121mhz
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Q: rMBP Mid 2014 Bootcamp boots to HDMI only!

I have the oddest experience with TWO new MacBook Pros.  The install for Windows 7 goes fine.  You are required to download the BootCamp software during installation as it doesn't appear to be separately downloadable.  I used the same USB stick to install Windows 7 (We're under an MOLP so it's legal, we have licenses).  The install goes fine, does the install, everything's good, reboots just fine, installs the bootcamp software just fine, and you can login and use it with no problems.

 

Here's the problem.  When another user logs in (for me, I noticed it after joining the domain and logging in as a domain admin), the bootcamp setup runs AGAIN and asks you to reboot.  Minor annoyance, but ok.  Now however, when you login as that user and shutdown or reboot, the video card is stuck in HDMI only mode.  On subsequent reboots you will hear the apple startup chime, see nothing on the screen (not a cursor, not the starting windows screen, nothing), then you hear the windows chime and... nothing on the screen.  If you plug in an HDMI cable to an HDMI display, it works perfectly and doesn't see the laptop panel at all!  If you boot into Mac OS, everything is fine but rebooting doesn't get you back into windows.

 

The weird part is that if you press F8, the dos-like window DOES show, and then everything is fine.  In fact, I think if you press any key on the keyboard at all, it shows up ok.

 

So I believe it's related to the SECOND user being asked to install Bootcamp and something bootcamp is doing on SHUTDOWN which causes subsequent boot ups to not recognize the laptop panel.  I've reformatted the whole system, installed the newest version of Yosemite and Windows 7 (with no patches and with patches) and this is what I've found.

 

Any insight, any?  I've done this a hundred times with other machines and never run into this much trouble.

Posted on Feb 19, 2015 12:16 PM

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121mhz

Q: rMBP Mid 2014 Bootcamp boots to HDMI only!

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  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Feb 19, 2015 1:20 PM in response to 121mhz
    Level 7 (24,855 points)
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    Feb 19, 2015 1:20 PM in response to 121mhz

    Bootcamp drivers are installed only once. They should be installed as the Admin. If the first user on Windows is created without Administrator rights (for example using a Windows Network Install), the BC drivers installation will silently fail, because they are meant to be silently installed. You can see this in the AutoUnattend.xml file on the USB stick.

     

    Here is a snippet.

     

        <settings pass="oobeSystem">

            <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

                <FirstLogonCommands>

                  <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

                    <Description>AMD CCC Setup</Description>

                    <CommandLine>%AppsRoot%:\BootCamp\Drivers\ATI\ATIGraphics\Bin64\ATISetup.exe -Install</CommandLine>

                    <Order>1</Order>

                    <RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>

                  </SynchronousCommand>

                  <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">

                      <Description>BootCamp setup</Description>

                      <CommandLine>%AppsRoot%:\BootCamp\setup.exe</CommandLine>

                      <Order>2</Order>

                      <RequiresUserInput>false</RequiresUserInput>

                  </SynchronousCommand>

                </FirstLogonCommands>

            </component>

        </settings>

     

    Before the second user logs in, log in as the first user and verify that BC drivers are installed. The simplest method is to check Control Panel -> System -> Boot Camp exists. You can also look in Programs and Features to make sure the drivers are all listed.

     

    Are any restrictions being applied to users in W7 which preclude access to Control Panel?

  • by 121mhz,

    121mhz 121mhz Feb 19, 2015 2:02 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 19, 2015 2:02 PM in response to Loner T

    bootcamp drivers are installed correctly (two finger click works, boot camp control panel present, and the bootcamp help screen shows up on first login).   I'm not initiating the second user bootcamp install, it's doing it by itself for reasons I can't explain.  Second user (a domain admin with no restrictions) logs in I see "welcome," "preparing your desktop," and then a "bootcamp has been install successfully" box.  when I click ok, it demands a reboot.  Then, after the reboot, a subsequent shutdown or reboot results in the display panel not being available (only hdmi).

     

    i could imagine a situation where the display driver was becoming corrupt, but why wouldn't the "starting windows" screen appear??????  That's done with a basic VGA type driver.  And why would hitting F8 and then doing a "start windows normally" have any impact at all (It works, fixes the problem for that boot cycle).  I'm thinking that somehow the video card (or something in PRAM or SMc, I'm not familiar enough) is getting wonky and doesn't get fixed unless you hit text mode.

     

    its baffling, and I've already spent a ton of time trying to figure it out, even reformatting the whole system.  And I've got TWO systems doing the same thing.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Feb 19, 2015 2:28 PM in response to 121mhz
    Level 7 (24,855 points)
    Safari
    Feb 19, 2015 2:28 PM in response to 121mhz

    On a 2012 MBP with Windows 8.1, I created a second non-Admin account and logged in. It shows me the Bootcamp Help, but does not install BC drivers again. I will try and test it on W7 when I get home.

     

    For the second user, what happens if you do not reboot? Log out from the second user, and log back in as first user. Does it try and re-install Boot Camp Drivers?

  • by 121mhz,

    121mhz 121mhz Feb 19, 2015 2:31 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 19, 2015 2:31 PM in response to Loner T

    I've never seen this kind of thing before either.  I'm starting to think its a bug in the BootCamp support software for the Mid 2014 model MBP.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Feb 19, 2015 2:39 PM in response to 121mhz
    Level 7 (24,855 points)
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    Feb 19, 2015 2:39 PM in response to 121mhz

    Can you check the equivalent snippet on the USB used to install on these machines, for any differences?

     

    Just checked Boot Camp: System requirements for Microsoft Windows operating systems - Apple Support for the versions

     

    The 2013/2014 drivers all point to 5 which is Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5640.