Install Windows 7 from a USB on mid 2011 15" MBP

Hello all,
I have a problem. My Optical drive is not working at all, so I can't install windows from the disk. Is there any way that a 2011 MBP can install windows 7 from a usb or by some other means.

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Only Macs without a built-in SuperDrive can install Windows from a USB drive or an external optical drive. In your case, unfortunately you can only install another SuperDrive and use it to install Windows in Boot Camp. There isn't any other option because it's restricted by firmware

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Problem installing windows 7 on iMac i7 mid 2011

I myself have a 27" i5 mid 2010 model but a friend of mine recently got a 27'' i7 he wanted to instal windows 7 because he also uses other software aswell
Specs of his iMac 27'' :
Thunderbolt
HD Facetime Camera
4gig of memory
2gig videocard
1T HDD
OsX 10.7 Lion completly updated
Oke here is my and his story/problem:
I start bootcamp download the software i need too install bootcamp on windows 7 Ultimate.
After that i create a partition 200 gig for windows 7 Ultimate. i click on the button to start the install.
After the restart i press enter and the windows setup starts after some clicks i format the bootcamp partition as explained by apple in there support.
I click on install windows start to install after the first boot it wil compleet the install normally this wil install the drivers and you get normal resolution ect,
this doesn't happend. It keeps the big chunky resolution. so that tells me that the drivers aren't installed.
After windows compleets the installation it restarts does a video test, and brings us to the screen where you need to fill in your name and password then windows asked a few things and the world time ect, and when you click on done or compleet. Normally you will get something like this (Please wait a moment windows is preparing your desktop) instead of that the mac restarts, (but the windows dvd is still in the superdrive because you cant get it out) it asked me if i want to press a button to instal windows no i wont, so i wait it counts down so it wil start up windows. now here is the problem it doesnt startup to windows it hangs and does nothing.
I my self have a mid 2010 27'' i5 model and had a blank screen everytime i tryed to instal windows 7 ultimate, i learned that there was a download available where you can create a MBRFAT USB stick where you copy a .xml file and a driver map so windows got the right drivers for my model so it would install succefully,here a link http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3173 where i found it.
Is there something like this available for the
iMac 27'' model mid 2011
with a 2gig videocard
Thunderbolt
HD facetime camera
4gig memory
10.7 Lion
Any help or links would be nice

You should probably re-post in the Boot Camp forum.

How to install windows 7 using usb as the bootcamp doesnot have the option of creating a bootable usb. please help

I have an intel based mac with 10.6.8 mac os x. How to install windows 7 using usb as the bootcamp doesnot have the option of creating a bootable usb. please help

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
You can install Windows from a USB drive in one of these computers:
- MacBook Pro with Retina display.
- Mac mini (Mid 2010 and newer).
- MacBook Air.
- iMac (Late 2012).
If you don't have any of these Macs, you can't install Windows through a USB drive. Instead, buy Windows on a DVD. Follow Apple's steps > http://support.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1519/en_US/Boot_Camp_Install-Setup_10.6. pdf

How can I install Windows 7 by USB? MacBook late 2008 10.6.8 Boot Camp 3.0.4

Someone please help...
I have tried software update and no luck. I think my Boot Camp on Mac 3.0.4 is not showing me the right option on creating a USB installation. It asks me to load Windows 7 CD when I don't have it, I bought it online... Every download I tried from Apple is .exe and I am losing hope on this one...

You can only install Windows from a USB with one of these Macs:
- MacBook Pro with Retina display.
- Mac mini (Mid 2010 and later).
- iMac (Late 2012).
- MacBook Air.
If you bought Windows in Internet and you got it in a ISO image, you can burn it into a DVD. Simply double-click the ISO image, open Disk Utility, right-click the ISO image in the sidebar and burn it

2011 MBP 15", how to install Windows 8 via USB?

I successfully got my Windows 8 installation files on a USB. I just upgraded to Mountain Lion and no longer have the option to install Windows from another source. How can I install Windows 8 off my USB? BootCamp Assistant only offers the CD option.
Best regards.

On computers which Apple shipped with an Optical drive, then the Boot Camp utility expects you to use that optical drive to install your Windows OS. Since the 2011 MBP shipped with an optical drive, the Boot Camp utility expects you to boot the Windows installer from that drive.

How do I install windows from USB on Macbook pro 3,1

How do I install windows from USB on Macbook pro 3,1 ?
My Superdrive is far from super anymore, So I managed to make an extern drive with both Snow Leopard Partition, Lion Partition (Since I thought Boot Camp 4,1 would bypass my problem), and Time Machine partition, Since I got 1. USB drive that works.
- My general issue is that Boot camp Refuse to see the USB drive - (Many "how to"´s though show how they install windows perfectly through the USB port, but they use airbooks!, and somehow the Macbook will not ?)
I fix that issue with >> rEFIt <<, that suddenly makes it possible for the Mac to see the USB drive, and partitions.
Which was very strange since I could use an extern HD with the whole installation to start up wipe the whole disk, and then use my extern drive with partitions to install Snow Leopard and get everything as before with timemachine. Very smart with timemachine, but very lucky that I have a extern drive that runs the whole system and that I made the partitionsdrive before. DVD-drives are the past!
Point: So the original system could see the Snow Leopard installation USB disk, but boot camp cannot find the USB drive ?????????
After rEFIt I booted and then I got this error:
Starting bootmgr.efi
Error: Unsupported while loading bootmgr.efi
I read it could be a problem with the Windows software, so I purchased an extern DVD drive, Used Disk Utility to make an image (.DMG), then used another program to convert the .dmg to .ISO.
Then downloaded a trialversion of vmWare fusion, and installed windows from the iso. Everything worked brilliant, except and that is why I want to use boot camp, Running windows in another program while running the mac system is a little hacky and slow.
Point: Nothing is wrong with the windows software, and windows runs fine.
I then downloaded the Windows DVD / USB Tool, reformatted a USB drive as Master Boot Partition, MS-Dos Fat partition, then after lots of struggling got Vmware, windows to recognise the USB drive. And installed the windows software on the USB drive, as all the walkthroughs recommend.
Then I tried for "fun"! to just install windows form the extern USB drive, and with rEFIt it will see the drive and start to do something, but then when it starts to boot, the screen just turns into black and nothing happens, and you can see the drive does NOTHING. (I think it is because I only have 1 USB drive and the Extern DVD drive does not get enough power, but again the mac refuse to see the USB drive unless it is a Snow Leopard installation USB-drive!
Well trying to install Windows Ultimate 64 Bit, which worked great in vmware, because that program installed from the .ISO file that I had on the desktop, but trying with Boot Camp did not get anywhere, what kind of **** program is this boot camp anyway!?, but then I try the new USB disk with windows made from windows, thorugh rEFIt, it sees the disk and then starts and then I get this ERROR:
rEFIt - Booting Legacy OS
Starting legacy loader
Using load option ´USB´
Error: Not found returned from legacy loader
Error: Not found from LocateDevicePath
(x 9 times)
Error: Load Error while (re)opening our installation volume
The firmware refused to boot from the selected volume. Note that external hard drives are not well-supported by Apple´s firmware for legacy OS booting
(Hey Apple please send out a updated firmware that fix this issue?!)
So how do I do it ? - or is the only option to fix the partition running the system from the extern disk. Format the whole drive in 2 from the "bottom" and install windows and then afterwards install Mac on the other partition ? Or just run windows on the mac and forget about mac software ? What a stupid solution...

There are strings in the pliist file to add other Macs so that you can use some USB-DVD drives.
This is 5 page thread, so a little more 'meat' to it:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3410900?start=60&tstart=0
And on PC booting Windows from a USB DVD to do the install is usually a piece of cake, sometimes you just need to specify that USB in the BIOS boot order and sometimes select via F12 (or another Fkey) and that is it.
What you have here seems to be everything and everyone is excluded unless there is a mac-model device ID string that specifies yes. An unnecessary hurdle.

Solution to install Windows 7 on Macbook Air MID-2013 after 3 weeks of test, make with ISO image a usb key 2.0, It works!

Solution to install Windows 7 on Macbook Air MID-2013 after 3 weeks of test, make with ISO image a usb key 2.0, It works!

1. Select Partition4: Bootcamp. You should see advanced Options.
2. Click Format and convert the partition to NTFS.
3. Click Next.
Reference - http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1636/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_ 10.8.pdf
See Page 6.

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gtp error while installing windows from usb! how to solve it.

Hello mmarti,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Please ensure you are following the Boot Camp installation guide, as you should be selecting the partition named "BOOTCAMP" when you are at the Windows installer screen. See page 6 of the following PDF:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1636/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_ 10.8.pdf
Take care,
Alex H.

Installing windows from USB MBP3,1

Hey Everyone,
I have a MacBook Pro 3,1 running 10.8. Optical drive broke so I decided to put a second HDD in its place. I can see it fine but when I go into Boot Camp Assistant the second HDD is not there for me to select where to install Windows.
Also I've tried so many ways to install Windows on an USB so I can install if from there on my MBP but for some reason i can't boot to it or boot Camp Assitant can't recognize it.
I've tried Refit version and setting my MBP as a Target so I can install windows from my MacPro at work, but that didn't work either!! I'm going crazy!! Please some one help...
I'm thinking of taking the second HDD out and putting into my MacPro at work and installing windows that way.
Thanks
Steve

Hi Chaaker,
I can't comment on installing Windows 7 to the Boot Camp partition (or on a USB stick) but I can comment on the last part of your question.
EFI-based Mac computers can definitely boot to a USB volume, assuming the volume it's booting to is configured as a start up volume. I was at a Genius Bar several months ago and saw two MacBook Air computers getting support and both of them were running off USB-based external HDs.
The only potential point of failure I see in the equation is the EFI startup sequence being unable to read the USB drive that has Windows 7 on it.

Install windows from iso on older mac

Hi everybody
I have a mid 2010 MacBook Pro (15"), running Yosemite, and I want to install Windows on it using bootcamp.
Since my optical drive doesn't work properly, I hope for installing windows from an iso file.
The problem is the system's bootcamp assistant have not such option.
Is there a workaround for it?

You can modify the Bootcamp info.plist using Enable Bootcamp to install from usb for OSX 10.9**WORKS** , but for Macs with built-in Optical drives, BC Assistant sets the CSM-BIOS layer to boot from the Optical drive. There is no way for a user to change it. Some 2011/2012 Macs allow a USB/ISO combination, but older Macs will run into issues with Keyboard and Mouse drivers which may not work.

How to install Windows 8 or 7 on Mid 09 Macbook Pro (10.9 Mavericks)?

hello fellows
     i have a macbookpro mid 2009 , i had installed windows 7 on 10.8 and using well .
    Two days earlier, i upgraded the ssd and installed the 10.9 on my laptop. but i cross into trouble when install the windows.
     i have follow the instructions that windows 8 installation on 10.9 by using a usb, and i have a bootcamp partition. but the screen stay white after system reboot.
     did anyone have installed windows 7 or 8 on mid 09 with 10.9 Mavericks successful ?

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Your MacBook Pro is not designed to install Windows through an USB drive, so do not use this option. You are getting a white screen because your MacBook cannot start up from the USB drive with Windows.
Instead, use a DVD with Windows, so you will be able to install Windows. Follow these steps > http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1636/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_ 10.8.pdf
Mid 2009 MacBooks Pro do not support Windows 8 officially

Install Windows from external dvd drive?

ok.there is my problem.
I have a Mac Pro here.Last week the dvd driver stopped work and I do not have time to fix it now and I need urgently install the windows xp because need to use a specific app for windows.
Is it possible to install windows xp on bootcamp using a external dvd drive (usb).
thank you.

I have the exact same problem - my internal SuperDrive died and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay over $500 to get a new one. It appears to be utterly impossible to install Windows from an external DVD drive. At least it seems to be that way for me and my machine.
I've tried my drive connected with USB and with Firewire. I've tried rEFIt. I've tried booting with the Option/Alt key. My Mac seems unable (or unwilling) to do this.
I've found many many people with the same problem and only a very small handful that seem to eventually get it to work.
I've even tried to use the 30 day trial of VMFusion (which is not a long term solution because it doesn't use/mimic sufficient video drivers to support the games I want to play) to install Windows to the partition and I can't get that to work either. The Windows installer seems to refuse to install an older version of the system when the boot version has already been updated to a new one.
Does anyone out there have a way to reliably install Windows on a BootCamp partition?
Cheers,
Fusilier

Can I switch out a hard drive for an SSD without having to clone the existing hard drive, and then install Yosemite from an USB Boot Drive onto the new SSD?

Can I simply replace a hard drive with a new SSD and just install Yosemite from a USB boot drive onto the SSD? I recently bought a used MBP and it has absolutely no files on it except for the OS, and so I'm assuming I don't need to clone the current hard drive as I can just reinstall the OS onto the new SSD.

Honey_Revenge wrote:
Thanks.
Just a quick follow up question, is formatting the SSD with HFS+ done in Disk Utility?...
It's possible that the SSD will be set up for use on a PC, which means it will have a Master Boot Record partition table rather than a GUID Partition Table, which is what Yosemite needs. In Disk Utility, select the SSD and click the Partition button. Create a new Partition Layout and click the Options... button at the bottom. You'll likely see MBR is selected. Choose GUID instead and Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for the Format.

Re: How to install Windows from recovery media on a new hard drive?

Immediately after a Windows update, my computer would not restart. It said disk error.
I could not start it from the recovery media and F8 would not work. I bought and installed a new hard drive. Now when I put in the recovery media to install Windows on the new hard drive, it gives an error message.
What can this be? Should I be able to install Windows from the recovery media?
It is Windows 7 and the laptop is Satellite A500, 64 bit.

Hello
Generally speaking you can install recovery image on every compatible HDD so thee should not be any problem about it.
Please tell us what happen when you start recovery installation. Which error message is shown?
Is new HDD recognized in BIOS. Before you start recovery installation set BIOS to default settings.

How to install archlinux from pendrive/usb?

I downloaded archlinux-2010.05-core-i686.iso.
I unmounted the pendrive.
Would i format the pendrive with ext3/ext4 or fat32 or fat16 format?
After that i would do dd if=archlinux-2010.05-core-i686.iso of=/dev/sda
If i use unetbootin, should i format the pendrive with ext3/ext4 or fat32 or fat16 format?
Has anyone used unetbootin to install archlinux from pendrive/usb?

jasonwryan wrote:I'm pretty sure all of your questions are answered on the wiki: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … lash_drive
I did:
dd if=arch.iso of=/dev/sda
But after setting bios boot option to usb and reboot,it's not booting from usb.
What's the problem?
I get the normal grub menu.
Last edited by cola (2010-06-17 09:49:34)

Install Windows 7 from a USB on mid 2011 15" MBP

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