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Q: "Non-system disk Press any key to reboot"- Trying to install Win 7 on Mac Mini

Hello. I'm trying to install Windows 7 on a new-model Mac Mini ('Late 2012'), which I just bought from Apple. [Specs: 1 TB Fusion drive, 2.6 GHz intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, OS X Mavericks (latest), Graphics: Intel HD graphics 4000, Screen: LG Flatron 24"].

 

After following instructions on Bootcamp, I tried installing it through my external USB Apple Superdrive (DVD), but for some reason as soon as the system finishes getting things ready and reboots to begin installing Windows 7, I get a black screen with an error message as follows: "No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key". Pressing the keys on my keyboard does nothing (even though it's a wired model, not a wireless one.) I'm forced to do a hard shutdown using the power button and hold down the Option key in order to get the system to show the Mac HD where OS X is. It also shows the Windows DVD as another option, but when I select it and the system boots, I just get the same error message again. So I go back to a hard shutdown and reboot to go into OS X again.

 

Not sure what to do, I did some online research and in one post in the Frequently Asked Questions for Bootcamp, it says for installing Win 7 and Win 8, the computer won't work with external USB drives (*totally nuts in my opinion - Apple has to fix this stuff if they want to entice Windows users into buying their sleek, quiet hardware). Instead, the post recommends creating a Windows 7 ISO file from my Windows 7 DVD and putting it on a USB thumbdrive that Bootcamp is going to use to put all the Apple/Windows drivers on for the installation process. I'm also told I have to unplug my Superdrive (no explanation given for why). So I do all this and get Bootcamp Assistant running again. Unfortunately, as soon as the system reboots after going through all the usual preparation steps, I get another black screen with a new error message: "Non-system disk Press any key to reboot". So I'm at a loss for what to do next.

 

(I've also have an iMac that I bought more than a year ago that I also put Windows 7 on, with no problems that time. Go figure.)

 

If anyone here has an good answer for how to proceed, I need to know. Thanks in advance!

Mac mini (Late 2012), OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)

Posted on Sep 14, 2014 11:20 PM

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Q: "Non-system disk Press any key to reboot"- Trying to install Win 7 on Mac Mini

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  • by nicimini,

    nicimini nicimini Jan 25, 2015 11:11 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 25, 2015 11:11 AM in response to Loner T

    yes, usb wired mouse.

     

    well i'll be damned. as i type this ( i just switched the 23" inch screen for the old 20" inch, a last ditch desperate measure for which i could see no real logic) up comes the blue windows screen.......

     

    i can hardly bloody believe it.... i mean why?  if there was a fault with the 23" screen surely it just wouldn't work.... how does it choose to be so picky about what software it will allow to be run. once i've set windows up properly i'll try with the bigger screen again. ah, maybe it's a different driver for win 7 than the smaller screen.

     

    i feel so bad for having put you through all this when it was just a screen issue.

     

    it's weird, if it was a driver issue then why does the bigger screen run fine on the windows bootcamp on the mac pro.( just tried it).

     

    and then, even odder, just put the big screen back on the mac mini and it’s absolutely o.k.

     

    so in effect the 23” screen was blocking (or not allowing) the installation of windows on the bootcamp partition, but is now happy to run with it after it has been installed under the 20” screen.

     

    once again, you have been a rock throughout this process, and although the issue has turned out to be for something pretty random, without your help i would have given up long ago. can’t really thank you enough.

     

    happy trails

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Jan 25, 2015 11:53 AM in response to nicimini
    Level 7 (24,202 points)
    Safari
    Jan 25, 2015 11:53 AM in response to nicimini

    This is related to the Graphics driver which the installer has and the EDID that the 20" or the 23" screen return. Once the GPU recognizes the 20", and you swap to the 23" you are already past the EDID/GPU handshake issue.

     

    Very nice that you figured it out, and glad to see it finally work. .

  • by nicimini,

    nicimini nicimini Jan 25, 2015 1:24 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 25, 2015 1:24 PM in response to Loner T

    no, no,

    you figured stuff out, you've got the skill and the human spirit to share it freely.

    i just got lucky

  • by thecaliwayHCO,

    thecaliwayHCO thecaliwayHCO Jul 20, 2015 3:43 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2015 3:43 PM in response to Loner T

    Please HELP!!!! I'm having the same issue with the "Non- System disk" error, I have tried all of your sudo commands to no avail. I have to get my windows partition up and running my job depends on it.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Jul 20, 2015 3:48 PM in response to thecaliwayHCO
    Level 7 (24,202 points)
    Safari
    Jul 20, 2015 3:48 PM in response to thecaliwayHCO
    I have to get my windows partition up and running my job depends on it.

     

    Please start a new discussion and post the output of the usual commands.

     

    1. What year/model is the Mac?

    2. Do not connect any external storage when installing windows.

    3. Please ensure you use a USB2 flash drive, if the Mac has no built-in Optical drive, otherwise you need to use the physical DVD of Windows to install it.

    4. Do not modify Info.plist.

    5. When do you have to be at work next?

  • by thecaliwayHCO,

    thecaliwayHCO thecaliwayHCO Jul 20, 2015 4:25 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2015 4:25 PM in response to Loner T

    Boot camp install 'no bootable drive found'

     

    1. What year/model is the Mac? - Macbook Pro 2009 15inch

    2. Do not connect any external storage when installing windows. - Only thing connected is the USB Drive

    3. Please ensure you use a USB2 flash drive, if the Mac has no built-in Optical drive, otherwise you need to use the physical DVD of Windows to install it. - I don't know how to check if my USB is 2.0

    4. Do not modify Info.plist. - Didn't

    5. When do you have to be at work next? - Tomorrow

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Jul 20, 2015 4:53 PM in response to thecaliwayHCO
    Level 7 (24,202 points)
    Safari
    Jul 20, 2015 4:53 PM in response to thecaliwayHCO

    Your model has a built-in Optical drive. Please use a physical DVD.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Jul 20, 2015 5:52 PM in response to thecaliwayHCO
    Level 7 (24,202 points)
    Safari
    Jul 20, 2015 5:52 PM in response to thecaliwayHCO

    Do you have another Mac with a working Optical drive on which you can install Windows? Does it have to be this specific Mac with a broken Optical drive?

  • by kth_chan,

    kth_chan kth_chan Feb 24, 2016 8:57 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 24, 2016 8:57 PM in response to Loner T

    Hi Loner T, I need help on installing the Windows 7.

    My computer is MacBookAir mid 2013.

     

    Here is the information displayed from the Terminal.

    Chungs-MacBook-Air:~ KeithChan$ diskutil list

    /dev/disk0

       #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER

       0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *121.3 GB   disk0

       1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1

       2:                  Apple_HFS Macintosh HD            78.5 GB    disk0s2

       3:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s3

       4:       Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP                42.0 GB    disk0s4

    /dev/disk1

       #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER

       0:     FDisk_partition_scheme                        *16.0 GB    disk1

       1:                 DOS_FAT_32 WININSTALL              16.0 GB    disk1s1

    Chungs-MacBook-Air:~ KeithChan$ sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk1

    Password:

    gpt show: /dev/disk1: mediasize=16008609792; sectorsize=512; blocks=31266816

    gpt show: /dev/disk1: MBR at sector 0

         start      size  index  contents

             0         1         MBR

             1         1        

             2  31266814      1  MBR part 11

    Chungs-MacBook-Air:~ KeithChan$ sudo fdisk /dev/disk1

    Disk: /dev/disk1 geometry: 1946/255/63 [31266816 sectors]

    Signature: 0xAA55

             Starting       Ending

    #: id  cyl  hd sec -  cyl  hd sec [     start -       size]

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    1: 0B 1023 254  63 - 1023 254  63 [         2 -   31266814] Win95 FAT-32

    2: 00    0   0   0 -    0   0   0 [         0 -          0] unused     

    3: 00    0   0   0 -    0   0   0 [         0 -          0] unused     

    4: 00    0   0   0 -    0   0   0 [         0 -          0] unused     

    Chungs-MacBook-Air:~ KeithChan$


    I've tried several methods but still stuck in the black screen with words: non-system disk,,,

    I also edited the info.plist of Boot Camp Assistant.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Feb 25, 2016 1:48 PM in response to kth_chan
    Level 7 (24,202 points)
    Safari
    Feb 25, 2016 1:48 PM in response to kth_chan

    Please start a new discussion and post these details. It will make it easier to analyze/address your specific issue.

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