Somewhat similar to the Using Boot Camp to install Vista on your Mac walkthrough, this tutorial will take you every step of the way through installing Microsoft Windows 7 on your Intel Mac (running 10.5 or later), using Boot Camp.
Note: if you’d rather not dual boot OS X and Windows 7, you can always install Windows 7 in a virtual environment using Parallels Desktop.
To install Windows 7 on your Mac using Boot Camp you will need the following:
- All firmware updates installed on your Mac (use Apple Button -> Software Update… to check)
- A Windows 7 installation DVD
- Your OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard installation DVD
- Around 30GB of empty hard drive space on your Mac. You can probably get away allocating less than 30GB to Windows 7, but it will leave very little room to install anything in Windows.
- An hour if all goes well, up to 5 hours if not
- Though not absolutely required, it’s a VERY good idea to have a complete and up to date Time Machine backup of OS X – it really came in handy for me. Because part of the process involves partitioning your drive, there’s always the distinct chance something will go wrong and everything will be wiped out.
- Patience, possibly a great deal of it. Having a book handy will also help kill time during the partitioning, installing etc).
Installing Windows 7 via Boot Camp
- Here goes. First thing – close absolutely every open program you can. That includes those things running in the Apple Menu that you always forget about. Don’t worry about killing the Dock or Dashboard – having those running is fine.
- Now open a Finder and navigate to Applications -> Utilities and double-click Boot Camp Assistant.
- Click Continue on the initial Introduction screen. Ignore the fact that it doesn’t mention Windows 7 as a possible OS to install.
- Now you have to decide how much space you want to allocate to Windows 7. You might be able to get away with going as low as 10GB, but I would highly advise against it. You’ll have almost no space left over to install software, and your page file in Windows might cause frequent crashes. I opted for 20GB, which left me with just a bit over 16GB to use after installing Windows 7.
To change the amount of space to dedicate to Windows 7, click the small divider between Mac OS X and Windows, and drag it to the left.
- Once you’ve determined how much space you want to allocate to Windows 7, click the Partition button.
- The partitioning itself doesn’t take particularly long. If you receive an error, proceed to step 10 of the “How to install Vista with Boot Camp” tutorial. It provides all the troubleshooting info you need to resolve partitioning issues. Once you’ve cleared up any problems, or if everything just goes smoothly, proceed with the next step in this tutorial.
- Once completed you’ll notice a new BOOTCAMP drive on your desktop.
- Now insert your Windows 7 DVD and click the Start Installation button.
- Your Mac will restart, and Windows 7 will boot. You’ll be prompted with a window asking you which partition you want to install Windows on. Select the one with BOOTCAMP in the Name column. Selecting anything else may wipe out OS X or cause serious problems. Then select the Drive options (advanced) link.
- With the BOOTCAMP volume still selected, click the Format link.
- Click OK.
- And Windows 7 will begin to install. It’s a fairly boring process, so you may want to grab yourself a cup of coffee or your beverage of choice. But don’t go too far away, because when your system reboots, you’ll need to remove the Windows 7 DVD.
- With the Windows 7 DVD removed, your Mac will automatically boot back into Windows 7, and the installation will complete. You’ll be prompted to select your language, keyboard layout etc. The rest of the Windows 7 installation process is very straight forward.
- Once the installation has completed and your Mac has restarted again, you’ll be able to use Windows 7. WiFi will work immediately (no drivers to install) so connect to the Internet. Windows 7 will then begin to download updates, including the proper video card driver. Let it do its thing.
- Once completed, you’ll be prompted to reboot yet again. Do so.
- Once Windows 7 boots back up again, you’ll notice the resolution is much better, and you can enable the advanced graphics features.
- But if you check for sound, you’ll notice there are no sound drivers installed.
- Insert your OS X Leopard (or Snow Leopard) DVD. When prompted, select Run setup.exe. Note: If you’re using Snow Leopard and a message pops up saying “Remote Install Mac OS X”, close that window and eject the CD. Put the CD in again and this time select “Open folder to view files”, navigate to the Bootcamp folder, and run setup.exe.
- The Boot Camp installer will launch. Click Next to begin.
- Select I accept the terms in the license agreement and then click Next again.
- Make sure that Apple Software Update for Windows is checked, and click Install.
- The Boot Camp installer will do its thing, and install all the required drivers.
- Notifications will pop up with each driver that gets installed.
- Once completed, click Finish.
- And yet again you’ll be prompted to reboot. Remove your OS X Leopard DVD from the drive, and click Yes to restart.
- At this point most of the hardware on your Mac should be working in Windows. However, some iMacs and MacBook Pro’s will have to update to the 3.1 version of Boot Camp for Windows. To do so, just follow the few steps in this tutorial.
- Note: If you still have problems with sound not working, you’ll need to install the Realtek drivers. This tutorial will explain what to do.
- That’s it, you’re done! When your Mac boots, hold down the Option key to select which Operating System you want to boot into.
All Intel-based Macintosh computers support Windows 7 using Boot Camp 3.1 except these:
iMac (17-inch, Early 2006)
iMac (17-inch, Late 2006)
iMac (20-inch, Early 2006)
iMac (20-inch, Late 2006)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2006)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2006)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2006)
Mac Pro (Mid 2006, Intel Xeon Dual-core 2.66GHz or 3GHz)
Yes, but to meny blue screen apears!!!
Yes, but to mrny blu screen apears! i not can’t install windows 7 in my imac
mine went in easy as pie
but when i tried to use the MAC disc, it said that using Boot Camp 64 bit is not supported-so i had to instal REALTEK now i have sound
am i missing anything?
Have just finished Windows 7 64-bit on Macbook, everything works fine except the thing that I want it to work the most WiFi : ( I think I will reinstall Windows 7 again, now with 32-bit version.
i’ve installed the 32bit-version and cannot detect wifi…
Damn it! I ve installed windows 7 and it worked. now its no longer working…can anybody tell me why
In my case, installation was almost done, but during its 3rd reboot just after it completed the configuration and before it was trying to finish installation, I forgot to remove the Media (Windows 7) disk. Now I am stuck. My Mac Pro is rebooting only to Windows. It has a wireless Apple keyboard which windows is not recognizing. Now, either y keyboard should be identified by Winodws after the boot up, or I have to get my Mac after a reboot.
Please suggest.
when my mac (OS X 10.5) re-boots (after step
it brings up a black screen thats says:
1.
2.
Select CD-ROM Boot Type:
and will not respond to anything. any ideas?
Thank you about it but is not install driver wireless..please help me
Windows 7 install on BootCamp was simple but I have 3 problems: 1) login to Active Directory Network – possible but manual on each login; 2) remote login over VPN using RDC – so far not even possible. It never sees my IP address on VPN software ; and 3) ODBC System DSNs set up and test OK but not accessible in Crystal Reports.
Is there something in Windows 7 (permissions) that prevents my machine from connecting in these 3 areas (LAN, VPN & ODBC)? I have no problem connecting seemlessly in all 3 of these areas on XP Pro Service Pack 3 with BootCamp on my older MacBook.
if you are on a 27″ imac from late 2009 and getting the prolonged black death screen while trying to install, you need to load some stuff onto a thumb drive to make the graphics come back. Worked like a champ. Follow the url to get it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3173
Will Boot Camp make NTFS or FAT32 partition? Also, will Win7 partition be visible and accessible in Mac OS X and vice versa?
Astra – NTFS. When in OS X, the Win partition is readable, but not writable. When in Windows, the OS X partition is totally invisible, by default. Using this tutorial, you can install a program in Windows that will allow you to access the OS X partition (from Windows) but it too is read only.
Thanks! Really helpful!
Thanks a lot………….!
This is very help full to the mac users who ever stuck with some driver issue….>!
Many thanks from KL!
Brilliant help thanks!
How about iMac 2008? I am having issues with sound.
Am i being stupid, once you have installed Windows and the disk is partitioned, can you change the amount of memory you have for both windows and mac
Once you have installed windows onto your mac and you have selected how much of your hard drive you want partitioned, at a later date can you change the amount of memory each have
thank a lot
When I try to boot from the install disc, it spits it out, and reboots into Mac OS X.
Whats wrong?
Thanks. Great posting. Everything worked as advertised. Very Helpful.
what is the best windows verson for my macbook pro 13″ 2010??
i’ve tried to install win7 32-bit in bootcamp but it crashed frequently even when im not running 3rd party applications..thanks..
Hi,
Thanks a lot for the tutorial. Everything went well, except 2 problems:
1) Same as many people from what I see here above: no wifi available once windows7 install is completed. It seems the hardware was not installed. I had also a error on the network controller, that windows7 was not able to fix. What I did to fix the problem:
– I inserted the snow leopard DVD (3.0 bootcamp) (as per tutorial) => installed many drivers, but did not fix the wifi issue
– I connected to internet through the ethernet cable, and run “Apple software update”. It upgraded to 3.1 version and automaticaly triggered the drivers update => the wifi icon appeared ! the error on the network controller disappeared.
– Then, I applied the windows7 updates. No problem.
2) the second I faced is weird, I searched for this problem quickly but I did not find any comment about it. During “Finalizing your settings” step (windows7 installation): I got a windows error (windows message pop up with the red cross), saying basically: can not write on c:\ drive. It was dealing with a boot* file, I do not remember the name exactly, unfortunately I did not write the error number. I skipped the error, then the installation got stuck at the “finalizing your settings” step (for more than 10 minutes), which is supposed to last few seconds from the tutorials I saw. I switched off the computer, it started and installation resumed exactly where It was stuck before. I restarted the macbook again (holding several seconds on/off button – not sure it made any difference), but then windows7 started normally, I guess it was the step just following the “finalization your settings” step.
I am using windows7 for more than 4 hours, installed several updates, softwares. Made several reboots, everything is working perfectly… so far.
Just to let you know…
Configuration: macbook late2009 version. Windows7 64 bits
Has anyone solved the no wireless problem?
Would really like to know….
Other than that though, everything seems ok.
Help, I cannot get wifi to work for the Windows side after reinstalling Snow Leopoard
Can I formating the full OSX partition after win7 x64 installation?
It will working like a “normal” PC with two NTFS partition (1st for system, and 2nd for documents)?
What can I do, if my win7 fold up? Can my Macbook Pro boot from the win-install DVD for reinstall?
how to download windows 7?
I am amazed with your clarity! Thank you, I really wish some Apple fellows werw like you.
Any how, Windows, now that I’ve tried it,
really, really sucks!!!!!!!!
It’s really helps. Thanks a lot for the post.
i followed all these steps and it worked beautifully one problem though, i downloaded the audio codec that you stated in your tutorial and i was able to install fine and got the sound working but theres a slight static noise when playing youtube videos. why is that? can i get rid of that? would there be another audio codec you could recommend me ?
just installed windows 7 on my mac….no problems at all except 1…..cant eject my cd/dvd when running under windows…when trying to find solution got message nothing available…..guess i have to wait until another version of bootcamp is out unless someone know something around this
This is an excellent guide, thank you.
I feel weird asking this…a comparably small problem when looking at all the rest. Everytrhing went fine during install, Windows 7 is working fine, but I have one small issue. The trackpad on the MacBook Pro does not “right click”…it moves the cursor and LEFT clicks, but I can not right-click unless I use the external USB mouse.
I did some research, but, although the problem is prevalent, no one has a good answer.
Can anyone here help me?
Russ –
I hadn’t heard of that one until today. The other folks having the same problem – do they have the exact same model MBP as you? I used my OLD MBP to write that tutorial, and my new MBP has Win7 running on it with no problems. Well, my problem is that I HATE the unibody trackpad period – in Win or OS X. I suppose it’s just something I’ll eventually get used to. Doesn’t mean I have to like it tho
Anyway – as for your problem. I’ll look into it, but it sound like you have too. If you can comment back here w/ the exact model you have that would be helpful.
Ok so i instaled windows seven but i instaled it with a boot camp that didint have windows 7.
But it work’d i installed windows 7 and all but i have a problem that im really worried about.
when i rebbot the imac it always starts with windows 7 and i cant change back to os x
when i installed it a did it on the boot drive but i click all the buttons and i can go back!!
I really hope you can help me please
i installed windows 7 with bootcamp, installed the drivers and updated to bootcamp 3.1 perfectly fine, wifi and everything works.
I only have 1 problem – when i adjust the screen resolution it shrinks the usable area instead of making everything look pixelated and stuff.
How do i solve this? Is it a graphics card thing? Windows says my graphics card drivers are installed correctly but i dont know if its correct or if i have to manually choose the correct driver
please help!!
oh yea, im on a early(?) 2007 macbook pro (bought it in June i think so which ever version that makes it)
Ainn – is it connected to an external monitor or are you talking about the actual laptop screen? ‘Cause that’s a WEIRD problem to have. My initial suggestion is to re-install the graphics drivers that come with bootcamp 3.1. Or, if it’s possible, revert to 3.0 or whatever was before 3.1 (did the problem arise once you updated to 3.1, or was it always there?).
It is the laptop screen that is doing this and the problem was still here with 3.0, I was hoping 3.1 would fix it. I had bootcamp running fine a few days ago but got a new hard drive and had to reinstall everything
When I go to screen resolution display it says “mobile pc display.” I don’t know if that means anything