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Unable to purchase correct Windows 8 or 7 ISO image from Microsoft for Boot Camp instalation

I’m trying to install Windows on my MacBook Pro Retina using Boot Camp. I cannot find a Windows ISO image to purchase and download from Microsoft (MS).

MS no longer sells win 7 and for Windows 8 they told me I needed the 64-bit System Builder Version of Windows 8, which they don’t sell. Elsewhere, the 64-bit System Builder Version of Windows 8 no longer seems to be available.

Any suggestions or successful (recent) experiences getting the Win ISO image online? Has anyone had success installing the full commercial Win 8 ISO image after purchasing from Microsoft, rather than the System Builder version that seemed to be available a month ago, but is no longer available?

Thank you in advance for suggestions and recommendations.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Feb 1, 2014 10:30 PM

Best reply

tug-

Level 3

685 points

Posted on Feb 2, 2014 12:25 AM

here you go; http://www.soft-zilla.com/2013/01/windows-8-iso-download.htmlhttp://

just add win 8 iso into search bar.

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38 replies

tug-

Level 3

685 points

Feb 5, 2014 10:00 AM in response to montaguelord

hi mont, you can get the software here;

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/downloads/

install it onto your usb drive go back to boot camp and just check the third choise.

montaguelord Author

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Feb 6, 2014 3:43 AM in response to tug-

Hi Tug,

I downloaded it and ran with only the third choice checked.

Recieved the following message: "The Installer Disk could not be found. Insert the Windows installer disk and wait a few seconds for the disk to be recognized".

I do have an Apple USB Superdrive, so I suppose that I could download Win 8 and burn it to a DVD, right?

Can you point me to where I can get an installation program to burn to a DVD, or can I just copy the ISO image that I have onto a DVD?

tug-

Level 3

685 points

Feb 6, 2014 9:29 AM in response to montaguelord

hi mont, mate, you aint having much luck here are you. could you get your hands on a win 7 install disk? that would eleviate all these probs your encountering.

i have a win 7 disk i could lend you but i am in the uk. with the difference in the time it takes each of us to reply i would imagine you are in the us.

but i still dont understand why you are encountering problem after problem. how do you feel about starting over with win 8 iso and going from the begining?

if it were me mate i would erase the usb comletely, return your hdd back to 1 partition and completely start over.

if you decide to do this i will help in any way i can. copying an iso to dvd wouldnt work, to answer your point there.

if by any chance you are in the uk i could post you my w7 disk.

tug-

Level 3

685 points

Feb 6, 2014 9:52 AM in response to tug-

sorry mont, you can burn iso to disk (wasn't thinking, just came in from work} here is how to;

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20060619181010389

montaguelord Author

Level 1

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Feb 6, 2014 1:00 PM in response to tug-

No worries, Tug! I certainly know how you feel.

I'm actually working in Thailand, but if you want to copy the Win 7 DVD onto my DropBox, I'll set up a shared folder.

If I don't hear back from you tonight, I'll go ahead and follow the instructions you gave me for burning the ISO image onto a disk (have to go out and find one and usually work on this Boot Camp Windows installation in the evening). So there's plenty of time since it's early here in Bangkok.

You may have heard about the demonstrations we're having in Bangkok, so it's not easy to get around the city these days.

tug-

Level 3

685 points

Feb 7, 2014 4:04 AM in response to montaguelord

hi mont, yes, it cant be easy being there im sure.

i would be glad to send win 7 to your dropbox, however i dont know wether it is advisable or allowed to post personal info here but i really want to help you with your difficulty's so here is my email address;

tugtaylor@gmail.com

please mail me when you have time.

montaguelord Author

Level 1

0 points

Feb 7, 2014 4:34 AM in response to tug-

That's extremely kind of you, Tug.

Let me first buy a CD/DVD to try your suggestion of burning the ISO image onto a CD/DVD. I wouldn't want your kindness to create any trouble with the community.

It'll probably be on Tuesday before I can go out and buy it, as his weekend I'm buried in work.

I'll let you know and, again, many. many thanks for your really great help in guiding me through the process.

tug-

Level 3

685 points

Feb 7, 2014 9:11 AM in response to montaguelord

before you go to that expensive route i might have a solution to your problems, what about a virtual environment such as vmware fusion.

i could help you with this at no cost at all to yourself. please let me know.

montaguelord Author

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Feb 13, 2014 3:47 AM in response to tug-

Hi Tug! Sorry for the delay in responding and thanks for the offer.

I bought the DVD and installed via that route. Installation was fine: it installed Win 7.

Now the USB ports aren't being recognized by Win 7 so I can't install the Apple support software for Windows.

This is an issue discussed in the following discussion area: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5636942. So I switched to a USB 2.0, reinstalled Win 7 and still have the problem of all external ports not being recognized (including wifi network).

Close but not yet there, and thanks again for the virtual environment suggestion. It's way beyond me right now, so I'd like to continue working on trying to get boot camp to work.

tug-

Level 3

685 points

Feb 13, 2014 9:42 AM in response to montaguelord

hi mont, when you say usb/wifi not working, have you managed to install win 7 completely or is this happening during intallation?

if you have completely installed win 7 then you need to go into "my computer" and open the bootcamp drive and run setup exe.

this will install all drivers that you need.

montaguelord Author

Level 1

0 points

Feb 14, 2014 12:27 PM in response to tug-

Success!

Thanks for the guidance. I used a trial copy of Tuxera NTFS to move my Apple support drives into a folder within the Windows partition. Then I just ran the setup.exe and it all installed beautifully.

Thank you for your truly invaluable guidance, support and, most of all, patience in seeing me through all my fumbles.

Feb 14, 2014 1:57 PM in response to montaguelord

I purchased Windows 8.1 from WalMart, it comes with a choice of 32 or 64 bit installation.

It has been installed and running fine on my MacBook Pro.

montaguelord Author

Level 1

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Feb 14, 2014 1:59 PM in response to imastitcher

I'm going to try to install my copy, purchased directly from Microsoft, this weekend.

tug-

Level 3

685 points

Feb 15, 2014 12:13 AM in response to montaguelord

excellent! i am so glad you managed to sort it in the end mont.

Feb 15, 2014 1:02 AM in response to montaguelord

you setup win7 as ISO http://www.fshare.vn/folder/TAHKDDSKMT/, i was add driver in iso this win7, you download and setup for test ok! you insert disk after burn DVD, after setup nornal !

Message was edited by: Đặng Xuân Cường

Unable to purchase correct Windows 8 or 7 ISO image from Microsoft for Boot Camp instalation