iMac Mid-2007 10.11 : Cannot use Bootcamp

Question

iMac Mid-2007 10.11 : Cannot use Bootcamp

Been attempting to install 32-bit Windows 7 via BootCamp on my mid-2007 iMac (10.11.1).

Boot Camp Assistant runs with no issue. I'm able to partition and reboot and boot to DVD.

Install goes fine, then Windows Installer needs to reboot.

Upon reboot, the Windows partition results in a hang (gray screen, no Apple logo)

If I select boot to DVD, same result, gray screen, no Apple logo.

Only booting back to OSX works. Booting to anything else leads to a hang, but only on the second reboot after BootCamp. First reboot always works fine.

I've tried Windows 32-bit DVD, WIndows 64-bit DVD, BootCamp Assistant 6 (10.11), BootCamp Assistant 5 (10.10)

It's always the same result.

Yes, I can confirm my DVDs are good.

This iMac has UEFI64.

I've reseted NVRAM and SMC.

Diskutil shows 4 GPT partitions after BootCamp.

I've probably attempted 20+ installs already, and always the same result. Any tips anyone?

Posted on Nov 12, 2015 1:32 PM

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Answer 1

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 12, 2015 1:36 PM in response to missingshrink

1. Can you check the MBR?

2. Do you have a USB with BC drivers connected during the second reboot?

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Answer 2

Nov 12, 2015 1:50 PM in response to Loner T

1. What/how would you like me to check the MBR?

2. I did check to create Boot Camp drivers to USB, and left the USB disk connected to USB port while installing Windows.

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Answer 3

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 12, 2015 2:02 PM in response to missingshrink

1. From OSX Terminal using sudo fdisk /dev/disk0 (I assume you do onto have a Fusion drive).

2. Disconnect the USB with BC drivers before the Windows Installer starts.

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Answer 4

Nov 12, 2015 5:39 PM in response to Loner T

Results of fdisk:

Disk: /dev/disk0

geometry: 14593/255/63 [234441648 sectors]

Signature: 0xAA55

Starting Ending

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

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

1: EE 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 1 - 409639] <Unknown ID>

2: AF 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 409640 - 185887432] HFS+

3: AB 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 186297072 - 1269536] Darwin Boot

*4: 07 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 187568128 - 46872576] HPFS/QNX/AUX

Results of diskutil list:

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *120.0 GB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS HelloMac 95.2 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3

4: Microsoft Basic Data 24.0 GB disk0s4

I have tried to install without the USB driver disk plugged in multiple times.

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Answer 5

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 12, 2015 5:52 PM in response to missingshrink

If you have El Capitan, can you test Windows installation, after you execute the following steps.

1. Boot into Local Recovery (Command+R) during power up.

2. Run Utilities -> Terminal.

3. Type csrutil disable and press return/enter.

4. Boot normally.

5. Type csrutil status in OSX Terminal and verify that is it disabled. If still enabled, repeat.

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Answer 6

Nov 12, 2015 7:48 PM in response to Loner T

Well, this is strange.

I tried to reboot to Local Recovery Mode. While holding Command+R, my incomplete Windows install resumed instead of going into Recovery!

I completed the install, then wiped my BootCamp partition and tried again. Sure enough, it hung on second reboot. I rebooted holding Command+R, but still gray screen. I ejected the DVD, held Command+R and once again, my install resumed and completed without issue.

I cannot explain why this would be.

Now that my install process has tested working, I did everything cleanly - disabling CSR, installing Windows (had to Command+R after reboot) and finished installing.

Do I need to turn CSR back on? Any idea why my iMac would act so funky? Is it because of 10.11?

(My install worked so well that I decided to install Win7 64-Bit, which is actually unsupported on this model, but I managed to get everything else to work fine).

Thanks!

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Answer 7

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 13, 2015 5:20 AM in response to missingshrink

missingshrink wrote:

Well, this is strange.

I tried to reboot to Local Recovery Mode. While holding Command+R, my incomplete Windows install resumed instead of going into Recovery!

I completed the install, then wiped my BootCamp partition and tried again. Sure enough, it hung on second reboot. I rebooted holding Command+R, but still gray screen. I ejected the DVD, held Command+R and once again, my install resumed and completed without issue.

I cannot explain why this would be.

During a Windows installation on a Mac, your NVRAM is updated with the Windows installation states which controls the reboots, this is shared between OSX and Windows and is common and similar to the processes when you select Bootcamp in System Preferences -> Startup Disks and Windows Control Panel -> Bootcamp. ELC SIP is also implemented in NVRAM, and it has a new feature, where selection of Bootcamp requires unlocking the Startup Disks preference panel. This is not working properly on older Macs. You should not have to disable SIP, if the Apple engineers had tested this scenario (ELC/SIP, Bootcamp, Macs on which ELC is supported) they would have caught this as a bug. You are welcome to file a bug and reference this thread. Ah Jobs, where art thou!

Do I need to turn CSR back on? Any idea why my iMac would act so funky? Is it because of 10.11?

(My install worked so well that I decided to install Win7 64-Bit, which is actually unsupported on this model, but I managed to get everything else to work fine).

Please re-enable SIP, but start a daily backup regimen of OSX and Windows, if you value your data and information. 😉. Use separate physical disk if necessary.

Glad to see it working. 😎

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Answer 8

Nov 13, 2015 11:12 AM in response to Loner T

I spoke too soon.

I'm not sure at which point it broke - but I can no longer log back in to my Windows partition. If I hold Option while booting, and select the Windows partition, it simply hangs. Holding Control+R actually goes to Recovery mode, as it should.

When I was installing Windows, it would only boot to Windows. I had to install Boot Camp drivers to allow me to boot back to OSX. It's probably at this point that I broke the ability to log back in to Windows.

CSR is still disabled - I didn't turn it back on.

Is there any type of 'verbose' booting so I can see what happens when I select my Windows partition?

Any thing I can try to recover my ability to boot to either operating system?

Thanks....

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Answer 9

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 13, 2015 11:24 AM in response to missingshrink

Can you run these two and test

How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

Please also post your Fdisk output.

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Answer 10

Nov 13, 2015 11:40 AM in response to Loner T

Reseted NVRAM - hangs on Windows boot selection

Reseted SMC - hangs on Windows boot selection

Booting to OSX okay.

fdisk output

Signature: 0xAA55

Starting Ending

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

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

1: EE 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 1 - 409639] <Unknown ID>

2: AF 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 409640 - 183934304] HFS+

3: AB 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 184343944 - 1269536] Darwin Boot

*4: 07 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 185614336 - 48826368] HPFS/QNX/AUX

diskutil output

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *120.0 GB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS HelloMac 94.2 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3

4: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 25.0 GB disk0s4

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Answer 11

Nov 16, 2015 5:07 PM in response to missingshrink

Just realized:

If I reboot, and boot to Windows by holding Option key, it always hangs.

However, if I change the OS in System Preferences Startup Disk (OSX), it boots to Windows okay....

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Answer 12

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 16, 2015 5:18 PM in response to missingshrink

This is a direct result of El Capitan SIP implementation and the 'bless' command. As a test,

1. Reset SMC and NVRAN and try the Alt/Option key.

2. If that does not work then boot into Local Recovery (Command+R - not Command+Opt+R), run csrutil disable and test the Alt/Option key.

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Answer 13

Nov 21, 2015 10:15 PM in response to Loner T

Well, I tried both of your suggestion (again), but unfortunately, neither worked.

I'm able to start OSX and Recovery from Option key boot menu, just not Windows.

I guess I'll just use Start Up Disk selector for now.

I've already filed a bug report with Apple and referenced this thread.

Thank you so much for all your help! : )

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Answer 14

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 22, 2015 6:41 AM in response to missingshrink

Can you check if your installation is BIOS or EFI, by running msinfo32?

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Answer 15

Nov 22, 2015 9:16 AM in response to Loner T

msinfo32 doesn't show that information on Windows 7, but through other means, I see that it's BIOS.

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