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Windows 7 Boot Camp install

Written by Travis Nuske

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Guide for preparing OSX to install Windows 7 using Boot Camp and image using deploy studio for deployment

Prepare OSX for Windows 7 Boot Camp install

Before you can install windows using Boot Camp, you must first prepare the internal hard disk in the computer.

Open disk utility (Macintosh HD -> Applications -> Utilities)

Setup the partitions such that there is 1 Mac OS Extentended partition. If there is more partitions, the bootcamp setup assistant will fail.

Run Boot Camp Assistant

Open the Boot Camp Assistant program (Macintosh HD -> Applications -> Utilities)

Once the introduction screen appears, click Continue

On the Create a Partition for Windows screen, choose an appropriate size for your Windows 7 installation. Am installation of WIndows 7 without any software installed is over 10GB - I suggest a size between 50 and 100 GB. Click Partition

After the disk has been partitioned, pop your Windows 7 disk into the DVD drive on your computer and click Start Installation. The Mac will reboot and automatically begin the Windows 7 installation process.

Installing Windows 7

Once the initial setup process has completed, you will see the windows setup wizard.

Choose the appropriate language, time & currency format, and keyboard. Click Next

Click install now.

On the next screen, accept the license terms and click next

Choose the Custom (advanced) option.

On the next screen, choose the partition maked BOOTCAMP.

Note: I found that the partition was created, but not formatted. If that is the case, choose the BOOTCAMP partition, and then choose Drive options (advanced). Click Format.

Click Next.

As the machine installs Windows 7, it will reboot a few times - If you see the prompt to "press a key to boot from the DVD" - do not press a key, let the machine boot from the internal disc.

Boot Camp Boots to Blank (Black) Screen

At this point my iMac booted up to black screen - it is apparently caused by an incorrect display driver in the bootcamp setup. To work around this issue:

1. Boot from the Windows 7 DVD

2. When you get into the Windows installer, Choose your regional settings and click Next. Choose "Repair your computer".

3. Windows will scan for installations and prompt you with a list. Select your "C" drive and click Next.

4. You should be presented with a windows titled "System Recovery Options". At the bottom of this list you should see "Command Prompt". Select the command prompt.

5. When the console opens, you can delete the offending driver using the following command:

DEL C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ati*.sys
DEL C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\nv*.sys

6. Type exit to close the command window and exit reboot the machine

Apple have identifed this issue and provide a solution too: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3173

When prompted, give your Windows 7 machine a name and choose Next.

Set a password if you wish, click Next.

Set the option for windows updates.

Set the Time zone, date and time.

Set the wireless network details (if appropriate)

Set the Network Location.

After a few moments, it will be ready to use.

Install Boot Camp drivers

Download the Boot Camp drivers updates from the Apple site.

The 3.1 x64 version is here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1336

The 3.1 x86 version is here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL996

The 3.2 x64 version is here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL979

The 3.2 x86 version is here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1333

Note: I had installed the x64 version, and the supplied Boot Camp drivers on the DVD do not run without a few additional steps

Open command prompt in administrator mode - right click the cmd program in the start menu and choose Run as Administrator
At the command prompt type net user administrator /active:yes
log out of the current user and log in as Administrator
Using explorer, open the DVD drive and navigate to the bootcamp/drivers/apple/ folder
Double click bootcampx64.msi
Once the installer is finished, reboot the machine and log back in as your standard user (not Administrator). Open a command window in administrator mode again and turn off administrator account by entering net user administrator /active:no

Once Boot Camp 3.0 is installed, install 3.1 and 3.2 in turn.

Polycarbonate (White) Macbook Display, Co-processor & SM Bus Drivers

If found that once all the boot camp installers have completed, there are still drivers missing on the white macbooks (09/2010 model). You will need the nforce driver package available at nVidia - I found that the only version that works is 15.56-nforce-winvista-win7-64bit-international.whql.exe available here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce-vista-win7-64bit-15.56-driver.html

I also found that the display drivers provided in the boot camp package are not satisfactory. I installed the latest geforce drivers available here: http://www.geforce.com/Drivers/Results/39066