Boot Camp 6: How to skip Windows Support Software download

Yes, it's an early 2015 model.

So you're saying I'm stuck with Boot Camp to download the support software. Nuff said.

Thank you.

I think the PITA description is an underestimation. After the support software was finally finished (about 6 hours) BC fails to partition the startup disk. So I partition it as one OSX Journaled partition (using the disk utility), back to BC it asks me to repartition it as 2 partitions (one for os x and the other for windows), then it starts the support software download all over again. This is sick.

Is there anyway to keep that downloaded support software from being deleted or overwritten by BC itself?

I agree it's a bad UI. All the buttons seem to screw me one way or another. For example, after clicking Continue on the first screen, I can only stop the download to start over again later. I can't pause it or something.

I wanted to know where BC saves the software file. I tried lsof | grep -i softwareupdated (softwareupdated is the process in Activity Monitor that is actively downloading in the network tab right now) but nothing comes out. I hate to download the update for a third time and want to keep it.

When the download was finished, BC was stuck at "Saving windows support software..." window for some time. In the meantime I found WindowsSupport.dmg (1.63GB) file in the location you suggested (/Library/Application\ Support/Bootcamp) so I copied it over somewhere else.

Then I clicked the Stop button (the only button that's there) after which BC was stuck again at "Rolling back created partitions...". So I stopped that too.

Starting the whole process over, now that WindowsSupport.dmg is downloaded, BC erases it and wants to download it again.

I close BC and put the file back in place after BC deletes it, starting again seems no change in sight.

I'm sure now that BC is screwed up and nothing about it works. Should I raise this with Apple or what?. I don't know how to install Windows alongside OS X otherwise.

It seems now that BCA was not really stuck when it was saying "Saving Windows support software" but rather waiting for one of my full screen apps to close. The app opened a confirmation dialog so that probably stopped it.

Should I start over again, re-downloading the file I have already?

Well, after downloading the drivers, for the 3RD TIME, the process stopped for "Error formatting installation disk" or something like that.

Of course, the driver file is there and will be re-downloaded when I click the "Continue" trap button.

Why not checking the formatting requirements before downloading the ****, if some lazy developer out there forgot, or was directed not to, write "if exists(download_file): then don't download it".

This ***** hard enough. I want to dump OS X just to take a personal revenge.

I actually installed Windows 10 pretty much normally and it all worked. I extracted the ISO to a flash drive and booted that, gone through the routine install, unpacked the WindowsSupport.dmg file stolen from BCA using 7-Zip and then used Bootcamp.exe to install everything.

I can also boot OS X by pressing alt during boot.

Thank you Loner for your help.