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USB Windows 7 install with OS X 10.9 Mavericks

I've spent much of the day trying to find out how it is possible to do the following on my MacBookPro without an optical drive with OS X 10.9 installed:

* Create a bootable USB drive with Windows 7

* Make my Mac dual boot Windows 7


It is my hope that by posting what did and did not work for me it will save someone else some time. I am currently completing this process so I will post a reply or revision with further instructions. Procede with caution, some of this got scary for me.


Create a bootable USB drive for Windows 7


What worked:

Giving in and borrowing a Windows 7 laptop with an optical drive. I used my Windows 7 disc and a freeware Windows application (WiNToBootic, http://www.wintobootic.com/) to create the bootable USB drive.


What did NOT work:

* Downloading or creating an .iso file and using the Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool (on Windows 7)

* Using Disc Utility to create a bootable USB drive with a downloaded or created .iso file (on Mac)

* Using the Boot Camp Assistant to create a bootable USB drive with a downloaded or created .iso file (on Mac)

* Also did not work: Modifying the Info.plist file in the Boot Camp Assistant app to make the above work (tried various methods and terminal commands to authenicate file, but never worked, assuming a Mavericks issue)


Make my Mac running OS X 10.9 dual boot Windows 7


What worked (so far):

In addition to having the bootable Windows 7 USB drive, I also had an .iso file some created for me (would probably work to download one online as well). Both files were required for this to work. Download and install DAEMON Tools (free for 20 days, http://www.daemon-tools.cc/products/dtMacLite). Before completing this step make sure the drive you wish to put Windows 7 on is properly formated (what I am trying to determine now, I believe using Disk Utility select Partition, Options, Choose Master Boot Record, and Format: Free Space). Then use DAEMON Tools to mount your downloaded or created .iso files. Boot Camp Assistant will now think that the .iso is an inserted Windows 7 install disk. Follow the prompts in Boot Camp Assistant selecting only to Install/Remove Windows. At this point my computer tried to restart and stayed on a blue screen. THIS IS WHERE IT GOT SCARY! I did a hard shut down because my computer appeared to freeze. When I started it again, it said there was no boot media and to insert one then hit any button. I put in my bootable USB drive and pressed a key but nothing happened. Next I hard shut down again leaving the bootable USB drive plugged in then when restarted I attempted to use alt/option to select a partition to start from which did not work, but much to my pleasant surprise, the Windows 7 installer appeared. The only reason I stopped is it would not allow me to fully reformat the target disk or install Windows on it so I started OS X back up again by exiting the installer and using alt/option (which worked this time) to start in OS X. Now I am going to try again after changing the format in Disk Utility.


What did not work:

* Using alt/option at startup to select the bootable USB drive (seems to be disabled with Mavericks, what a disappointment Apple)

* Using Boot Camp Assistant with the bootable USB drive

* Installing an earlier version of OS X so that I could install Windows easier (I didn't try very hard here, just hit one wall and stopped)


I will keep you all updated on my progress. I hope this is useful...

MacBook Pro (15-inch 2.53 GHz), OS X Mavericks (10.9), Two hard drives, no optical drive

Posted on Nov 1, 2013 6:11 PM

Reply
29 replies

Nov 2, 2013 7:59 PM in response to marcellus.mc

Ok so here is what REALLY works (at least Step 1 & 2):

Step 1: Create a bootable USB drive for Windows 7


Giving in and borrowing a Windows 7 laptop with an optical drive. I used my Windows 7 disc and a freeware Windows application (WiNToBootic, http://www.wintobootic.com/) to create the bootable USB drive.



Step 2: Make my Mac running OS X 10.9 dual boot Windows 7 on a separate internal hard drive


Format the additional internal drive using Disk Utility (select Partition, Options, Choose Master Boot Record, and Format: Free Space). You may need to format this space again using the Windows installer but that's okay, it is really easy and quick to do. Next, shut off the computer and physically remove your OS X hard drive, leaving only the blank destination drive (the reason for this is that with multiple drives, the Mac equivalent of BIOS does not allow the second drive to be a boot drive, likely something boot camp is supposed to remedy). Plug in the bootable USB drive and turn on the computer - Windows should start installing.


Step 3 - incomplete: Install the Boot Camp support software on Windows 7


I am still trying to make this work. On OS X 10.9, the Boot Camp Assistant will no longer create the support driver USB drive like it is supposed to. I downloaded Boot Camp 5.X from apple.com then manually moved the files to a USB drive per Apple's instructions. Unfortunately, however, when I tried to run the installer on Windows, I get a message saying my computer is not compatible. Oddly enough, I previously had Boot Camp and Windows 7 installed on this same computer. Now I am trying to find and download an older version of Boot Camp to install yet most the files I have come across are merely updates and not the original software. In the mean time, I fixed a few annoyances like the trackpad by installing the drivers from the Boot Camp USB drive individually. Also, I no longer seem to be able to boot into OS X even when using the alt/option key at start up, likely due to not having Boot Camp installed. I will update when I get new information, but don't worry all you fellow frustrated wanna-be dual booters, I will get this to work!

Nov 2, 2013 8:33 PM in response to marcellus.mc

Woohoo I am writing this from OS X again!


Step 3: Install the Boot Camp support software on Windows 7


This worked: Download Boot Camp 4.0.4033 directly from Apple (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1630) and install in Windows 7.


Whew!


***And for everyone like me who hates reading through threads on forums to find solutions, here is what worked in order (below):


Step 1: Create a bootable USB drive for Windows 7


Borrow a Windows 7 computer with an optical drive. I used my Windows 7 Home Premium disc and a freeware Windows application, WiNToBootic (http://www.wintobootic.com/) to create the bootable USB drive.



Step 2: Make my Mac running OS X 10.9 dual boot Windows 7 on a separate internal hard drive


Format the additional internal drive using Disk Utility (select Partition, Options, Choose Master Boot Record, and Format: Free Space). You may need to format this space again using the Windows installer but that's okay, it is really easy and quick to do. Next, shut off the computer and physically remove your OS X hard drive, leaving only the blank destination drive (the reason for this is that with multiple drives, the Mac equivalent of BIOS does not allow the second drive to be a boot drive, likely something boot camp is supposed to remedy). If you need help taking apart your Mac, visit iFixIt.com. They also sell the tools I used to remove the proprietary screws holding in the battery. Next plug in the bootable USB drive and turn on the computer - Windows should start installing. After installation, shut off your computer and reinstall the OS X hard drive.



Step 3: Install the Boot Camp support software on Windows 7



Download Boot Camp 4.0.4033 directly from Apple (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1630) and install in Windows 7. More recent versions of Boot Camp do not work on my set up but maybe they will for you.

Nov 3, 2013 6:01 PM in response to truelies

Wondering if this works if I only want part of my additional internal drive for win 7, also does work for MacBook Pro 2012?

It should work if you want to only format part of the internal drive, just make sure you create more than one partition in Disk Utility in Step 2.


My 2012 MacBook's boot camp can create support drive when you have an external connected. Why you need step 3? After step 2 you can't start win 7?

If it works for you, great! However, on my 2009 model, it did not nor did the current drivers install.

Nov 10, 2013 7:12 AM in response to marcellus.mc

Sharing my experience with Installing Boot Camp and Windows 7 on Os X 10.9 Macvericks

My machine is MBP 15 mid-2012


In my case the Boot Camp assistant manages to make a bootable USB flash from Win7 iso image in addition to adding downloaded extra Boot Camp files and drivers on same flash.


My problem was that Boot Camp assistant couldn't see the bootable USB flash it made in order to proceed with partitioning and installation. Repeated process few times with no luck, did't find a similar issue or solution for this via googling.


What I did and worked 100%:

1. make bootable USB flash from Win7 iso image using Boot Camp assistant.

  • select all three options, "Create Windows 7 disk...", "Download lates Windows support..." and of course "Install Windows 7..." might work who knows.
  • if for some reason like many others you don't have first option of creating a bootable USB flash you need to follow instructions here to enable it, or/and here

User uploaded file


2. using Disk utility in Os X partition your hard disk (Macintosh HD), new parition as FAT/NTFS, name it BOOTCAMP, size up to you.

User uploaded file


3. when partioning is finished, with the bootable USB flash connected restart you machine holding "alt/option" key

4. select the USB flash called "WININSTALL" to start Win7 installation.

5. select the new partition BOOTCAMP and format it to NTFS, otherwise Win7 installation won't proceed.

5. towards finishing installation will get prompted by Boot Camp to install all necessary drivers and files, yes, yes, yes 😉


Wait a bit and your done!


This way no hassle with manual install of Boot Camp support stuff on Windows.

If you get booted to Os X toward end of installation just use Startup Disk in System preferences to go back.



Hope this helps others! good luck.

Nov 10, 2013 7:41 AM in response to truelies

truelies,


Do you have Windows 7 installed now and just cannot access it using Alt/Option at startup? If so, go into System Utilities on the Mac side and choose Startup Disk. Here you can choose to restart your computer in either Mac or Windows. On the Windows side, in order to boot into Mac again, simply use the Bootcamp Control Panel and Startup Disk should be the first tab that opens.

USB Windows 7 install with OS X 10.9 Mavericks

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