Need help installing Windows 8.1 with Bootcamp

[paulv]

Hi, I have purchased Windows 8.1 online and created a .iso image on a DVD.

I am running MacOS 10.9.5 on a mid 2011 27 inch iMac. Bootcamp assistant is version 5.1.2.

When I launch Bootcamp assistant, the task "Create a windows 7 or later version install disk" is not there. I only see 2 tasks available "Download the latest Windows support software..." and " Install Windows 7 or later version"

See
https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT203909

I have created the Windows .iso file as per instructions on the above support page. and followed all the instructions. But I get the error message "The installer disc could not be found. Insert your Windows installer disc and wait a few seconds for the disc to be recognized." But nothing is recognised.

I have copied the .iso file from my DVD to the desktop, and I have copied the .iso file to the USB where bootcamp installed the "latest Windows support software from Apple".

In every case, I get the same error message.

The first image below is what I see when I loat Bootcamp assistant, the second is what Apple support says i should see.

I am not offered any option to partition the hard drive.

Any help gratefully received.

Paul

 

[Lifeisabeach]

The screen cap you see is identical to the one I see on my mid-2010 iMac. The problem I have is that I replaced my internal DVD drive with an SSD, and you cannot install Windows from an external DVD drive. At least not on Macs that came with an internal one. So question here is... did you do something similar and no longer have an internal DVD drive?

EDIT: also note that the message says you need a full install version of Windows, not an "upgrade" version.

 

[paulv]

The screen cap you see is identical to the one I see on my mid-2010 iMac. The problem I have is that I replaced my internal DVD drive with an SSD, and you cannot install Windows from an external DVD drive. At least not on Macs that came with an internal one. So question here is... did you do something similar and no longer have an internal DVD drive?

EDIT: also note that the message says you need a full install version of Windows, not an "upgrade" version.

Thanks for your response.

I have purchased a download of the full install version of Windows 8.1.

I am trying to install from a .iso file I have copied to a DVD on the internal drive on my mac.

Paul

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Thanks for your response.

I have purchased a download of the full install version of Windows 8.1.

I am trying to install from a .iso file I have copied to a DVD on the internal drive on my mac.

Did you copy the ISO to a DVD, or burn the ISO to a DVD? When you open the DVD, you shouldn't see the ISO file. You should see the contents of the ISO file laid out like you would if you had gotten Windows on DVD in store.

 

[paulv]

Hi Lifeisabeach,

I'm not sure exactly what you mean. I don't know what a Windows disk looks like.

Here's a screen shot of the DVD contents. I tried to use the Windows.iso there.

Paul

 

[paulv]

Hi again Lifisabeach,

I used windows7USBDVDtool to crate this DVD from the download of Windows 8.1.

I don't know if that helps or not.
Paul

 

[Lifeisabeach]

You made it correctly. I'm out of thoughts at the moment but will look into it some more later.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Ok.... is your hard drive partitioned already? And how much drive space is free vs used? I'm thinking now that, even if you have enough free drive space, your drive is too heavily fragmented and there isn't enough free "contiguous" space to partition and install Windows. (EDIT: although that wouldn't explain the error message you are getting. Hmmm... still this needs consideration).

 

[paulv]

My hard drive is not partitioned, and has more than 650Gb of free space.

The only thing I can think of is that I am running XP on Parallels 10.2.1 on this drive. Would this be seen by bootcamp?

 

[Lifeisabeach]

My hard drive is not partitioned, and has more than 650Gb of free space.

The only thing I can think of is that I am running XP on Parallels 10.2.1 on this drive. Would this be seen by bootcamp?

Parallels wouldn't affect anything.

I found a discussion on Apple's forums where someone had the identical problem as you. In this person's case, they had to re-burn the DVD.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7043358

Use Disk Utility to make it, and ensure that the "speed" setting is set no higher than what the blank DVD is rated for.

 

[paulv]

Thank you sooo much.

It's a bit late here in AUS to try tonight (nearly midnight), but I'll definitely look into it tomorrow.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks again
Paul

 

[paulv]

Hi Lifeisabeach,

I've finally solved it. When I burned only windows.iso onto another dvd, that dvd worked to install windows on the Mac.

Thanks for your help

Paul

 

[Slydude]

Hi Lifeisabeach,

I've finally solved it. When I burned only windows.iso onto another dvd, that dvd worked to install windows on the Mac.

Thanks for your help

Paul

Just to clarify because I may have to do this in the near future. Are you saying that you burned the .iso itself to DVD rather than "unpacking" the files and burning them to DVD.

 

[paulv]

In disk utility, I selected windows.iso and then clicked burn.

 

[Slydude]

Thanks. That's what I thought you meant.