Is it possible to use bootcamp to install windows on a flash drive (rather than an HD partition)?

I would like to run windows on my Mac preferably from a flash drive, or an external drive. I don't want to install it locally because I don't have enough HD space. I've found a few sites and videos that show you how to do this from a PC (like this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh-F6dcXmsE) but I don't have a PC and I'd like to know if it's possible to use bootcamp to accomplish this.
Thanks very much for any help! Would be greatly appreciated.

If you have Windows-to-Go, it can be installed on an external disk, otherwise Windows licensing restricts it. Bootcamp has additional checks to enforce such licensing.
You can always install it on an internal drive first and then put the drive in a USB enclosure.

Similar Messages

  • Hello Everyone,      I have a MacBook older model with me.I am running 10.7.6 on that, I was trying to use BootCamp to install windows on my mac. Since BootCamp can only work on a single Volume, I partitioned my Hard Disk to one volume.   Using BootCamp I

    Hello Everyone,
              I have a MacBook older model with me.I am running 10.7.6 on that, I was trying to use BootCamp to install windows on my mac. Since BootCamp can only work on a single Volume, I partitioned my Hard Disk to one volume.
    Using BootCamp I installed windows and everything worked fine. After installing windows and testing everything, I switched back to OS X and this time I tried to make another partition on my single portioned Mac volume and named it Backup. That too worked. Now I have three Volumes
    1)Development2)Backup3)BootCamp.
    Next when I switched to Windows, It should the classic error, No Bootable device found, please insert a Bootable CD and press any key. When I tried to enter my Mac OS X install DVD and by pressing option key, it does not show me the proper Mac OS X development volume. It keeps going back to the No bootable device found message.
    Any help will be much appreciated
    Regards
    Mithun

    you can't add a partition in between - you put Windows to a new partition number.
    GPT (GUID)
    EFI
    Mac HFS
    Lion Recovery
    Windows
    And now you have two HFS
    One partition and one Windows (plus Lion Recovery).
    If you were to have more, it can't be before Windows for one thing.

  • Using bootcamp was installing windows xp, at the select ntfs or fat format selected "leave the current file system intact." How can that be changed to a correct choice. Mac side opens correctly. Windows shows disk error.

    using bootcamp, was installing windows xp, at the select ntfs or fat format mistakenly selected "leave the current file system intact." How can that be changed to a correct choice. Mac side opens correctly. Windows shows disk error. and doesn't respond to press any key. When looking in the startup disk section, windows on boot camp can be seen, but not selected. (13"MacBook Pro  10.6.8)

    Have a read here http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1722 for solution.
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  • I have used Bootcamp to install Windows 7 on my new Mac OS X Lion. Now when I start my computer it starts directly with Windows. How do I get back to Mac?

    I have used Bootcamp to install Windows 7 on my new Mac OS X Lion.  Now, when I start my computer it starts directly with Windows.  No way to get back to Mac

    I have used Bootcamp to install Windows 7 on my new Mac OS X Lion.  Now, when I start my computer it starts directly with Windows.  No way to get back to Mac

  • Can I install Windows ON a flash drive or on flash memory?

    All over the internet I see questions from people wanting to install Windows from a USB flash drive with varying results, but my question is different.  I want to install Windows ON removable flash memory.  I would like to purchase a MacBook Air, but would like to also continue making use of Boot Camp without taking up too much of my limited hard drive space.  I've found fast 3.0 USB sticks and flash cards that would be nice, but can they be treated as a partition in order to install and run Windows?

    Ignoring the fact that Windows doesn't really support booting from removable media (you might be able to force it if you are willing to build a custom installer), I can think of another reason you wouldn'r want to consider this.  Windows is notorious for heavy usage of the swap file, and I believe I recall reading one report where someone had managed to install Windows to a flash drive, and within 30-60 minutes, the OS had written to the swap file so much that the flash memory was beginning to fail.  Remember that each time you write to flash memory, it cases a small amount of damage to the memory, and after a significant number of writed, it will fail.  Regretfully, the Woindows swap file will cause this threshhold to be reached very quickly, and then you start getting write errors...

  • Is it possible to have multiple partitions on my hard disk drive and use Bootcamp to install Windows?

    Hi all,
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    Few more details:
    Mountain Lion 10.8.2
    Bootcamp 5.0.0
    Thanks for your response

    You can't create a Boot Camp partition on a drive you've already partitioned, and you can't install Windows 8 through Boot Camp at this time.
    (71680)

  • Can I use bootcamp and install Windows 7 on an external Thunderbolt drive

    Hello,
    I want to know if it is possible to install windows 7 on a thunderbolt external hard. I have a limited space on my harddrive and want to have windows 7 operate and store data on the thunderbolt drive.
    Anyone know if this works or if its possible.
    Thanks

    i use a thunderbolt ssd for my boot disc and it appears that bootcamp appears to start ok. in disk utility i can partition the drive successfully so i would be really interested if this would work. personally i cant see any problems.
    are you thinking about formating the drive and installing windows without bootcamp? that will definately not work!
    however with bootcamp you stand a very good chance of achieving your wish. please keep us posted if you decide to do this.
    i know of one way that can absolutely do it, but it means installing osx on your ext. first. i have vmware on my ext. running win 8.1 works seamlessly.
    i run bootcamp from my internal hdd with win 7.

  • New MAC Mini w/OSX Lion - will not boot from USB or external optical drive when attempting to use BootCamp to install Windows 7?

    The University recently purchased 6 brand new MAC minis for deployment in classrooms I support.  I am attempting to create a dualk--boot environment comparable to our existing computer systems, only these machines wil be running MAC OS X Lion and Windows 7.  After following the procedures outlined in the BootCamp on-screen prompts, and attempting a few techniques I found in the tech support user-base, I am still unable to get the MAC mini to boot up from the USB flash drive, or from an external optical drive, so that I can complete the installation of Windows 7.  When using the Boot option key at start-up, all devices are displayed suggesting that they are being properly recognized, however the computer boots to a black screen with an error message indicating that "No bootable devices are  found - press any key to continue." I am able to boot into the computer's internal drive, but not from any external devices.  I fully expected that the semi-automated BootCamp procedure properly prepares the USB device for booting, and for installing the Windows 7 OS.

    Meh, with the price they take for a drive in Denmark, I don't think it's worth it... They take around 160 $ for the drive (that's the cheapest MacBook drive I could find), and I am not even sure that's the one I need.

  • Using BootCamp to install Windows 7 on a Mac

    I need to use Windows to utilize the software on my Metal Detector so I've decided to try installing Windows 7 with Bootcamp.  I am using an Intel iMac from 2011.
    Although the procedure seems fairly straightforward, I noticed that in the requirements for Win 7, something called DirectX9 is required.  Do I need to install this or does my Mac already have it?

    DirectX is a Microsoft proprietary programming interface used for 3D rendering (mostly games, but also used in more professional applications). It's part of Windows and is installed with the operating system. DirectX is not used by OS X in any way.

  • Problem using bootcamp to install windows 8

    I just bought a new MacBook Pro and have updated the software to 10.9.1
    I am trying to install window 8.1 using Bootcamp.  Windows is on a disk connected via an apple external drive.
    After initiating Bootcamp, downloading software to a USB drive, partionining the hard drive, things just don't go anywhere after that.
    It asks me to insert windows disk, computer restarts, then screen goes black with a question "hit any key to boot from CD", then back to start screen  - skipping installation.
    What gives?
    <Edited By Host>

    Hi Austin1801,
    Welcome to the Support Communities!
    The article below may be able to help you with this.
    Boot Camp: System requirements for Microsoft Windows operating systems
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5634?viewlocale=en_US
    Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide
    manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1636/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_10.8.p df
    What you need:
    An installation disc with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8, or Windows 8 Pro.
    You must use a single full-install Windows installation disc. You cannot use an upgrade version of Windows.
    An external drive formatted as MS-DOS (FAT).
    I hope this information helps ....
    Have a great day!
    - Judy

  • I was using bootcamp assistant to install windows 7 via flash drive, i followed the steps, the Windows installation image was installed successfully and the boot camp partition was made andy mac restarted then i got this message "no bootable device insert

    "..no bootable device insert boot disk and press any key", i restarted my mac and held options and managed to log in to my OS x again but my windows wasn't installed and when i held options while my mac was starting the usb flash drive wasn't there, what should i do? Also can i restore my usb flash drive to use it as a regular flash drive again?

    Hi Michael!
    Yep, I did get this running. Not in a normal way (meaning the easy way). What I did, is that I just created the BOOTCAMP partition in OS X. Just let it format and create the partition where you would install BOOTCAMP.
    After that I discovered that via a ISO program (WinClone) you can directly restore a previously created OS X boot image to your current computer. So, I installed a blank Windows 7 to my macbook pro, didint install any drivers and just let it work up then. Then I went back to os X (in macbook pro) and made a bootimage for the BOOTCAMP partition. After that I saved it to my external harddrive and wired it to my iMac. In iMac I just downloaded the same boot-image program and restored the bootimage that I made in Macbook Pro to iMac. After that I made an restart and the bootcamp section with windows worked well with my iMac. Install the bootcamp soft and you can do everything and everything works. FYI, you get the windows working via those steps, BUT if you either delete or do anything to make your bootcamp partition unworkable then you will have to repeat those steps again. But it´s fast non-the-less, so it shouldn´t be a problem for you.
    If you didin´t understand anything or something doesen´t add up, send me a letter or a notification.
    Hope this helps.
    Indrek.

  • Used Bootcamp to install Windows 7. Now, my macbook pro 13 mid 2009 will not boot back into OSX, there is no Bootcamp utilities like there should be anywhere to be found, and the DVD drive will not recognize the OSX install disk that came with my laptop.

    Basically all in the title. Also, some additional info: partition was 115 GBs for Windows, 385 or whatever for OSX (I have a 500 GB Harddrive), I have tried restarting multiple times, and the drive will recognize the DVD, but almost as if the DVD is blank, as it asks me to format it or drag files to it, etc.

    Hold your "Option" key down while starting your machine.  Continue to hold it down until you are presented with the boot menu which should allow you to select either OS X or Windows (provided you didn't somehow wipe your OS X partition).  When you get into OS X, you can go to System Preferences / Startup Disk.  Here you can select the default startup partition (OS X or Windows)... when you're installing Windows via BootCamp, it gets changed to Windows so when you finish setting up BootCamp, it automatically reboots and launches the Windows installer.  Installing all of the Windows drivers from the OS X DVD should provide you with a Startup Disk option under Windows as well.

  • How to install Windows 8 from flash drive

    So I want to install Windows 8 via a flash drive .  But I don't know how to do it because when I go through the bootcamp setup it asks for a disk. So is there some software to trick my computer into thinking that my flashdrive is actually a disk?

    Vegerot wrote:
    Okay.  Is it possible—if I don't have a large enough DVD—to use multiple smaller DVDs to store it?
    The smallest DVD is large enough to hold the Windows installation iso.
    It will cost less than $1
    Here's a pack of 50, for $15.00

  • Can I install windows onto a flash drive in my ExpressCard/34 slot?

    I want to buy a ExpressCard/34 SSD and install it into my MacBookPro. Then using Boot Camp, I would like to install Windows onto it. Is this possible?
    Also, when installed, will the SSD Express Card be discrete and flush with the side of the MacBook Pro?

    Hi,
    Windows can not be installed onto external disks. Microsoft hasn't built this feature into Windows.
    Although it seems to be possible to install Windows onto an USB-connected harddisk with some tricks, and ExpressCard connected HD (SSD or not) would simply not work, sincce the needed driver to access the ExpressCard slot is not present at installation and later on not present at bootup.
    Sorry
    Stefan

  • I used bootcamp to install windows 7 to my macbook pro 7 whenever I try playing a game the graphics seem to be lower or than what it's suppose to handle. I'm not good with technical stuff so i don't know that much but I'd really love some help.

    Help please

    Try a restart.
    If that doesn't fix the problem, shut down the computer and then power it back up. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart by using the application unistaller. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.
    Safe Mode
    Safe Mode - About
    General information.
    Isolating issues in Mac OS X
    Troubleshooting Permission Issues
    Step by Step to Fix Your Mac

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