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Convert flash drive for Windows 8.1 bootcamp installation from mbr to gpt

Trying to run Windows 8.1 pro x64 on my mid 2010 15" macbook pro. Get stuck during bootcamp installation in Windows because my partition table isn't compatible (MBR but needs to be GPT). My hard drive seems to be Logical partitions/volume etc, while my flash drive was formatted into MBR seemingly by bootcamp, or otherwise not altered into the GPT like it maybe should have.

Generally followed this guide http://www.howtogeek.com/186907/how-to-install-windows-on-a-mac-with-boot-camp/


Steps I took:


Had to use terminal/Xcode to edit info.plist from bootcamp to allow flash drive installation through bootcamp on my mac (removed the "pre" method).


With all three bootcamp options selected, managed to partition the drive


When restarted, my computer had black screen with "no bootable device found".


Restarted again, holding alt/option


Flash drive was now available as one of two options (the other being my standard mac drive)


Windows Setup loaded. Selected language/imputed key/select version etc.


Here is the strange part, the division of the disk does not include "bootcamp" anywhere in the title (like it should according to the guide), and is about 10gb smaller than my partition (assume this is a normal result of windows installation/os files etc). When I try to format the partition, it says I can't, and explains that I can't use MBR, need to use GPT.


Attempted to rewrite disk with Shift F10 Diskpart, list disk, etc, but here it shows drive 0, 1, and 2, (rather than drive 0 partition 1,2,3,4, with 4 being my bootcamp I think). This seems to be a method for installing windows on a windows pc, and I didn't go through with it because I didn't want to loose my mac os yet.


I am not proficient with coding/terminal use, and don't know if there is an option to list partitions etc, so I'm stuck. I can backup my mac and potentially change my partition table etc, but I feel like restoring with time machine would then wipe my existing partition. Is there a workaround I could use? Is there a specific sequence of backups/restores that would work? I'm also okay with manually drag and dropping the files I want back onto a clean slate computer if necessary. Or would simply buying and burning a disc with windows save myself the hassle? Please advise.


Sorry for long question, wanted to get info out right away. Can include more if necessary. Thank you all for your time.

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10), mid 2010 15" Nvidia GeForce 330

Posted on Nov 14, 2014 8:59 AM

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Posted on Nov 14, 2014 9:13 AM

Please post the output of following


diskutil list

diskutil cs list

sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk0

sudo fdisk /dev/disk0


You will need to use Terminal and input your password when prompted. You can triple click on each line and Copy (Command+C) and Paste (Command+V) into the terminal window. Remove any personal information that you do not to be seen on the discussions.


Creating a USB is only part of the problem if your built-in Optical drive is not working. The CSM-BIOS layer used still needs to be configured in the Mac Nvram to boot from USB.


If you have W8.1, which has EFI support, you can try that, but your Mac from 2010 is a preUEFI model, as shown in your Bootcamp info.plist.

95 replies

Sep 11, 2015 6:56 PM in response to Loner T

I didn't see this post, but I was on VMware Fusion 8... You think that my ISO can be wrong ? I downloaded it on t411.io (an amazing website), all the comments are good, but good to install it on a Pc... But I don't want to believe that it can't run on Mac...


After the MBR problem (solved), do you have an idea about this new message (more or less, I translate it with Google for you) : We did not create a partition or locate an existing partition. For more information, see the installation log files

Sep 11, 2015 7:28 PM in response to Loner T

Ok thank you for all. I'll retry with a different way !


I have a last question : like I said I have an official Windows 7 DVD (OEM)... Can I find the product key into the dvd with a magic command ? I sold my Pc, and the product key is on that Pc, so I don't have it..... Maybe with that key I could download an official ISO on Microsoft.com ?


OR... What software can I use to extract that DVD in ISO files ? (but if you tell me that will be difficult to install w7 on my MBP 2011 with a bootable USB... Hum :/)

Sep 12, 2015 6:01 AM in response to Jordan Machin

Jordan Machin wrote:


I have a last question : like I said I have an official Windows 7 DVD (OEM)... Can I find the product key into the dvd with a magic command ? I sold my Pc, and the product key is on that Pc, so I don't have it..... Maybe with that key I could download an official ISO on Microsoft.com ?

If you have Windows installed you can use Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html) or Magic Jelly Bean (https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/) to find the key. Your issue is the hardware configuration you currently have, not the installer.



OR... What software can I use to extract that DVD in ISO files ? (but if you tell me that will be difficult to install w7 on my MBP 2011 with a bootable USB... Hum :/)

You will need to re-install the Optical drive if you want to be able to do that. The links I provided from MacRumours using VMware to install Windows is an option.


If you can install Windows on another Mac, you can also clone it.

Sep 16, 2015 6:30 PM in response to Loner T

Hi Loner how are you ?


Tell me, I bought an external optical drive (not for Windows but I tried to install it with the external optic drive).. When I choose the UEFI boot (from the DVD), I have a black screen, with "_" in the left corner, flashing. Is there a solution to install Windows 7 with my external optical drive ?



And so, I have an officially Windows 8.1 ISO, and this is the same ****, I can't install it... It tells me that the EFI partition (for Windows) is on NTFS, it wants it by FAT32... It's in FAT32 !!!! I saw it, but I have this fuc***g message ! I'm desperate

Sep 17, 2015 12:16 PM in response to Jordan Machin

Jordan Machin wrote:


Hi Loner how are you ?

Good. And how are you?



Tell me, I bought an external optical drive (not for Windows but I tried to install it with the external optic drive).. When I choose the UEFI boot (from the DVD), I have a black screen, with "_" in the left corner, flashing. Is there a solution to install Windows 7 with my external optical drive ?

This approach will not work. The black screen and "_" implies that the boot device is the internal Optical drive, not the external one.


And so, I have an officially Windows 8.1 ISO, and this is the same ****, I can't install it... It tells me that the EFI partition (for Windows) is on NTFS, it wants it by FAT32... It's in FAT32 !!!! I saw it, but I have this fuc***g message ! I'm desperate

EFI Boot will not work on your model which is...


My mac is a MacBook Pro earlier 2011 (MacBookPro8,1)

Can you post the output of the GPT and Fdisk commands so we can verify it?

Convert flash drive for Windows 8.1 bootcamp installation from mbr to gpt

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