How can I bypass the Boot Camp Assistant Windows Support Software download step?

Hello!

I have a pretty abysmal internet connection (0.4 Mbps down) and downloading the Support software is simply not feasible. Estimates vary from 900 minutes to 3000 minutes. Furthermore, the heavy load drops the internet connection sometimes, so I'd have to download from the beginning all over again. In any case, I managed to bribe my friend into using their Mac to download the Windows Support software from their computer, which is also running 10.13.6. We both have Boot Camp Assistant Version 6.1.0. When they transferred the downloaded software to me, I received it as a folder named "WindowsSupport". I read on the internet forums that the Boot Camp Assistant saved its download in /Library/Application Support/Boot Camp Assistant, so I navigated to that folder and dumped my WindowsSupport in there. I tried running Boot Camp Assistant again, but that didn't work, and it still attempted to download the whole thing again. So I got rid of it and grepped /* for WindowsSupport in order to find out where it was temporarily held while downloading. It didn't return anything except for my own copy. So I used fs_usage to see what it was doing (Boot Camp Assistant) and I found out it handed off the download to systemupdated, which did *not* save it in any human readable format. I don't want to have to drive over to my friend's house to download the software again. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated thanks!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.6)

Posted on Jul 23, 2018 12:18 PM

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7 replies

Jul 24, 2018 1:26 AM in response to ApplesnApricotsnPearsnPeaches

What is the version of Windows that you want to install on your Mac?


Brigadier (https://github.com/timsutton/brigadier) can help you download BC Windows software.


Also, Build your own Windows 10 Bootcamp USB Installer can be useful in a situation similar to yours. You can use Windows Media Creation Tool, but the download throughput and the need for a Windows PC may be a deterrent.

Jul 24, 2018 1:40 AM in response to Loner T

Thanks, I've managed to install Boot Camp by using my Library's internet. But now, after installing the Boot Camp drivers and support software, I can't see my MacOS drive. Using the Boot Camp software on Windows only shows the Windows partition, something like disk1s4, and no MacOS drive. But through the Device Manager, I can see the partition where the MacOS install should be. I didn't have this problem before upgrading to High Sierra when my MacOS drive wasn't contained within an APFS container. Any fixes? Should I start a new topic?

Jul 24, 2018 1:58 AM in response to Loner T

umu, that's how I've been switching so far, but I always felt Apple designs its systems to be more integrated than its counterparts, and shipping High Sierra without updating the Boot Camp software wasn't something I'd expected Apple to have done. What happened to "it just works"? I guess I should have know better after hearing about the i9 MacBooks...


Thanks for the help!

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How can I bypass the Boot Camp Assistant Windows Support Software download step?

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