Can't get windows 7 to boot install

Hi there,

So I have a imac mid 2010 version running OS X 10.9.3...

I'm trying to reinstall my version of windows 7 (64bit) onto it.

Now I have managed to download all the support files and managed to get the iso image onto a usb but when I reboot and hold down the option key, it only gives me my mac os and a recovery disk.

I have the original windows 7 disk (that works fine, been tested on another computer) and I put it in when it ask's for it but about 30secs after I put it in it does nothing and chucks it back out.

Also have tried burning the iso image but this kinda did the same thing.

I have installed this windows 7 disk twice before on this imac.... 1st time it worked fine followed each instruction and worked perfect. 2nd time it did the same thing with the disk so I booted from a usb and it came up in the boot menu when holding down the option key.

Now i'm lost

Please help.

You can't install Windows 7 on your iMac using the USB flash drive because your iMac is equipped with an optical drive. You have to use the Windows 7 DVD to install. The drive on your iMac may be dirty. Buy a can of compressed air and blow several blasts into the drive to see if that cleans it. If the drive is working right, it shouldn't eject the Windows 7 disk.

Ok.... I thought I tested it by putting a random music CD in it and it worked and played fine :-/..... I also put 1 of my fathers OEM windows xp disks in which was on some random DVD and that showed up too.

Well then, your Windows 7 DVD may be scratched or dirty. Check it closely and wipe all fingerprints from it. I really dislike the slot loading drives on Macs because of their fragility. Thank goodness my 2013 iMac has no optical drive.

hmmmm DVD seems fine (I just tested on another computer) this is really frustrating

ok I scrapped windows 7 off and went with windows 8.1....

This lets me have a option on the boot menu for it "efi boot" so I start the installer but get A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB or a hard disk driver. If you have a CD, DVD or a USB flash stick with the driver on it, please insert it now.

I'm guessing these are the drivers we downloaded through bootcamp? no?

Yes, beginning with Windows 8.1 EFI Boot (Intel) is recognized rather than depending entirely on BIOS settings (normal for PC). As a matter of fact, the new Mac Pro can only run Windows 8.1. As for the driver disk or flash drive, make sure you download the correct drivers for Windows 8.1. I'm not certain that the drivers you previously downloaded for Windows 7 will work.

How do I do that? when I downloaded the drivers in boot camp it never gave me a option to download which drivers I would like....

Here is the LINK for the latest Boot Camp support which includes Windows 8.1. Download it and use that instead of what you previously used for Windows 7. If it's the same, disregard.

Thanks....

quick question can I download these on my other computer and put them on a usb and plug the usb into the computer which I'm installing windows on and this should work right?

Thanks again for your time and knowledge I apologize for my dumb questions

Yes, you can download it on another machine. As long as you make the new version of Boot Camp drivers available during the install process it should work. Keep us posted on your progress and don't worry about asking questions.

hmmm I seem to be getting the same message

So yeah here is a image of what actually is on the external hdd that im booting off...



The $winpedriver$ and the bootcamp folders along with the autounattend.xml are the folders/files i downloaded via your link. I tried this 1st on a different usb but still the same outcome.

not sure if the images are showing but here are the direct links...

Gyazo - 31dd5fd02eaff62c56a1f71e99a6d5a8.png

Gyazo - 98cf983f2d56cb25ebbc888d0d62b976.png

if only my super drive would take my install disk

Are you installing Windows 8.1 from DVD or a flash drive/external drive?

external HDD.... wish I could do it via the super drive but when i have too put the disk in just spits it back out after 30sec or so.... I've tried to test the super drive by putting a music cd i there and playing it whichn worked fine.

That's what I thought. You're not going to be able to do the install from an external hard drive because the drivers to load the external hard are not present until Windows boots. Buy a can of compressed air and blow a few blasts into the drive to see if that gets it working again.

if i do this process with a flash drive will/should it work that way?

You can try, but I think the same problem is going to exist. If your Mac had no optical drive at all, the process would be a lot easier because you would then be able to do the install with an iso image. Try the compressed air.

I wanted to make this post just out of courtesy of chscag being the only one the has helped me across many forums.

So hopefully I can edit and paste this fix into my 1st post and maybe get the tittle change to the thread because this is actually a windows 8.1 process and I'm not sure if it will work for other versions of windows.

NOTE: I'm not sure how good I am at explaining things here I just thought I would get this info down as I found it really tough and took me some time to get windows on my machine. So if you have any question please feel free to ask.

To start off forget everything in this thread!! Also remember I have a Imac 27" mid 2010 with a super drive that doesn't seem to work.

So here is what you need according to the way I managed to do this...

1. Windows 8.1 (either a downloaded iso or a install disk)
2. USB over 4gb
3. Another windows computer with access to the internet

I think these are the basic things you will need off the top of my head right now.

So step 1

This step is if you have a windows 8.1 disk.

If you find that when you run the bootcamp your superdrive doesn't accept your windows 8.1 disk then you need to do the following.

Get your windows disk and go to another windows computer (I'm sure you could do this on a mac os as well but I'm not mac savvy so I prefer to do this on a windows computer).

Now we are trying to get the iso image and burn it on to our windows computer. So we are going to need some software for this, I used Download | BurnAware

1. Install this software which I think is pretty simple.

2. Once installed run the software, click on copy to image.

3. You need to set where you are going to copy this iso file from. So put your windows disk in and then from source please select your optical disk drive. (The disk may auto run, So just let it do it's thing and the 1st chance you get to cancel the installation do it and quit out of the application)

4. Now under destination select browse, Navigate to to where you want to save this iso file, (I made a folder on my desktop for easier finding) then name it something like windows8 and then click save.

5. Now click copy

6. Wait until this process is done, once it's done you can close the application and your iso image should be where you selected to save it when doing step number 4.

Feel free to remove the software after you have done this if you want.

Now that we have a iso image we need to get to this onto a bootable usb drive.

Lets prepare our USB 1st...

1. Plug your USB into your windows computer.

2 .Important!!! Back up everything on this USB if you have files you wish to keep on this USB, After the next step all your files will be deleted that are on this USB.

3. Now go to my computer and you should see your USB stick. right click and go to format

4. I'm pretty sure you can leave everything as it is and please make sure quick format is selected. Then hit start. This shouldn't take long.

That's our USB prepared.

Now it's time to get our ISO image to our USB stick. For this we will need some software.
I used this, get the free trial and install it. ISO CD DVD image creator, editor and ISZ DMG DAA UIF to ISO converter - UltraISO can extract/create/edit/convert CD and DVD image files directly, make bootable CDs and convert ISZ DMG DAA UIF to ISO.

Now make sure you your USB is inserted.

1. Go to the ISO file that you burned to your windows, Double click it this should bring up a dialogue box from the software we just downloaded.

2. Click continue to try.

3. Now you should see your ISO loaded into this software, if it looks confusing don't worry just do as I say and you should be fine.

4. Up the top you should see, File, Actions and Bootable.

5. Click Bootable.

6. Go down to the 4th option and click "Write Disk Image"

7. A write disk image box should pop up.

8. Under disk drive make sure your USB is selected. (Don't need to click the verify box)

9. Double check next to image file it should your image path. (CUsers\yourcomputer\desktop\windows8.iso)

10. Go to write method and make sure it says USB-HDD+

11. Then hit write, this will bring up a box saying warning all your on this drive will be lost click yes.

Now it will burn the iso image this make take some time. Wait Until it says Burn Successful.

If that confused you please watch this video on how to use the software. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApRK8av2IOI

Now you can remove the software if you wish. Also safely remove your USB stick and you also can take out your windows disk. (We won't need to the windows computer again)

Now boot up your mac.

1. Go to disk utility

2. Go to your mac os on the left hand side and make sure it is selected.

3. Go to partition hit the plus( +) button, this should make another partion maybe named like MAC OS 2 or something similar.

4. Make this partition the size you want your windows HDD to be, do this by dragging the partition.

5. hit partition

6. Now go to the partition tab again, make sure you have the MAC OS 2 partition selected and hit the Minus(-) button. Now you should see that your MAC OS 2 is deleted and it just free space.

7.Hit partition

Wait until this is done.

Now everything is prepared we can begin the windows install.

You need to reboot your computer and when you hear the chimes or see a white screen you need to press and hold your option key on your keyboard until you see your boot menu.

Should be like 3 disc. Your mac OS and a EFI disk and a recovery disk.

Select your EFI disk and Windows should start to install as normal.

And that is it. Again I'm not sure how good I am at explaining things here I just thought I would get this info down as I found it really tough and took me some time to get windows on my machine. So if you have any question please feel free to ask.