How to Install Windows 7 on a Mac Using Boot Camp

Showing 71 comments

1. dicey at 2:26pm 27th January 2012 I have just bought a new imac and wanted to install windows but it does say you need to insert the mac os disc which i did not have when purchased any idea.
2. blog.sharktube.tv » How to get Macs and PCs to play nice together at 5:52pm 25th November 2011 [...] How to Install Windows 7 on a Mac Using Boot Camp [...]
3. How To: Install Windows 7 | Windows Updates at 7:59pm 7th November 2011 [...] How to Install Windows 7 on a Mac Using Boot Camp [...]
4. Nigel at 6:18am 22nd May 2011 Thanks for the instructions; I had Windows 7 Home Premium OEM up & running in no time - without any problems, thankfully.
5. zhwzh308 at 12:59am 31st March 2011 It's amazing to see how much people hate/love apple in a ridiculous way. some of the comments about the author never gets a decent job is just way beyond my conception of what makes a tech personnel hired. corrections: windows is not a open platform! whoever says that must forgot the antitrust lawsuit happened to Microsoft years ago. Also back to the topic, mac does fully support windows 7 with bootcamp. Launch that app and read the instruction yourself. If you previously own a windows installation use that. if you want to upgrade, do that from there. buying a new license also will work, student discount works for most schools in the North America. For university students I recommended ultimatesteal from Microsoft, look that up on the web.
6. seagal at 12:08pm 14th December 2010 I am in process of buying used macbook air (1.5 yo?) 64gb and wanted windows 7 on it...is that possible and or necessary?
7. intransit plate insurance at 8:16pm 9th December 2010 Great writing! I want to see a follow up on this topic!!! -Warm regards, Amado
8. Dave at 9:07am 26th November 2010 I was wondering if it were possible to switch between the two? I would like to use Windows 7 to game, and OS X for everything else. Is it possible to switch between Windows 7 and OS X often, and easily?
   1. tom at 10:50am 5th December 2010 consider software----vmfusion or parallels
9. Ian at 9:45am 22nd November 2010 Please give details, which virus did you prove? does it have a name? how did you remove it?
10. Ceriel at 1:44pm 18th November 2010 Hello, I replaced my old iMac with a new one today. Unfortunately I need to install Windows on it to allow me to remotely login to my employer's network. I purchased a new copy of Windows 7 Home Premium (OEM software) and have tried to install it using BootCamp. Windows goes through most of the installation, then reboots twice. However, then the screen goes black and doesn't respond anymore. I can force a restart, then get 4 options to complete the Windows installation (1 normal startup, and 3 safe modes) but they all give frozen or black screens. Can anyone help??!!
11. basic at 2:15pm 30th October 2010 Thanks God........can I run google apps (http://google.com)
12. Poor Student at 2:31pm 28th October 2010 Friends...I am a college student...I am not clear about the following: 1) I have a MAC 2) There is NO previous Microsoft OS on it 3) I would like to install Microsft Windows 7 on it Question: Do I need a FULL version of the Windows 7 or all I need is the Upgrade? I called Microsoft and they told me that I need the FULL version for lots of $$$$$..... Your HELP is very much appreciated....poor college student :-)
    1. Vlad at 4:32pm 8th November 2010 You will need a full version of Windows 7. Cheapest licensed CD can be found on newegg for $99 plus tax.
13. Erik at 3:22pm 21st September 2010 Can you install windows 7 in bootcamp if you download it off the internet?
    1. ioman at 3:30pm 21st September 2010 You downloaded Windows 7 off the net? Shouldn't be a problem.
       1. Erik at 3:43pm 21st September 2010 Haven't downloaded it yet. I was just wondering if it would all work right and install in bootcamp with the 64 bit windows 7.
          1. ioman at 3:45pm 21st September 2010 Yup, would work. Have fun, you will love it.
             1. Erik at 4:02pm 21st September 2010 Well I downloaded it and started boot camp. What would I need to do to make it work now since there is no disc?
                1. Amazing at 8:41pm 25th September 2010 Burn it onto a disk and then use boot camp
14. yuji at 11:27am 3rd September 2010 when i installed window7 using the bootcamp. all functions work well except for the speaker. somehow the speaker doesn't work. it seems that the speaker driver has not been installed via this method. can anyone teach me how to fix this speaker issue?
15. pietro at 4:14am 2nd September 2010 I have the software in .ISO format.. I used a bootcamp, but there wasn't a choice of select to upload a USB..
    1. Retardo at 8:22pm 15th November 2010 To use a USB with any parallel it is necessary to insert the USB after it is running Windows or else will be formatted improperly. Parallels work for me but not Boot Camp because it is not in my utitlity's is my iMac too old ? it is a 2006
16. pietro at 4:11am 2nd September 2010 Hi, please can somebody help me? I have got a Macbook air and I want to install Windows 7 on it. I have got software of Win7 on USB. and I don't know how can I install to my mac. Can you give me an advice?
    1. lalallalala at 2:45am 11th November 2010 yea, it cant be on a usb, burn your copy onto a disc, that should work.
17. Aw94550 at 4:27pm 29th August 2010 Help. Keep getting a black screen and I can't get the cd out. Trying to install windows 7 but every time it reboots it disappears. Tried holding down the mouse to eject no luck. Any suggestions would surely be appreciated
18. mwd1676 at 3:57pm 27th August 2010 When I'm trying to partition my iMac harddrive, I get the following message: "The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved. Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again ." Does anyone know what that means?
    1. Abbas at 11:52pm 4th November 2010 Am having the same problem can some one help ? When I'm trying to partition my Macbook Pro harddrive, I get the same message: "The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved. Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again ." please help
       1. Vlad at 4:38pm 8th November 2010 When Boot Camp creates a new Windows partition on your MAC hard drive it moves you Macintosh HD files to create some space for Windows. Some of those files for whatever reason can't be moved. Backup your system using Time Machine. Once backup is completed, launch a disk utility and format your HD (All your programs and data will be gone!). Once formatting is completed, install a fresh copy of OS X (using your MAC DVDs). When installation is complete use time machine to restore back you data and apps. When restored, try to create a new partition via Boot Camp again. It's a lot of work, but that's the only solution for you.
19. edwallace at 5:52am 27th August 2010 I am running an early 2010 imac 27 inch i5. I have a copy of 32 bit windows 7- will I be able to run this on my system?
20. Marquette at 2:56pm 11th August 2010 how do you download boot camp 3.1 to the Mac
    1. ioman at 3:20pm 11th August 2010 You have to get it off the Snow Leopard disc. Apple only allows your to download the updates from their website for Bootcamp. You can get the 3.1 update from the Apple website here: http://support.apple.com/kb/dl979 This is for the 64-bit version.
21. Eastman at 5:18pm 5th August 2010 Can you stall windows on a different internal hard drive? I'm thinking about doing this on the new mac pro tower when it comes out in a week or so. Its to play games with.
    1. Wes at 12:05pm 27th September 2010 It will stall automatically, just give it a few hours... hahahahaha. Sorry, couldn't resist.
22. jimmy at 8:05pm 30th July 2010 should one use the 64 bit or 32 when installing Windows 7?
    1. ioman at 9:05pm 30th July 2010 What are the specs on your iMac?
    2. Dong at 4:47am 5th August 2010 64 bit
    3. Chris at 8:39am 20th March 2011 If you have a 64 bit computer, you should install 64 bit windows, unless you have 32 bit windows software that requires 32 bit windows. If you have windows 7 pro or higher, it comes with a fully licensed copy of 32 bit windows xp (xp-mode). But that has the resource downsides of virtual machines. Probably not an issue if you have a newer Mac.
23. Lab Rat at 9:40pm 29th July 2010 I've been trying to install Windows 7 on the newest iMac for the last 4 hours and keep getting a black screen when it tries to reboot. I've tried all the advice I can find on the problem and been getting nowhere. I did this same thing a few weeks ago and it worked with no problems until someone stole my computer. Why did it work last time beautifully and this time it's giving me hell? I could really use some help. Not loving the new iMac
    1. ioman at 10:12pm 29th July 2010 Try holding down the "option" key on the keyboard when your system boots up. It should give you the option to choose whatever OS you want. Let me know if that works.
    2. Dong at 4:46am 5th August 2010 New iMacs with new hardware. Go to the Apple website and download the drivers to USB and reinstall Windows. Pretty easy just Google the black screen issue.
24. Stacey Caddy at 10:00am 21st July 2010 Hi guys, I am having trouble installing windows 7. I get to the installation stage and think it is all down and my mac shuts down? I let it go for awhile but thought after half and hour or so it clearly had a problem....... Any ideas?
25. T. Esparza at 6:09pm 18th July 2010 I purchase a 13" MBP about a month ago. Initially, I upgraded the BootCamp, before installing the Windows 7 Pro (student edition). I didn't have any of the problems many of the posters are stating here...it was been running great for me!!! The only negative thing, I've noticed, when booting up into the Mac OS X, it is a little slower getting to the desktop. I'm sure this is just because of the dual partition it sees, but it still run great as before! I don't own an iPhone, but my wife do have the iPod touch (8GB). I installed the Xcode developer application and learning to use Objective-C...hoping to write some profitable iPhone & iPad apps!
26. nugis at 8:36am 14th June 2010 When almost all the windows stuff is installed and it starts rebooting it just goes black and nothing moves, then i shut it down manually and it resumes installing it and finishes it then blablabla and then when it's like doing those last updates before launching to windows it comes up with and error and not even one of the drivers will install, it's badd !
27. nicholassimon at 10:43am 4th June 2010 If you are installing Windows 7 or new to Windows 7 check out The ABCs of Windows 7 which will help -
    http://ninjarabbits.blogspot.com/2010/06/window...
28. Ian Bell at 10:37am 11th May 2010 After getting Windows 7 installed on my iMac and updating the Bootcamp drivers to the latest, the system is running pretty slow. Seems like the CPU usage keeps going up and down, up and down - even with every program closed. Any idea what might be causing this? Anyone else having these problems?
    1. Chris at 8:35am 20th March 2011 That sounds like the antivirus hogging CPU cycles. Check the settings, or have scans run at night
29. Ian Bell at 11:20am 21st April 2010 I am still getting: "display driver stopped responding and has recovered" when playing games on my iMac with Windows 7 and Boot Camp 3.1 installed. Any idea how to fix this? I have the latest ATI drivers installed.
30. Dan. at 6:47am 30th March 2010 And yes, I have just found out it won't install with the upgrade version. I was told it would work, but only just read that part of the installation guide. Guess that means no Windows till I can afford the full version.
    1. Chris at 2:09pm 3rd November 2010 torrent+key gen. PROBLEM SOLVED.
       1. Ali Akber at 6:26am 24th September 2011 hey sorry if i sound like a noob but i needed some help. I m considering buying a macbook (pro if that important in anyway) but i need to use some programs that only have windows versions. i currently use a torrent version of windows 7 on the PC at my house and it runs fine except that it asks me from time to time to but the original software and doesnt update and all that. But it runs fine.. what i wanna know is that can i use bootcamp or parallels to instal with the same counterfeit copy or do i need to buy the original windows 7 to install it on my mac
31. Ian Bell at 10:03am 5th March 2010 There are applications I use at work that require the Windows OS.
32. Dan Gaul at 9:49am 5th March 2010 There are many applications that only run on windows, that require real processing power and memory where you don't want them competing for those resources with what ever OS X is using.
    1. Ian at 9:41am 22nd November 2010 If you are running in bootcamp windows is the sole OS in use, so no competing for resources at all, you must be thinking of a VM.
33. James_Smith at 9:47am 5th March 2010 I am mystified why anyone smart enough to own a Mac would be stupid enough to want any version of Windows on it, even via Boot Camp. On my own iMac, I run any Windows software I want via Crossover (a commercialized version of Wine) and run my flight simulator, games, and other software with no problem.
    
    What I don't have is anything released by Microsoft. I've had more than enough of the bug-ridden, security failures from them. No Windows trash again, none, not ever.
    1. Robert C. Mustain at 3:54pm 14th July 2010 games. high end games function poorly for everybody else but you on a virtual OS. You are the only person in the world that has no problems running games on your iMac, for the rest of us, we use windows. Pat yourself on the back.
    2. Chelsea Redding at 6:27pm 29th August 2010 I fully agree. PC is a ticking bomb that has like three seconds on it. I'm with you, i have no problems, yet my school wants me to put windows seven on my mac, not gonna happen. I'd rather fail the course. I say people who are PC gung ho are only like that cuz they can't afford mac. :p
       1. Bob at 4:12pm 13th September 2010 you're an idiot that will likely never find a decent job. The Mac is a very restrictive environment. Windows is an open environment that thousands have created software for. Businesses have custom applications that run under Windows for which Apple doesn't have a clue. If you are creative and value business, Windows is the platform. If you want Apple to handfeed you and have no vision beyond what Apple approves.....the Mac is your platform!!
          1. Chris at 4:59pm 5th October 2010 What he said... ^^^^
             1. Thepostman at 1:41pm 11th October 2010 I am a Sys. Admin and agree that Apple has no place in the work place. It is for narrow minded consumers that like to be told what to do and think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yubb5x0OE8&fe...
                1. thepostman at 1:43pm 11th October 2010 The absolute truth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg&fe...
       2. Thomas Hyman at 9:08pm 6th April 2011 I work in tech support. Most of the people who come in own Macs, PC users are resourceful enough and have enough software on the market to solve their own problems. Macs, however, have proven over the course of my tech support life to be unresponsive and severely difficult to configure. It's a closed system and it's very user-unfriendly at the lower levels of the OS. Windows, on the other hand, is not and is becoming better and better security-wise with each new version, not to mention the tons of free anti-spyware out there if you only look.
    3. Steve at 10:53am 3rd November 2010 Well that's nice James.. But why would you buy a 2000 dollar machine to run Mac OS X when you can use an old Intel based PC ? And if you think your iMac is secure you are not very smart in that sense either. Did you know there are proven viruses on Macs? Just because Steve Jobs says you cannot get a virus on a Mac does not mean it's true! I've proven it myself.. So don't be that regular pompous Mac user that thinks because he can afford a Mac makes you better in anyway than anyone using a PC.
       1. geepsy1967 at 4:50pm 30th April 2011 had used macs since the mid eighties, open every page and link I've found, never seen a virus, did you really? I doubt it.
    4. bluenumber6 at 8:24am 10th November 2010 I just bought a new macbook white with the 320m nvidia. using a mac is actually a lot of fun (probably cuz its all new to me) im more of a pc person, but this is interesting. the only problem i have is how this supercharged 320m graphics card can't seem to play games very well... actually not at all. I'm thinking of trying to boot it to windows7 in hopes that windows would actually know how to use this higher end integrated graphics card. The problem i have with playing my games is that the screen starts looking like broken glass! seriously, its awful! I can't see where i'm clicking and the games i play are online and competitive.
    5. ixozet at 4:04pm 22nd October 2011 Oh yes, iOs is not so perfect, I can't store bigger files then 4 GB ... windows 7 is a bit more useful then iOs in my opinion.
34. Ian Bell at 2:29pm 4th March 2010 I am running Windows 7 on my iMac and love it. I think I used the old the old Bootcamp though, and I cannot get the built-in iSight to work. I have tried downloading the driver to no avail.
    
    Has anyone else had this problem?
35. Ray at 12:56pm 4th March 2010 You wrote that you can use the student copy of Windows 7. Your link shows how to buy the UPGRADE version of Windows 7. But the Bootcamp Installation Guide states that "You must use a single full-install Windows installation disc. You cannot use an upgrade version of Windows".
    1. Dong at 4:44am 5th August 2010 No you can use an upgrade lincense. I asked Microsoft they said yes and I bought one and installed it. No problem.
       1. Geoff at 12:21pm 8th August 2010 How??
          1. bruce at 8:07am 18th August 2010 Install from the upgrade disk but bypass the validation step (don't enter the license key, just hit next). Then when it is installed, rerun the installation. It will find the existing install and validate the license key the second time. This is for people who have a previous version and want to do a fresh install to get a clean system. I don't believe Microsoft will tell you to install an upgrade version if you don't have a previous version. If you don't have a previous version of Microsoft, you should probably buy the full version.