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Cannot Install Windows 7

I have an Early 2008 MacBook Pro with 10.9.3 installed, that I have been trying to install Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. I have worked with several technicians from Apple but have not been able to resolve the issue. I have worked on this on and off for several months and of course am somewhat frustrated. I will give a detailed account hoping someone may have an idea.


I did previously have Windows 7 installed on this laptop but decided to reinstall after upgrading to 250GB SSD and installing memory up to 4GB. I have confirmed with mfg of the SSD that the drive is compatible with both windows and mac and that there should be no problem with the configuration I am attempting.


I run the bootcamp assistant and select both "Download Windows Support Files" and "Install Windows" options. The assistant downloads the files to a USB drive. I set the partition to split equally. I get a warning that the USB is bootable and the assistant needs to disable that to continue. I click ok and then continue with the install. The laptop reboots to the Windows installation media, which is original purchased media, not a burned copy. The installation says that it cannot be installed on the BOOTCAMP partition because it needs to be installed on an NTFS partition, so I choose advanced, and format the partion. The installation then continues. The installation finishes and says that it needs to reboot.


This is when I have an issue. The laptop reboots to a blank grey screen and thats it. No further progress. I have manually rebooted it several times and always get blank grey screen. If I use option key to load boot manager I get the following options. Machintosh OS, Windows OS, 10.9.2 Recovery, Windows (DVD), or EFI Boot. Any selection other than Machintosh OS simply hangs. The cursor is no longer movable and the boot manager is still displayed. If I select Mac OS, it will boot back into OSX.


In OSX, I am able to examine the bootcamp volume (now named Untitled after having to format). The disk does contain Windows files ($WINDOWS.~BT, $WINDOWS.~LS, Perflogs, Program Files, Program Files (x86), Users, and Windows) so it would appear that the installation did proceed and copied files to the drive.


I have attempted the install with both Windows 7 Pro 32bit and 64bit and both have the same problem. I have even gone so far as to reinstall OSX back to 10.7 and run bootcamp from there, still have the same issue. I have even tried reinstalling on my old original hard drive to see if SSD was the issue, run into the same problem on original drive as well.


It seems no matter what I have tried, after the windows install I can not get past blank grey screen when trying to boot to windows.


I am open to any and all suggestions. Has anyone out there seen issues like this before? Any ideas on how to correct? I would love to have my bootcamp set back up. Thanks!

Posted on Jul 8, 2014 12:14 AM

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11 replies

Jul 9, 2014 8:27 PM in response to mjm50322

I have a brand new MBP Retina laptop with 256GB SSD. Today I tried to use Bootcamp Assistant to partition the SSD and install Windows 7 64 bit OS. My experience with this process reads exactly like what you describe except after allocating the size for the Windows partition and the computer restarted I never even got to the Windows installer. I got a black screen with a blinking white cursor (like a command line prompt) in the upper left corner of the screen. I was on the phone with Apple for an hour but no success. I'm using an external optical drive that I've been using with my Mac Mini and the drive shows up in Finder when booted to OSX and I could view the contents of the Windows 7 disc so I know the computer recognizes the external drive. I'm stumped. I guess I'll try Parallels. Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

Jul 9, 2014 8:34 PM in response to mjm50322

You should try again the proccedure and instead of rebooting again try running and installing the dirvers form the usb before rebooting. Check for any upgrades on the bootcamp software (from the bootcamp utility on Windows), and reboot it. What you narrate it appears to me it's a problems with the drivers. Does your computer have a discrete graphic card?

Jul 9, 2014 9:00 PM in response to Amilixkan

When I initially opened Bootcamp Assistant I checked off the tasks to "download the Support Software to USB drive" and of course for it to create the partition and install Windows 7. As far as I could tell, the Support Software files that were on the USB drive did get installed prior to the first reboot of the system that happens after you allocate the size for the partition. After the first reboot I never got the Windows installer.


So if I am understanding you correctly are you saying that there may be newer versions of both Bootcamp and the support software (drivers) that get downloaded to the USB drive? Also are you thinking it is a problem with the video drivers and that is why I can't see the Windows installer after the reboot? My MBP is the the 13.3" Retina model which has the integrated Intel Iris graphics.

Jul 9, 2014 9:27 PM in response to sjc47

It may have to do with the bootcamp versions, but i don't think so. What I think is that there is definitively a problem with the drivers. My recommendation is to have the ISO version of Windows 7 on a separate USB of the one containing the drivers, this gives you 2 usb. With the first (the one with the ISO) you install Windows 7, your computer will look horrible and the desktop and the aero mode will not be activated (your computer looks like a 1999 computer trying to run Windows 7). Next you open the bootcamp assistant on Windows and connect the usb with the drivers and proceed with the installing, ONLY after the drivers have been installed you reboot your computer. Obviously this with a fresh start, i mean, delete the corrupted windows partition, create a new one and start the whole process. I specifically don't know (altought i have an idea ) but sometimes having the ISO and the dirvers in the same usb doesnt work. So do this proccedure and if you have any doubt please ask or if this method doesnt work.

Jul 10, 2014 6:07 AM in response to Amilixkan

Amilixkan, thank you for your suggestion although it sounds complicated and I can't believe that everyone would have to go through that process in order to get Windows running on a brand new Mac that has the latest version of Bootcamp and the support software. As with mjm50322's situation, I never even got to the Windows installer phase of the process so of course can't even boot Windows to try your suggestion.


However, in my specific situation, I'm wondering if, after creating the partition and restarting, my computer can't see my external optical drive even though it does show up in Finder when booted to OSX. After the restart, when I got the black screen with the blinking cursor, there was absolutely no activity on my external drive. I could feel the disc inside was spinning but there was no activity on the read LED on the drive and of course nothing happened on screen. So, your suggestion of using two USB drives, one with the Windows ISO file and the other for the Bootcamp software support files may be a good solution that I will try. That way I'm not relying on the optical drive. While on the phone with a senior Apple Support tech yesterday I already reverted my drive back to a single partition for the time being so I will look into repeating the process trying an ISO file instead of my Windows installation disc. I will report back. Thank you,

Jul 10, 2014 8:41 AM in response to sjc47

SJC47, it might be helpful to start a thread of your own as I think each of our issues are different and this may begin to confuse things. You referred to my issue saying that I never get the windows installer to work. That is not correct. If you read my description it states that I am able to run through the installer completely, once it the installer completed and reboots it never boots into windows the first time.


I'm not trying to be rude, but continuing to talk about two separate issues on the same post will only confuse the both of us, and will not likely solve either issue.


Good Luck!

Jul 10, 2014 11:38 AM in response to sjc47

I believe the issue you are having is that you are never able to boot from the Windows installation media to install windows in the first place. From what I know, MacBook Air is required to use an iso written to USB to install windows in BootCamp. I don't think an external SuperDrive will work. That is why bootcamp on a macbook air automatically has the option to create Windows Install Disk, where the macbook pro does not. Try creating a USB installer.

Cannot Install Windows 7

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