Q: How to use bootcamp without a usb
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Feb 13, 2015 6:35 PMby Loner T,You need a method to use the ISO (wherever it is located on your iMac) to be available across boots. If it is on a OS X file system and OS X is down or being rebooted, you will lose access. The USB can be used to put it on a media along with BC drivers. It needs to be 8GB.
If you have a 8GB USB2 stick, copy the current contents to the OS X side and save them, and use it for installing Windows, and once complete, reformat it and put the saved contents from the OS X side back on the USB.
Another option is to burn the ISO to a physical DVD and use an external Optical drive and on 2013+ Macs, you can directly install with BC Assistant.
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Feb 13, 2015 6:46 PMby RealNoNamer,did you not read the post
I want to use boot camp, but I don't have a big enough usb I don't use. I also don't want to buy a new one so is there away to use boot camp without a usb or cd
also what do you mean by available across boots like I can boot the windows hard drive(cus I can do that)
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Feb 13, 2015 7:27 PMby Loner T,RealNoNamer wrote:
did you not read the post
I want to use boot camp, but I don't have a big enough usb I don't use. I also don't want to buy a new one so is there away to use boot camp without a usb or cd
From Boot Camp: System requirements for Microsoft Windows operating systems - Apple Support
To install Microsoft Windows using Boot Camp, you need the following:
- An Internet connection
- An administrator account in OS X to use Boot Camp Assistant
- The keyboard and mouse or trackpad that came with your Mac (If they aren’t available, use a USB keyboard and mouse)
- A minimum of 2 GB of RAM, 30 GB of free disk space are recommended if you are installing Windows for the first time, or 40 GB of free disk space if you are upgrading from a previous version of Windows
- An authentic Microsoft Windows full install disc or ISO file
- A built-in optical drive, or a compatible external optical drive is required if you are using an install disc
- 8 GB USB storage device, or external drive formatted as MS-DOS (FAT) to install the downloaded drivers
Before you install Windows, you should use Software Update to make sure OS X and your computer's firmware are up to date.
also what do you mean by available across boots like I can boot the windows hard drive(cus I can do that)
There are 4 reboots for Windows installation at a minimum, and all installation media necessary must be physically available across each of these, which means it cannot be stored on a OS X file system on your Mac. It must be stored externally on persistent media.
Can you do the following
If you have a 8GB USB2 stick, copy the current contents to the OS X side and save them, and use it for installing Windows, and once complete, reformat it and put the saved contents from the OS X side back on the USB.
You can install Windows over the network using https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj938037.aspx and specifically read https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj938037.aspx#BKMK_Assumptions.
If you have other questions, I suggest you start at How to install Windows using Boot Camp - Apple Support.
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Feb 13, 2015 7:31 PMby RealNoNamer,I am computer smart and I am aware of the requirements. I wanted to know if there was a third party or alternative way to do it without virtual box, parallels, ect. Why would you tell me to do something If it isn't what my question asks. IF YOU CANT SAY SOMETHING HELPFUL DON'T
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Feb 14, 2015 8:59 AMby RealNoNamer,read the comment 1 more time
I am computer smart and I am aware of the requirements. I wanted to know if there was a third party or alternative way to do it without virtual box, parallels, ect. Why would you tell me to do something If it isn't what my question asks. IF YOU CANT SAY SOMETHING HELPFUL, DON'T
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Feb 14, 2015 9:38 AMby Loner T,Do you know how built a custom Hybrid MBR?
Do you know how burn ISO to the internal hard disk and boot from it?
Do you know how to manipulate NVRAM using the Terminal?
Do you know how to install Windows using EFI?
If the answer is yes to ALL OF THE ABOVE, you can do it.
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Feb 28, 2015 8:09 PMby Loner T,Your iMac Late 2014 should be the Retina 5K. It supports UEFI, so an EFI installation is possible. If you have a 3TB Fusion drive, it requires special treatment due to FAT and Windows needs. Even though Windows supports GPT, the MSR part (in step 4) must reside in a FAT partition which cannot be after 2TB address space on disk. OS X also creates its EFI as diskNs1, where s1 is the first slice.
1. Backup OSX.
2. Create a partition large enough for the Windows ISO and add 2GB. Burn the ISO to this partition.
3. Use BCA and download the BC drivers. They are stored in /Library/Application\ Support/Bootcamp in a DMG files called WindowsSupport.dmg. Copy this file somewhere other than this directory. You will need it after Windows is installed. You will need a USB for this step even though the saved file is used. The USB can be 1-to-2 GB. It is to allow BCA to write the contents of the DMG to it.
4. Create a partition for Windows and format it as Free Space. This will be split into MSR (128MB) and MSD partition (this will become NTFS).
5. Boot your iMac from the partition in step 2, by holding the Alt key when booting up.
6. Install Windows to the partition created in step 4.
7. Install BC drivers from the DMG saved in step 3.
