Retina 5K - AMD Boot Camp Driver failure

Hi Phatben,

I suspect it's not an hardware problem because in that case it would have problems also on MacOS. Let us know what the guys of the store will tell you.

Hello,

Just a word about my experience :

I choose to create a bootcamp partition to play games.

First I run windows 8.1 64bits with the latest AMD bootcamp driver available.

(driver for R9 M295X)

I played Witcher 3 with high settings, the game was gorgeous and souple but ... crashed during fights.

Then I follow your advice and upgrade my system to windows 10.

I didn't have to follow your tip, my catalyst was the last one with the latest driver available for PC with the name : R9 200 series but ...

Even with low settings the game is awful and lag so much to give headache.

Everytime I quit the game : black screen with no solutions to get back on windows.

So there is still an issue with this choice, the driver seems not to work correctly.

Don't have any other idea and I'm so disapointed.

iMac 5k

i7 4ghz

R9 M295X

Hi there,

facing same problem and I passed almost 5 days working with bootcamp.

My goal is simple, having a VM with Parallels Desktop and be able to reboot on bootcamp when high 3D usage is required (games, 3d work, etc..).

Coming with that driver problem, I must admit I installed windows more than 10 times, re-format, etc.., using 8.1, 10 technical preview with my broken superdrive (so using usb sticks) and it's clearly a pain ! Some problems I met is "no boot device" when restarting after bootcamp partitioning or GPT <-> Hybrid MBR not recognized by Windows when installing or maybe the error "Windows could not update the computer's boot configuration" when first windows installation reboot is about to be done (resolved with PRAM reset), and now this driver problem.

We do not have to be forcefully sticked to Windows 7, so ...

I seriousely think Bootcamp need an update / rewrite, maybe with El Capitan release ?

So now ? AppleCare or AppleDontCare ?

Regards.

AMD also has this in their release notes for the Technical Preview Win10 Driver:

This driver is not intended for use on AMD products running in Apple Boot Camp platforms. Users of these platforms should contact their manufacturer for driver support.

er... isn't AMD our manufacturer for the video card? how the heck do you make Apple to write something that they have no intimate knowledge of? Or perhaps it is upto Apple to pay them to support it... At the end of day, would some one take charge of this.. the consumer at the end of the day is getting shafted, this is the worst driver support BAR NONE for video cards like ever... I want my 5K in Windows and I want my Windows 10 driver fully working for many games and apps, NOW. Tim Cook you are getting an email really soon about this... I am fed up with this lack of support.

I am not upgrading to Win10, until there are drivers ready to rock from AMD.

Memiehic wrote:

AMD also has this in their release notes for the Technical Preview Win10 Driver:

This driver is not intended for use on AMD products running in Apple Boot Camp platforms. Users of these platforms should contact their manufacturer for driver support.

er... isn't AMD our manufacturer for the video card? how the heck do you make Apple to write something that they have no intimate knowledge of? Or perhaps it is upto Apple to pay them to support it... At the end of day, would some one take charge of this.. the consumer at the end of the day is getting shafted, this is the worst driver support BAR NONE for video cards like ever... I want my 5K in Windows and I want my Windows 10 driver fully working for many games and apps, NOW. Tim Cook you are getting an email really soon about this... I am fed up with this lack of support.

No. Apple is. AMD is the hardware vendor. Apple wrote it's own driver for 5K support. There was no support for 5K on any hardware/OS. Apple wrote it's own Timing Controller (please see Boot Camp on iMac Retina 5K? ).

There has been quite a bit of discussion on Apple's support or lack thereof, of Windows, in general. Windows is a 'hobby' project for Apple. If the consumer buys a product without proper evaluation that it satisfies their requirements, the vendor should be asked either prior to the sale for a feature list, or after the sale very nicely to add a feature. In this case the consumer has shafted themselves by lack of due diligence. Please provide product feedback (aka Feature Request after the sale) and let it takes due course. If your business/pleasure requirements are not being met, it is better to find a product which does (in some cases it may not exist yet). BTW, I have been waiting for a 4K ATV for 2 years now.

Memiehic wrote:

I am not upgrading to Win10, until there are drivers ready to rock from AMD.

Very wise choice. 😎

If Apple is the writer for 5K Support in OS X, Why did AMD released a bootcamp driver in Windows for the iMac 5K? Before this driver, a lot of games has problems, but AMD fixed most of those issues. But now there is no support for Windows 10, as of yet.. the driver has not been updated since December last year. AMD in this case supported Windows, but they basically said, we are no longer doing this, Apple you do it, then Apple doesn't want to do it, so everyone gets shafted...

Only really bought the iMac 5K is for the awesome screen, and at least I thought there will be some decent driver support... but the situation seems really bad.

I have the same issue occurring at the moment with my iMac 5K. I really want to have Windows 10 installed because I use the Windows partition for gaming. If you have any troubles and are getting annoyed too much I have two solutions you might want to look into.

First solution:

1. Download the latest driver (at the moment of writing 15.7.1), the AMD Omega 14.12 driver, and the official December Bootcamp Driver 14.301.

2. Make a new folder called "modded driver", which purpose explains itself.

3. Copy everytning from the latest driver to "modded driver".

4. Copy everything from the Bin64 folder of the Omega driver and overwrite everyting in the Bin64 folder of "modded driver".

5. Copy "InstallManagerApp.exe" and "InstallManager.dll" from the Bin64 folder of the December Bootcamp driver, and overwrite the corresponding files in the Bin64 folder of "modded drivers".

6. Now you are ready to install the driver. Just run "setup.exe" in the root folder of "modded drivers"

Second solution:

1. Have a look at either Vidock or Sonnet Technologies. Both runs with native/external graphic cards through Thunderbolt. With Sonnet Technologies you will be able to get a free upgrade to Thunderbolt 3 when it launches from Intel.

2. Decide whether you want to spend money on Vidock or Sonnet Technologies. Sonnet works best because you will get a total solution where you only need to decide which Graphic Card you want to buy. Personally I would aim for Geforce GTX 980 because I game on it.

3. Look at some specs and see it in action. Links to videos on Vidock here: (MacBook Air 2013 with external graphic card: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk3JuEPmbdw.

I hope it gave you just a little bit hope.

Best Regards,

Mathias

Thanks Mathias for this, seems interesting, won't be that risky if I try it first in Windows 8.1 😝

Yeah, the best of both worlds is an iMac and with the ability to play games in Windows... however, due to my "summer" gaming binge here in Australia, I had use the warranty for the iMac because the power board failed.. probably due to heat?... not too keen to game in summer anymore, I try to squeeze in as many games now before the temperature warms up, hehe. Might even just migrate it off to my old PC to game. I have Apple Care so I should be protected and gaming is like video rendering from pros should be normal.

Also, AMD apparently said somewhere in their forum that they are waiting for Apple to give them the go ahead... I reckon, the sales of these chips are abysmal, that AMD just won't bother with it... even the Mac Pro gets shafted!!!!

Coming from Windows, where there are monthly support for video drivers... Apple allow AMD to do the same whatever the story is, someone SUPPORT IT!!!

Windows 10 drivers now, It's a major threat, having the ability to let people use Windows, means "extra" mac sales... why stop people doing that? makes no sense.

I have the same issue occurring at them moment with my iMac 5K. I really want to have Windows 10 installed because I use the Windows partition for gaming. If you have any troubles and are getting annoyed too much I have two solutions you might want to look into.

First solution:

1. Download the latest driver (at the moment of writing 15.7.1), the AMD Omega 14.12 driver, and the official December Bootcamp Driver 14.301.

2. Make a new folder called "modded driver", which purpose explains itself.

3. Copy everytning from the latest driver to "modded driver".

4. Copy everything from the Bin64 folder of the Omega driver and overwrite everyting in the Bin64 folder of "modded driver".

5. Copy "InstallManagerApp.exe" and "InstallManager.dll" from the Bin64 folder of the December Bootcamp driver, and overwrite the corresponding files in the Bin64 folder of "modded drivers".

6. Now you are ready to install the driver. Just run "setup.exe" in the root folder of "modded drivers"

Second solution:

1. Have a look at either Vidock or Sonnet Technologies. Both runs with native/external graphic cards through Thunderbolt. With Sonnet Technologies you will be able to get a free upgrade to Thunderbolt 3 when it launches from Intel.

2. Decide whether you want to spend money on Vidock or Sonnet Technologies. Sonnet works best because you will get a total solution where you only need to decide which Graphic Card you want to buy. Personally I would aim for Geforce GTX 980 because I game on it.

3. Look at some specs and see it in action. Links to videos on Vidock here: (MacBook Air 2013 with external graphic card: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk3JuEPmbdw.

I hope it gave you just a little bit hope.

Best Regards,

Mathias

I tried one more time with a clean install this time, and it resolved it.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Download the Windows Installer as an ISO-file.

2. Create the bootable installer using Boot Camp Assistant with the same ISO-file.

3. At the same time download the Boot Camp Drivers through Boot Camp Assistant.

4. Clean Install the OS by Deleting the entire hard drive. Also the OS X part.

5. Boot Camp Installer will automatically open after entering Windows, if it is stored on the same Windows Installer (USB prefered).

6. Create a new partition for OS X within Windows.

7. Use Internet Recovery in order to reinstall OS X.

Good Luck.

Best Regards,

Mathias

I would just like to say thank you very much to Neurosion because I was stuck unable to play any games (GTA V at 1 FPS is not enjoyable, shockingly). That check list worked perfect for me running Windows 10 Pro (release) on iMac 5k (2014).

Got my r295 rImac working using the AMD-Catalyst-15.6-Beta-Software-Suite-Win8.1-64Bit-June22 drivers.

See https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7154565

How did you install it on Windows 10? I always get "Could not detect hardware" message?

Do you also have a direct link to where we can find the driver you are speaking of?

Is this the one you used?http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/latest-catalyst-windows-beta.aspx

http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/latest-catalyst-windows-beta.aspx

I can confirm that the Beta drivers works for now. Though it doesn't provide with the exact driver and performance will be noticeable. I am very happy about this temporarily fix until Apple releases a new boot camp driver together with AMD. Let it be soon thanks!