Installation of Windows 8.1 in the Maverick Bootcamp Issues

Question

When installin the Windows 8.1 on the Bootcamp partition of the OS X Mavericks. I have removed the original optic drive and placed it in a seperate case connected USB. The Bootcamp 5.1 (and 5) have both been used to attempt the installation. The Bootcamp partition is created. Once the two check boxes have been selected (I have assumed that the first check box must only be done once in order to save this to the USB flash drive). Upon the Bootcamp Assistant recognizing this installation a pop up will tell you to give the disc a few seconds to recognize the you click the OKAY box. The desktop will fade out and the Apple loader (circle will be in view). The desktop will then reboot to what appears to be the installing of the windows disc. Upon the self reboot the screen will go to a quick gray (5-10 seconds) then default to a Blackout screen with a flashing cursor in the top left corner (this is the same quick screen that occurs whenever WIndows 7 or 8 is in it's boot initial start). Now from hear the installation never continues. At this point I have tried the methods and have spent 8 hours with both the LeveL 2 technicians at APPLE and MICROSOFT. To no avail!!!! There would appear to be a conflict between the Windows EFI files at booting the windows and the Bootcamp assistant installation commands for the partition booting for install. Nobody as of yet has come up with the solution or answer/fix. If anyone has seen this or has found a work around for this issue. Please feel free to post. I feel this is either a very simple issue that we are all overlooking or this has not been addressed as of yet. As I understand both parties are saying that they have been getting many calls regarding this issue but have not understood why it is occurring. I will be will to post different scenarios that have been attemted. Again if anyone has seen this and/or found a way to make this work please post you methods and/or thoughts. Oh by the way, all of the installations directions dealing with the Windows step by step instruction from both Windows and Apple have not worked. If the hard reboot is done and holding the option key (therefore giving you your drive selection options) you can see the Windows disc in the external drive but it will not boot to that drive. This leads us to believe that the USB is the conflict with the Windows EFI files. We have attempet this also from the Flash drive installation using the .iso but upon the hard reboot/option start the flash drive .iso file is not available for disc selection. This has led me to think that a .iso copy could be placed on the new bootcamp partion (in the Disk utility application) but I am uncertain if this could be booted form the hard reboot/option startup. Just some thoughts. So again, our final stage is staring at a Black screen with a cursor flashing, oh and there is no keyboard entry recognized at this point. In order to exit you must hard reboot/option restart to get back to the Mac HD. Looking forward to your ideas folks!

Answer 1

Okay, new update! As of today, I have been able to finally create a .ISO bootable flash drive that contains the new Windows 8.1 Pro. Once the bootcamp partition has been made I can now interrupt the reboot process and using the Option Key select the new EFI bootable Windows disk (on USB) it's orange. The Windows begins to load and takes me through a few steps of selecting language and enter the product key. Then we move on to the selection of the partition that is to be used for the installation of Windows. Here is where I have tried several different types of things but have not been able to get through to the installing. Depending on what selection was made during the Bootcamp partitioning installation from my Utilities in Mavericks will depend on the faults that I get. If I choose to erase and make a new installation on the new bootcamp partition then during the Windows installation (at the partitioning step) I will get the error that Windows cannot be installed on the MBR disk (Master Boot) and must be done on the GPT disk. If I try any of the disk options at this point it will either delete the partition (and cannot ADD a new partion) therefore I am forced to return back out to the Mac HD OS and restart the Bootcamp process OR If in the Bootcamp set up I choose the first option to make a partition for the Windows installation then once I get into the partitioning set up for the Windows install it says the same thing. Now I have also attempted all of the other options even the load drivers option (assuming that maybe this will allow me to load disk drivers to read the Bootcamp HD) Nope, still no continuing on to installation. I have read many days on several other methods used in the Forum. By the way, thanks for all the posts it has allowed me to be able try just about everything to include the cloning of the Info.plist files and teminal authorizations for USB and so on. I'm not a supertech but have been able to find my way around with some difficulties. The real issue here is that Apple and Microsoft have yet to make this process  very easy even for someone who has some experience with this. I have loaded Windows 7 on several other Macbook Pros operating earlier versions of the OS X but this has become absolutely too time consumming to ever wish to continue to operate MAC products in my preferred Windows. I have used other 3rd party boot patitioning programs such as Parallels and VMware. My experience with these types of programs make the install process much easier but in time as different OS software updates are applied these programs tend to have different problems forcing the user to make odd corrections at the most in opportune times. If there is anyone that has any information to further my progress I am all ears to see what may be the fix!