User profile for user: Tech198
Tech198 Author
User level: Level 1
84 points

Bootcamp : Windows install fails

Trying to setup bootcamp on my Mac Mini (Late 2014), running OS X Sierra, and have gone through the following:-


Install Windows 7 on your Mac using Boot Camp - Apple Support


Specially, because i had to manually download the Bootcamp drivers for Windows 7 it gave me in the compatability list for my model..


After unzipping then, copying to root usb folder, and finished off diving my internal hard drive, it rebooted to Windows install


Upon Partition window, i saw my BOOTCAMP partition, which of course i had to re-format as NTFS for Window 7 to install. After i selected it, then click "Next", i gt the following error:


"Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition"


It was suggested i use DISKPART, however as i've accidentally discovered, DISKPART only works with full disks, not volumes/partitions..


The solution was to use DISKPART and clean, and create new, which would indicate it was somehow corrupted, which it can't be if Bootcamp copied everything.. + I manually added the Bootcamp drivers..I can list the volumes and select the right one, but issuing "clean" erases the the entire disk,,


How ca i get Windows 7 installed in Bootcamp?


Created USB in Bootcamp.

Mac mini, macOS Sierra (10.12.6), 8 Gig

Posted on Oct 9, 2018 9:39 AM

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User profile for user: Loner T
Loner T
User level: Level 9
59,536 points

Posted on Oct 9, 2018 9:24 PM

Tech198 wrote:


No other external devices connected, just the one USB stick.. its a USB3 flash dive, but being backward compatible with USB2 speeds, i don't think that wold be the issue..


If Windows had issues with USB 3 "port" issue. it wouldn't even be recognized at all. I know some people have got this to work with USB2 flash drive, which doesn't make sense of Window can recognize it anyway.

USB2 and USB3 ports are physically the same (and not the same as USBc). The issue is the Installer which does not have USB3 drivers. It has USB2 drivers. BC Assistant used the Apple drivers to create the Installer. Also, see How to Install Windows 7 with only USB 3.0 Ports .


Tech198 wrote:


I did find the error message "cannot create System partition" is related to no MBR found on Windows partition, so the question becomes why didn't bootcamp do this


This is on a clean setup on Mac mini and clean install of Sierra 10.12.6, and issue can be reproduced every time.

A 2014 Mac is capable of both legacy BIOS and EFI methods of installation. The default is BIOS, which requires a MBR. However, if you manually interrupt and use Alt/Option to select EFI Boot, then you will encounter problems.


This is an EFI installation on a late 2013 MBP using EFI Boot. Instead of the standard FAT32 (converted to NTFS), this method requires the partition to be Free Space, which is split by the EFI installer into MSR (aka the System Partition) and MSD(NTFS).

diskutil list

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 743.7 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3

4: Microsoft Reserved 134.2 MB disk0s4

5: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 255.4 GB disk0s5


Tech198 wrote:


The other other solution i fund given with going into the BIOS, which of course, a mac does not have...

A Mac has no BIOS User Interface, but instead has a CSM-BIOS emulation layer, which is used to support legacy BIOS installations on all Macs prior to late 2013 models.


Tech198 wrote:


so, its kind of gong round in circles. The solutions offered for the error would work on PC, no doubt about that, but they don't work on Mac, at least not on the "volume"

My recommendation is to run a SMC/NVRAM Reset, use a USB2 Flash drive (480Mbps) instead of a USB3 (5Gbps) and build the installer and test the installation.

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User profile for user: Loner T
Loner T
User level: Level 9
59,536 points

Oct 9, 2018 9:24 PM in response to Tech198

Tech198 wrote:


No other external devices connected, just the one USB stick.. its a USB3 flash dive, but being backward compatible with USB2 speeds, i don't think that wold be the issue..


If Windows had issues with USB 3 "port" issue. it wouldn't even be recognized at all. I know some people have got this to work with USB2 flash drive, which doesn't make sense of Window can recognize it anyway.

USB2 and USB3 ports are physically the same (and not the same as USBc). The issue is the Installer which does not have USB3 drivers. It has USB2 drivers. BC Assistant used the Apple drivers to create the Installer. Also, see How to Install Windows 7 with only USB 3.0 Ports .


Tech198 wrote:


I did find the error message "cannot create System partition" is related to no MBR found on Windows partition, so the question becomes why didn't bootcamp do this


This is on a clean setup on Mac mini and clean install of Sierra 10.12.6, and issue can be reproduced every time.

A 2014 Mac is capable of both legacy BIOS and EFI methods of installation. The default is BIOS, which requires a MBR. However, if you manually interrupt and use Alt/Option to select EFI Boot, then you will encounter problems.


This is an EFI installation on a late 2013 MBP using EFI Boot. Instead of the standard FAT32 (converted to NTFS), this method requires the partition to be Free Space, which is split by the EFI installer into MSR (aka the System Partition) and MSD(NTFS).

diskutil list

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 743.7 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3

4: Microsoft Reserved 134.2 MB disk0s4

5: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 255.4 GB disk0s5


Tech198 wrote:


The other other solution i fund given with going into the BIOS, which of course, a mac does not have...

A Mac has no BIOS User Interface, but instead has a CSM-BIOS emulation layer, which is used to support legacy BIOS installations on all Macs prior to late 2013 models.


Tech198 wrote:


so, its kind of gong round in circles. The solutions offered for the error would work on PC, no doubt about that, but they don't work on Mac, at least not on the "volume"

My recommendation is to run a SMC/NVRAM Reset, use a USB2 Flash drive (480Mbps) instead of a USB3 (5Gbps) and build the installer and test the installation.

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User profile for user: Loner T
Loner T
User level: Level 9
59,536 points

Oct 22, 2018 5:50 AM in response to Tech198

Tech198 wrote:


Got a USB 2 flash drive today, and installed Windows 7 in Bootcamp successfully..

Excellent.


Tech198 wrote:


When Bootcamp drivers installed, it installed the USB 3 controller, which would be probably why it they work in Windows, but not during install..


Strange..

The W7 installer does not have USB3 drivers, even though the Mac hardware can support both. Once W7 is installed, the BC drivers install the XHCI drivers to enable USB3. This is normal expected behavior.

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User profile for user: Tech198
Tech198 Author
User level: Level 1
84 points

Oct 9, 2018 8:12 PM in response to Loner T

ok.. now you tell me... perhaps that was my biggest mistake .... obviously i know it was, but seemed that was the only "solution" i found regarding this error message..


No other external devices connected, just the one USB stick.. its a USB3 flash dive, but being backward compatible with USB2 speeds, i don't think that wold be the issue..


If Windows had issues with USB 3 "port" issue. it wouldn't even be recognized at all. I know some people have got this to work with USB2 flash drive, which doesn't make sense of Window can recognize it anyway.


I did find the error message "cannot create System partition" is related to no MBR found on Windows partition, so the question becomes why didn't bootcamp do this


This is on a clean setup on Mac mini and clean install of Sierra 10.12.6, and issue can be reproduced every time.


The other other solution i fund given with going into the BIOS, which of course, a mac does not have...


so, its kind of gong round in circles. The solutions offered for the error would work on PC, no doubt about that, but they don't work on Mac, at least not on the "volume"

Reply

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Bootcamp : Windows install fails

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