb SSD (SATA3 @ 6G, each has trim enabled), plus original factory 2Tb 7.2k HDD.
OS: Mac OS X 10.9 Maverick
Disk 0: BOOTCAMP WIN7 SSD
Disk 1: MAC OS SSD
DISK 2: STORAGE 2TB
Methods I have tried so far:
- Edit Plist in BCA (Bootcamp assistant) and attempt to create bootable USB drive with Windows 7 SP1 x64 ISO file. No matter what I tried, fat32, set active etc. I have conclude it will not boot using USB method, believe BCA will force it to look for DVD drive first no matter what, and I have gave up on the method.
- Create 5Gb fat partition and load the setup file on Disk 0 or Disk 1 then attempt to boot. Can't even see additional bootable along with the BCA setup.
- Follow OZyCA's method http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=13897359&postcount=96 , doesn't work, can't see boot option in chime, and for some reason I refused to use REFIT to test it further.
- Follow http://insidethebrackets.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/install-windows-on-macbook-air- with-no.html , step by step. Manage to see boot option, upon windows load up it stuck on the windows logo screen not process further.
If you have similar setup as me, you can follow below steps and see if it works, I have not test with older Macbook Pro and other iMac with superdrive built in. But I believe the idea could most likely works on other Apple machines. I also have not try using existing MAC OS X ssd and create a new partition for BOOTCAMP.
In my case, my aim is to install windows 7 x64 on disk0 (see my setup above) and hope it works happily with my Mac OS X. The way it works is based in ITB's idea (http://insidethebrackets.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/install-windows-on-macbook-air- with-no.html) and use Parallel to create windows 7 virtual machine and enable disk to point to actual BOOTCAMP disk. Because Mac OS X Maverick doesn't like anything other than the OS to write the MBR, it will not allow Parallel to write the actual boot record to my disk 0 SSD. Then follow ITB's guide when windows finished writing the files to disk 0, I shutdown the virtual machine before it does it first restart. Now ITB's guide attempt to write the vm mbr record to disk0 by booting into mac installer, I found it's no need as it can be done in Maverick by unmount the disk first in disk utility and then run terminal to write the mbr using "sudo dd if=PhysicalMbr.hds of=/dev/disk0 bs=512 count=1", note you have to really careful about using this command, MAKE SURE you are using the right disk, in my case disk0 is my Bootcamp disk which is correct. After that ITB's guide need to correct SETPID which I have skipped that part. After that I restart my mac and hold alt for the boot menu, I can see the Windows option and when I select it, it continue on with Windows setup all the way to windows account setup and into the desktop. Reboot back to Mac OS side and it all working well.
If you did not follow the any search on macrumor forum or apple discussion website, you can follow below steps by steps:
Whats you need are:
- Windows 7 x64 ISO file
- Parellel 14 days trial (no need full version)
- Optional USB drive in any size.
-Step 1, Download and Install Parallel version 9 (google this).
-Step 2, Go Applications, Utility, Disk Utility. Highlight the disk you want to install windows and on the right select erase tab and format it using Windows Fat. Upon finish exit disk utility.
-Step 3, Copy your Windows 7 ISO image to desktop.
-Step 4, Open Parallel, setup an account and run the 14 days trial. Setup a new virtual machine.
-Step 5, In Paralle wizard select Install Window or another OS from a DVD or image file. Hit Continue.
-Step 6, Manually locate the Window 7 ISO image on desktop, hit continue.
-Step 7, unstick express installation, hit next and select Like a PC and hit Continue.
-Step 8, Leave name and location as default and tick customise setting before installation. Hit Continue.
-Step 9, Wait for VM setup the VM file and in the Windows 7 General window, hit hardware option on top. First select boot order, on the right move CD/DVD to the very top before Hard Disk 1 (other wise windows iso image will not boot). Then select Hard disk 1 from the left and on the right select the SSD disk from source drop down list. If you don't know which disk is your disk 0 or disk 1, you can go to Apple logo on top and select about this mac-> More info-> System Report, on the left select storage and look for the disk you want to install, it will have windows fat as format. Once you have selected the disk, close the window. Then hit continue.
-Step 10, windows setup will run in the virtual machine window. In welcome screen hit Install and pass the agreement, select customized option and format the disk before proceed to file copying installation.
-Step 11, after window copied the file and about to restart for the first time, you have 10 seconds to shutdown the VM, press control + option on your keyboard so your mouse cursor is outside the VM window, then click on the icon is on left of the window, select shutdown, note you will need to hit shutdown twice and a message window will pop up, just hit ok. VM will close. Exit Parallel. If you click on the "bootcamp" disk, you will see windows setup files are there.
-Step 12, plug in your USB drive, format it as windows fat so that mac os can write files to it. Now go to Documents\Parallels, there you will see the window 7.pvm file which is the VM you just created. Right click on it and select show package content, inside you will see a file with your SSD disk model.hdd, in my case its called "SAMSUNG SSD SM841 mSATA 256GB (disk0).hdd", right click on it and select show package content again. Inside you will see a file called "PhysicalMbr.hds", make a copy of that file and paste it in your USB root. (the reason I use USB and I feel saver to mess with USB drive, you can paste the file on your desktop or other location other than the windows 7 disk/partition.
Step 13, Next is to unmount the Windows 7 disk0 by going to disk utilities under application\utilities->disk utility, hight the partition (likely called untitled) under the SSD drive that you want to install, on top select unmount. Exit disk utility. You will no longer see the disk in Finder.
Step 14, Open terminal in Application\Utilities. Type in the command
cd /Volumes
Hit enter. then type
ls
Hit enter, this will list all the drives, look for your USB drive, in my case my USB drive is my WININSTALL. Then type in
cd WININSTALL
Hit enter. Then type in below command, NOTE this is a critical part, make sure you select the right disk, my intend windows 7 installation disk is disk0, could be different in your case. Triple check first!!
sudo dd if=PhysicalMbr.hds of=/dev/disk0 bs=512 count=1
Hit enter, it display something written to disk0 mbr.
Step 15, exit terminal, and restart your mac, upon the chime, press and hold alt and your should see your new Windows option, select it and should continue to boot into the remaining setup of windows 7. If Windows setup restart again, you will need to hold the ALT key after the chime. Otherwise you will back to Mac OS X.
I hope this info helps, and good luck to anyone still looking for a solution.
