windows support software not detected even after downloading the drivers to a USB and being formatted for FAT32

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We're users here and don't speak for "Apple Inc."

Unless you purchased a late 2012 model iMac in January 2014, the Boot Camp file you need to download is

Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5621

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1720

It contains the very latest drivers which include your late 2013 model of iMac.

iMacs are named by the time of year that specific model was introduced. The very newest models of iMac are the design released in 'Late 2013', and the model designation begins with a 14,1 or 14,2, depending upon screen size. You can see your iMac model with , About the Mac, More Info..., System Report, Hardware, and then look at the second line of Hardware overview in the right column, similar to this:

(Mine is a mid-2011, so the designation is 12,1)

Next problem you have is likely that the BootCamp file you downloaded is zipped and you didn't unzip it first.

So, unzip the Boot Camp download with the destination as your flash drive, then Windows should see it as drivers because they're now unzipped.

The prior Boot Camp is 5.1.5640, has support for the 2012 model iMacs, but not the 2013.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1721

the DL is a zip file. you need to extract it onto the USB so the actual files are on the root folder of the USB; the installer cannot verify through the zip file

kostby, i think you've made a mistake, you got your boot camp pkgs flipped.

kostby wrote:

Unless you purchased a late 2012 model iMac in January 2014, the Boot Camp file you need to download is

Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5621

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1720

The prior Boot Camp is 5.1.5640, has support for the 2012 model iMacs, but not the 2013.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1721

x5640 is for machines mid 2013 and later

x5621 is for machines earlier than mid 2013

this excludes even older machines, for a full list look at the middle of the page here

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5634

You're correct. I was reading the bottom of the page without noticing there was a link was to the older file. Thanks for pointing that out. That's what I get for posting at 2 a.m. !

https://help.apple.com/bootcamp/mac/5.0/help/#apdecf0e4b6-b472-438d-881e-57c230b 1c250

If you've already installed Windows 7, all you need to do now is install the Windows Support Software.

Use Finder to locate Boot Camp Assistant.app

Double click on it to start the app again.

Use a checkmark to select ONLY “Download the latest Windows support software from Apple” option in Boot Camp Assistant.

It will search your system for a flash drive.

The support software must be copied to an external USB drive formatted as MS-DOS (FAT).

1. After you configure Windows, if you kept the external USB drive that has the Windows support software inserted, an installer starts automatically.
3. Otherwise, (in other words, IF the Windows Support Software Installer DID NOT start automatically) insert the external USB drive, then double-click the setup.exe file located in the BootCamp folder.
5. Follow the onscreen instructions.
7. Important: Do not click the Cancel button in any of the installer dialogs.If a message appears that says the software you’re installing has not passed Windows Logo testing, click Continue Anyway.
8. You don’t need to respond to installer dialogs that appear only briefly during installation, but if a dialog asks you to install device software, click Install.
9. If nothing appears to be happening, there may be a hidden window that you must respond to. Look behind open windows.
10. When the support software finishes installing, click Restart, then click Yes.
11. After your Mac restarts, follow the instructions for any other installers that appear.
12. Check for updated Windows support software by using Software Update or going to the Boot Camp Support site.

Prior session closed before I finished updating, and I lost several edits.

It may take a while to download the support files. They're almost 1GB in size.

Once the support files have finished downloading, you'll need to enter your Administrator-level password to confirm installation of a helper file, and a second time to permit configuration changes made to your system.

Now, restart your computer, holding down the Option key as soon as you hear the 'chime' sound.

Use the keyboard arrow keys to select the Boot Camp partition of your hard drive and press Enter.

WIndows starts up.

Once Windows is running and you've gotten to the desktop, click on Start, Computer, to open Windows Explorer (NOT Internet Explorer) to locate your Flash Drive with the WIndows Support software installed on it.

Double click on the flash drive folder called Boot Camp to open it.

Double click on the file Setup.exe

That will begin installation of the correct Windows support files for your system.

I have just bought "iMac Late 2013" and struggled with this problem for 2 hours. THIS METHOD REALLY SOLVED MY PROBLEM. Thanks Kotsby. I really appreciate your help.