"No bootable device"; unable to install W7?

Hello all,

I'm new here; I'm Wim, coming from the Netherlands and own a MBP 13".

On that MBP, I have a problem; I can't install windows 7 anymore.
I did before, I use the thing for work and am eligible for an Enterprise license; I got the DVD, did that in my superdrive and it ran under bootcamp.

Now, I put in an SSD, took out the superdrive and put in there my old HD which I emptied.

The bootcamp assistant said before it was going to partition the disk, that there was no bootable windows around and quit on me. I did make a usb stick with W7 on it.....

I searched and found (a LOT) of ways to make a bootable stick and I tried them all(!!) Been busy for three days now.
I even found a version of boot camp that allows you to make a bootable stick and tried it; it let's me make that stick and partition the HD, so that is good, but when it restarts, I get a black screen and the message: "No boot device found - insert bootable disk and press any key" and I can't go any further.
The original BC doesn't let me get further; it doesn't even make a partition because there is no bootable windows.

Now it's impossible to come by a cable to attack my superdrive through usb and I really don't want to buy it even because I'm not sure it is going to work.......

The usb stick's I made, were all not shown in the screen when you start up and press "N".
Believe me; I tried them all.......

The original BC even says that it can't install from a usb device, but I read a lot and everywhere they said it can be done.

I'm running ML by the way.

Can anyone help me out here please?


Another thing; I must have made some errors here writing and as it's important to me that I write (and speak) English properly; please feel free to correct me where I made those errors.
You don't upset me of course; I will be pretty pleased by it.

Thanks for your time!

You can only install Windows 7 from USB if your Mac was originally built without an optical drive (i.e. MacBook Airs, MacBook Pro retina).

As your Mac originally came with an optical drive it's expecting the bootable media to be on that drive.

Your best option now would be to use an external DVD drive to do the Windows 7 install.

You can get sata to usb adapters like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001A5SK56/

This gives you power and a data connection, you can then connect it to your Mac by USB for the duration of the install

You should have left the hard drive where it was first installed. The reason for that is the hard drive slot in a MBP has the built in "Sudden Motion Detector". The SSD should have been installed in place of the optical drive.

I know it was suggested to buy an external optical drive to install Windows 7 but I don't believe that will work. Windows needs to be up and running in order for an external USB optical drive to be recognized. From past experience with other members who have done the same thing as you, only an internal drive will work.

Apologies if the external DVD solution doesn't work, felt certain it did. Didn't mean to mislead.

I have found this.... though I'll preface it by saying I've not tried it:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3276874?start=0&tstart=0

@mrplow: Good find. That should work as spelled out in the thread.

Thanks for the reply's, I really appreciate that!

Now I had tried an externel HD (my own with a cable from a friend) and though it shows up the windows and windows EFI (something.....) in the menu when I startup and hit ALT, it does not work for installing.
So, that is correct; it can't.

But I have tried 1001 ways to make a usb stick and even the way in MRPlow's link; it doesn't work......
It does not show up either when I press ALT.
So when I "do" bootcamp and let it restart; nothing happens.....
When I do this with the external HD attached; I get a black screen with one little white line blinking.

How can it be that all my ways of making the usb failed?

I just went over the instructions again provided in the link. It should work just as was given. I have no reason to install Windows 7 on my iMac, but I'll test the instructions with my Windows 7 DVD and a spare flash drive that I have and get back to you.

Same problem with my MBP. But already solved.

Same problem with my MBP. But already solved.
For adding a SSD driver, I've removed the internal optical driver and placed SSD in where the HD belongs, and put the HD driver in where optical driver belongs with a extra HD shelf.
Then the nightmare begins. I try to use the general optical driver from Macbook,well, it's a external driver now, to install WIN8 by bootcamp, but after MBP reboot, the screen is black only a cursor is flashing. Well, external driver does not work, then I tried USB driver, it shows
"no bootable disk" after reboot.
The only way you can do is unassembled your MBP, and return your optical driver to seat.