Install Windows without network connection

Trying to install Windows 7 Pro on a 2013 MacBook Pro (which I lovingly refer to as a very expensive paper weight).
The tools I have at my disposal:
- Empty usb flash drive
- The latest boot camp software downloaded as a .zip from App Store
- External cd/dvd drive
- Windows 7 Pro installation cd
- .iso image made of installation cd (after I realized its too brain dead to use physical media)
- NO NETWORK CONNECTION. (and this is the show stopper)
Cannot under any circumstances use wireless at the office and wouldn't you know it the machine doesn't come with a wired network adapter. Or a cd/dvd drive. Or a way to connect to a standard workstation monitor. All of those are extra. But I digress.
I've taken the machine home and used my home wireless to download the latest boot camp files (which now reside in the downloads folder as a .zip file). But I'll be damned if I am going to do this work at home in the evenings in my spare time.
So...back in the office with no internet. If I try to create a bootable usb it insists on re-downloading the drivers even though I already have them downloaded. If I manually copy the files over to the usb it balks because the usb drive is already bootable. If I skip the usb drive the windows install balks because it doesn't like the partition created by boot camp. Seriously???
There must be a way to do this. I have all the parts JUST NOT THE INTERNET CONNECTION. As you may have guessed I am a *tiny* bit frustrated at this point.

It has always been possible to activate Windows via telephone (you may have heard of such a device). Do you have anything useful to contribute to the discussion?
Back on topic: It would seem you need an internet connected Mac to create the USB boot drive. Once this is done however it should be possible to use this already created USB boot disk to do an offline install. Haven't tested it yet. Still this requires at least one machine connected to the internet in order to make this work.

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I have a hp datavault x510, running windows home server. i wanted to remove a antivirus program which could only be completed when you rebooted in safe mode and deleted it. i forced the datavault to reboot into safemode however i didn't choose the option that says boot into safe mode with network connections, instead i choose without network connection.
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Hello Grootser,
Your system is one of our business models
Your question may be better answered on our business forums.
Here is a link to the business forum.

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Hi!
I have a Macbook pro Early 2008 - MB134LL/A but its optical driver cannot read any disc. Now I want to install Windows via BootCamp but it cannot. Anybody know how can I install Windows without optical Driver? I tried to boot by USBflash, USB DVD Driver but it cannot boot.
I think that does external optical drivers via firewire work?
Thanks alot!

Thank you for your reply, and the information. This is what I came up with:
I added the strings as instructed, however when I went to sign the script in terminal, I was told:
/Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app: replacing existing signature
/Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app: code object is not signed at all
In subcomponent: /Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app/Contents/info.plist
Also, here are screen captures of the lines that I added. Mine are the top string entries:
Thank you for your help, thus far!

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Just wondering if there was any way I could install windows without the leopard disk. I'm at work right now and was hoping to install windows vista but my leopard disk is at home.

Welcome to Apple Discussions.
If you have a copy of Windows Vista with you, you can use Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows partition and install Vista on it. The only point is you cannot install the necessary drivers at this time since you do not have the Leopard DVD.

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I have a WRT160N router connected to a Verizon FIOS cable modem with five computers (all Windows based) wirelessly connected to the N router. Four of the computers auto detect the N router connection when the computer starts up using Windows Wireless Network Connection and operate well. One of the computers, which is the only one running Easylink for router configuration, will not connect through the Wireless Network Connection. I have to use Easylink to manually connect. The WNC gives a msg that Windows cannot configure this wireless connection and to configure the wireless connection using Wireless Zero Configuration service. When I configure WZC correctly the WNC sees all available networks and allows me to select the Advanced Wireless checkbox to allow Windows to connect to the wireless network. However, when I reboot the computer none of the configuration parameters are saved and I am back to manually connecting using Easylink and going through the entire process again. Any suggestions? Thx

Uninstall the EasyLink and connect manually. I think EasyLink 3.0 or later is coming soon ..
For information on upgrading the firmware on the linksys routers :
http://linksysfirmwares.googlepages.com/upgradingfirmware
For information on wireless security :
http://linksysfirmwares.googlepages.com/wirelesssecurity
C | EH
linksyshelp.blogspot.com

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Already i download driver for install the windows, i can get the drivers but i can't install windows, how i can install windows without downloads driver again

already i download driver for install the windows, i can get the drivers but i can't install windows, how i can install windows without download driver again

This seems to be a commercial product. For the best chance at finding a solution I would suggest posting in the forum for HP Business Support!
You can find the Commercial Laserjet board here:
http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-LaserJet/bd-p/bsc-413
Best of Luck!
You can say thanks by clicking the Kudos Star in my post. If my post resolves your problem, please mark it as Accepted Solution so others can benefit too.

How can install archlinux full without network connection?

Hello,
I need install Archlinux, I usually install this OS with an ISO NetInstall Image, but in this momment I haven't a good network connection, only wireless connection but this is very slow. Exists another option for install ArchLinux full?
Any image full? if the answer it's yes please do you give me a link? and if the installation proccess it's different please give me a tutorial.
Thanks and regards.
Last edited by th3r0rn (2011-06-15 16:31:37)

Inxsible wrote:
No. it does not. No Arch installation would give you a desktop by default. It seems that you need to read more about Arch and its philosophy. You can however master your own ISO, if you are willing to go that route.
You might want to give some other distros a try. Maybe Debian or Ubuntu, or even Slackware which provides everything on a single CD or DVD.
I know Arch, but usually I install Arch with a NetInstall and I execute this command
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but this proccess is very slow and I thought that with core image that would be different.
Then I need a network connection....
Last edited by th3r0rn (2011-06-15 16:36:23)

How to install Windows without USB or DVD drive on 2009 MacBook

Problem
I have a MacBook Pro mid 2009 fitted with both an HDD and SSD.
Obviously I had to remove the DVD SuperDrive to fit in the HDD into the Optical Bay.
This is awesome big and quick storage, but you can't use it for BootCamp anymore, BootCamp Assistant says. Because it needs the optical drive for installing Windows and it won't accept it via USB.
The good thing is, that you don't need the Bootcamp Assistant for installing Windows.
So:
I have Mac Os:X Mavericks working from my SSD (which I fitted to the HDD bay for increased speed)
The HDD is installed in the former optical drive bay, with one MacOS Ext partition for Mac storage and the other one being NTFS with Windows.
Solution
The solution is a little bit tricky, needs either a virtual Windows machine or a real one and it involves removing and refitting your hard drive, but on an older MacBook Pro like 2009s that originally came with an Optical Drive there is no other way. afaik.
Step 0.5
Backup your Data
Step 1
Partitioning your desired drive
You can do this using Apples Disk Utility if you have installed either Tuxera NTFS or NTFS 3G. Or you do that in step 3 in Windows.
I'd recommend a size of at least 30 GB, Windows 7 alone takes up around 20 GB
Step 2
Remove the hard drive and connect it to a windows machine
Afaik the next step has to happen in Windows with full hardware access. If you want to use a virtual machine i.e. VM Ware or Parallels you need to connect it via USB as an external device, otherwise it won't have full access to the partitions. Obviously you can use a real Windows computer too. Still you're gonna need to remove the drive from your Mac.
Step 3
Re-format and set "active" partition state
Format desired partition with NTFS, quick format works fine. (just in case)
Open your Windows 7 Image (or Disk) and Copy the directories "Boot" and "Sources" as well as "Bootmgr" onto the partition
Make the Partition bootable:
Using Windows XP, Vista, or 7, open CMD as Admin (Windows key + R, type CMD, hit Enter)
Enter the following commands, (replace X with what applies to your hard drive):
diskpart
list disk
select disk X
list partition
select partition X
active
exit
X:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 X:
Exit and shut down
(Source and additional images: http://www.instructables.com/id/Install-Windows-7-without-USB-or-DVD-without-upg ra/)
(If this is somehow possible using Mac Tools, please let us know!)
Step 4
Fit the HDD back into your mac
Just that.
Step 5
Install windows
Start your Mac and immediately press and hold the alt (option) key until you can select the other drive to boot windows.
Install using advanced installation to select the same partition.
Step 6
Clean up
After the installation press cmd + r (in windows) and type and run msconfig
Click to the Boot tab.
Click 'Windows Setup (\windows)', and hit Delete.
Click OK.
Click 'Exit without restart'.
And lastly, delete the ‘Sources’ folder from your hard drive root (this will free up 2-3gb).
Final Step:
Install the Mac drivers (Get the right version here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5634 )
Recommendation: Use Winclone Pro to backup your precious installation.
On a footnote: This article was a big help to me: http://www.instructables.com/id/Install-Windows-7-without-USB-or-DVD-without-upg ra/)

Have you tried resetting the PRAM? http://gigaom.com/2011/07/26/when-to-reset-your-macs-pram-and-smc/
Which Windows version are you trying to install? If I remember right, you can't use windows 8 on these older machines.
Other than that it's hard to say what could have gone wrong. I can only suggest going through the steps again carefully and making sure everything worked the way it should.
Have a look at this article too for a slighly more verbose instruction on making a drive bootable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Install-Windows-7-without-USB-or-DVD-without-upg ra/

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Hi.
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Sorry. Already found it.

DP
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Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag

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Hello,
I have a 2009 iMac that I want to install Windows 7 on. I have both a Windows 7 iso and a Windows 7 DVD. However, my cd drive is a mess, and upon trying to install Windows 7 from the DVD, the installation failed miserably 3 times at expanding windows files 0%. From there it just freezes for more than an hour and then gives me an error.
Now, my Bootcamp Assistant has an option to create a windows 7 install disk, but unfortunately it is greyed out.
My question to you guys: Is it possible to install Windows 7 on the iMac without using the cd drive?
I am using Lion, if that is helpful. Also, the Windows 7 DVD works fine, as I have already installed Windows on my 2011 iMac from it.
Thanks!

I'm in a similar situation. Attending an online university and I need to use Access. But of course, Microsoft doesn't make a Mac version. I can get Windows through the university discount program, but only as a downloadable .iso file and a verification key. My drive works fine, I just don't have an actual CD/DVD to put in there.

Installing Windows WITHOUT Boot Camp

Upgraded my MB to a 250Gb HDD and now have the room to run Windows. I'd use Boot Camp, but I have the HDD partitioned in two and BC requires a single partition. Since I prefer the separate partitions, can I do the following?
1. Backup everything
2. Erase second partition and divide remaining space into two new partitions (resulting in 3) one of which is for Windows
If so, how would I install Windows on the third partition? Can I just boot of the Windows CD and be very careful to install Windows on the 3rd partition?
And yes, I have the Mac driver CD ready.
Thanks for your help

As it turns out, you don't. I simply backed my drive up, partitioned it into three, restored Tiger to Partition 1, my photos to partition 2 basically just a data drive) then installed Windows on partition 3. I can boot to it by holding Option on bootup and I can also run it in a VM using VMWare Fusion. Looks like Boot Camp is just a way to do it for those unfamiliar with partitioning, etc. I'm guessing decades running PC's told me it was doable. May also have given me somehow know-how that I applied without really thinking about it. Dunno.
Bottom line: Boot Camp is NOT required to run Windows natively on a Mac. Nevertheless, I thank you both for your comments
PS rEFIt was not necessary either

Another BC Question (Installing Windows WITHOUT Boot Camp)

Is it possible (and/or even advisable) to install Windows on my second internal without Boot Camp? (i.e. reformatting the entire drive as one Master Boot Record Partition, then boot and install from Windows disc directly)?
If so, are there instructions for doing this anywhere? or would i just do it the same way i would install a new Mac OS from cd (more or less).
After that, would I insert Leopard CD and install drivers as usual?
If done this way, would there still be a way to boot back to Mac OS from windows? or would i have to do the option key at start up process each time?
No other reason than that I'd like them each on their own drive.
I will likely install Vista, but might wait to buy 7, if that matters. Primarily for games.
Thanks again.

I'm interested in this as well and tried it out on my mid-2009 macbook pro using the following instructions:
http://derekhat.com/install-vista-on-a-macbook-without-bootcamp/
I haven't gotten the drivers to work out nicely (eject, function keys, delete, trackpad scrolling/rt-click) don't work yet but things work for the most part. I tried to find the drivers by navigating through the Max OSX disk (Windows couldn't find all the drivers even though I guided it through all the available folders) and also by running Boot Camp (errors didn't let me install it).
I'm interested in learning more if anyone has gotten further.

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Your antivirus / firewall software is interfering with the update process. Disable it.

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Hi，
I suggest you check solutions listed in this blog, check the log and file permissions
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Install Windows without network connection

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