Mac won't pick up WinInstall USB and Product key not in unattended file

Hi.

I am super frustrated. I cant find the answer anywhere, and after 14 hours of messing around with this dumb thing, I have just about had it. I cant really take it anymore.


I bought a copy of Windows Pro 8.1. Turns out the disk is 32-Bit, I needed a 64-bit.

I looked around and it says the Product Key will work with a 64-bit setup of Windows Pro 8.1. Awesome.

Downloaded a torrent of Windows Pro 8.1 64-bit ISO image. I went through 3 torrents and ISO images before I found one that works.

Created the USB drive in Bootcamp using the 64-bit ISO image. The USB drive is a 8gb Micro SD card, hooked up to a Mini USB adapter.


Bootcamp took over 2 hours copying, downloading, and saving Windows Support Software to the card last night. When I selected the size of the partition, it did its thing, and then restarted. I held down the alt/option key and was brought to the startup disks selection screen.


There is no "orange usb" there, the only things to select are the Recovery 10.9 and Macintosh HD. If I put my 32-Bit Windows Pro 8.1 disk in, it will pick it up. When I select it, it starts the whole process and then says "Windows cannot read the Product Key from the Unattend Answer File"


I dont know what to do...it wont pick up the SD/USB and the Windows disk says the Product Key cant be read.


Should I burn the ISO image that I used to create the USB drive to a blank DVD and then try the installion with that? I dont have any blank DVD's, or I would have tried that already.


Everywhere says that if I hold Alt/option after the startup sound, I should be abe to see the USB drive there, but it dosent appear, never has and I cant seem to change that, even switch USB ports and everything, formatted the drive and redid the whole Windows setup drive thing on Bootcamp (Another 2 hours...wasted).


The pic attached is my SD/USB setup, it came with the SD card a long time ago.User uploaded file


I need help, please hahahaha.

Posted on Apr 16, 2014 8:46 AM

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8 replies

Apr 16, 2014 8:52 AM in response to Fullmetal38

Also, I am running a 2013 Macbook Pro 13 inch without Retina. 500gb hard drive, so space isnt really a issue.

I upgraded to Mavericks when it came out, and Bootcamp is running version 5.1.2, which I believe is the latest version.


I have literally installed Windows on probably a dozen PC's before, and then last year decided on the Mac route because I have never tried them. I heard installing Windows was easy, I was so wrong. This is drastically different then any PC I have messed with.

Apr 16, 2014 11:52 AM in response to Fullmetal38

So, got a USB 2.0 32gb pen drive.


Now when I run bootcamp, it copied all the windows files, and then it says that this mac only supports window 7 software when it starts downloading software, when before on the two seperate occasions I made a new USB drive with my SD/USB, it never said that once. Then it said it couldnt download it from the Update Server.


***, its just another issue after the next.

Apr 16, 2014 12:29 PM in response to Fullmetal38

you have a non retina macbook pro, so you have a dvd drive? in your post i figured you meant with retina.


post a screen shot of boot camp assistant when it gives you the 3 options, because bad news coming, unless they made changes for newer machines, if your mac comes with a dvd drive, you have to use that to install windows.


you will need to burn that iso to a disc, google bootable iso on osx.


you can manually dl the latest drivers for your machine below. you will manually install these after the intial windows install. do not run windows update until after you've installed these boot camp drivers.


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

Apr 17, 2014 2:04 AM in response to Fullmetal38

Fullmetal38 wrote:


So I got Windows 8.1 to get on my Macbook, but now I dont have any sound.

I know I had to install drivers from Bootcamp because I had no wireless card, crappy graphics, and blah blah.

Nlah Blah?


That doesn't explain much.


Did you install the Windows support software, and did you check that W8.1 is actually supported on your machine

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Mac won't pick up WinInstall USB and Product key not in unattended file

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