Problems with Windows 7 (x64) in Boot Camp (Bootable CD)

Hello!

I`m having a lot of trouble trying to figure out what I`ve been doing wrong here.

I have downloaded a Windows 7 (x64) ISO from Microsoft, twice. Burned them into a blank DVD once in Mac and the other time in a PC and none of them worked. Then I lost my patience and asked in my college so they would burn the DVD to me properly (it's not piracy, my college provides the burned ISO and then a original serial number for each student).

The thing is, after Boot Camp has sucessfully created a Windows partition, I insert the DVD (third time with another different DVD) and Star installation. The Mac is rebooted and freezes in a blank (white) screen for several minutes. I need then to reboot myself and restart pressing Alt to boot in Mac OS X.

I don't think is a media problem any longer, so I beg someone to help me.

Thank you, guys!

Your machine specifications? Year, model?

Sounds like a bad DVD or bad install. Windows 7 is fairly easy to install alongside OS X using Boot Camp. It's easy because the upgrade version will also work.

However, since you didn't say what type of Mac you're trying to install it on, we have no way of knowing if your machine is capable of installing a 64X version of Windows 7 or not. Did you try installing the 32X version?

Post back more info.

Regards.

Sorry for that.

I have the new 21.5 inch iMac (base model). Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, NVIDIA 9400 M (G)...

I don't think this is the problem, but who knows.

I wonder if it's because the DVD is burned in a PC, but I guess it should be burned the same way for Mac, right?

Thanks again!

Well, your machine is certainly capable of running both the 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows 7. About the only thing I can think of is that it's a bad burn or bad BC setup. And no, it shouldn't matter if it's burned on a Mac or PC. The process is the same.

If you downloaded Windows 7 from the Microsoft store, don't they also offer a DVD backup for an additional fee?

Another question. The copy you burned or the copy your college burned for you.... have you tried to boot a PC with either one? If the DVD(s) will boot a PC, then you know that they are OK.

I'm just wondering if it's perhaps something you have done when setting up the Boot Camp partition that's causing you difficulty. You need to narrow it down.
You might want to erase the Boot Camp partition and start over. If you do, be sure to use the Boot Camp assistant to remove the partition.

Regards.

I don't think is a media problem but nothing better to know for sure than testing in another computer. I will try that.

If the media is not the problem, I will try to do a clean Boot Camp setup erasing the previous partition and doing all over again.

If I still can't solve this issue, I will update this same thread.

Thanks for the help!

OK. Let us know if we can be of more assistance or you can PM me.

Regards.

Tested the CD in a PC and Windows loaded all the files OK and entered in the Windows Install screen.

I think that means the CD is OK.


So before I go through trying all over again, do you think a PRAM reset would solve my problem? I've been reading about it, but don't know exactly what it is.


Regards

A PRAM reset wouldn't hurt, but I really think you need to start over. Use the Boot Camp assistant from OS X to remove the BC partition and then create it again and attempt the install once more. (Do not use Disk Utility as that will leave the partition empty and create more problems for you later on.)

At least you know the DVD is good. Now you can focus on the install.

Let us know how it goes.

Regards.

Something is really messed up here...

I could start the installation now, don't know what I did different this time (maybe Mac starts when he wants to, hehe), but in one of those Restarts in the middle of the Installation of the Windows, Mac restarted and again freezed in that white screen.

When rebooted with Alt pressed, it shows Windows but when I select it, the screen freezes. That is probably because the installation hasn't finished yet. In the Mac's desktop, there is still my Boot Camp partition but this time named "untitled".

The CD was never the problem, something else is. Whenever I tell him to restart and boot over a CD, he can't do that, he goes straight to a white screen freeze.

Now what I want to know is: do you think something like a PRAM reset would solve this issue? If yes, how do I do this reset?

And do you think I could resume the Windows installation by manually rebooting the Mac and booting it into the Windows CD again? Looks like I have to do this every time, Mac can't do it automatically nor in the first try.


I am afraid I can mess up my Mac rebooting so many times

Thanks for your help.
Regards

As I recommended previously, starting over from the beginning is probably the best thing to do. As far as the PRAM/NVRAM reset goes, it's easy to do. Just follow the instructions given here.

Regards.

Well, then what I'm going to do is reset the PRAM/NVRAM and start over as many times as I can before I loose my patience.

Again, thanks for your help and if something works I'll certainly return here.

Regards.

Well, it worked. But I really can't catch a break!

Yesterday I could install Windows by booting into the Windows partition every restart. Installed the drivers, and used Windows, all working fine.

Today I tried opening the partition and when I try to do it, sometimes Mac freezes and the other it takes a long time and goes into a Windows screen with the message DISK READ ERROR. PRESS CTRL ALT DEL TO RESTART.

I really don't know what's wrong here...

I will try now to, again, start from the very beginning.


And by the way, after Boot Camp is setup, the partition BOOTCAMP stays in the Mac's desktop? Because mine did and I had to rename it to .BOOTCAMP so it would go out.

Regards.

Well, it sounds like you're making progress.

The Boot Camp partition will show up on your desktop as a separate volume similar to the MacIntosh HD. You can rename the volume anything you wish while in Windows. Just open "My Computer" and rename the Boot Camp volume from there. I named mine "Win 7".

Now for the sticky part... What I suggest doing is since you're going to try another install: Boot the machine with your Snow Leopard DVD, exit from the install process, select Utilities, Disk Utilities, from the top menu. Select the First Aid tab, and then do a verify and repair on the disk. Let's see what happens.

I suspect your hard drive may be having problems. The error you mentioned in your last post sounds very much like disk corruption of some sort.

Let us know what happens.

Regards.

IT IS WORKING! But I actually didn't do exactly as you have suggested.

Instead I did a Disk verification and Repair of BOOTCAMP's partition through Disk Utility. It verified and repaired the partition, and it's been like 5 boots into Bootcamp and it is working properly.

I hope it stays that way, it seems like it will.


Thanks for all your help!
Regards.

Al Right! Glad to hear of your success. Keep a sharp eye on that hard drive for any future corruption. And have fun with Windows.

Regards.