The boot camp installation disk could not be found. Creating a bootable Windows USB flash drive using Boot Camp Assistant on a Mac with a floppy drive. Extending the Boot Camp partition

In the previous parts of the lesson we got acquainted with the basics Windows installations on a MAC and prepared everything necessary (downloaded the distribution and recorded it on a flash drive). Now it's time to carry out the installation itself.

In this part we will step by step install Windows 7 Lite using BootCamp to a previously created partition (10GB in volume). Ten gigabytes should be enough for a deployed Windows 7 Lite, installing drivers and some small programs.

If you later want to install heavier software, specify an external HDD as the installation location.

• Incompatibility of MBR and GPT partitions when installing Windows on MAC -

My instructions for installing Windows using BootCamp Assistant:

STEP 1 - Insert the previously created flash drive into the USB connector of the computer and reboot it. After the screen goes blank during the reboot process, press and hold the Option (Alt) button.

As a result, the screen will display Download Manager with a list of boot volumes (disks or partitions with an OS suitable for running). Select the image of the orange flash drive marked Windows.

The only thing I want to focus your attention on is choosing the disk partition where all this “goodness” will be installed. Here you will have to select the section marked as BOOTCAMP.

To continue with the installation, you will need to format this partition to NTFS(click Format at the bottom of the window).

STEP 3 - Wait until all files are copied. The process will take some time.

STEP 4 - Once all the files have been copied, the MacBook will reboot itself. Don’t miss this moment, and again after the sound gong, hold down the Option (Alt) button on your keyboard to display the Boot Manager.

Now in the menu that appears you need to select the disk partition with named Windows(grey disk icon). The first one will start Windows startup and setting parameters.

STEP 5 - Congratulations! You're now running a lightweight Windows 7 on your MAC. But that's not the end of it. In order for all devices of your MacBook (etc.) to be recognized and work properly, you need to install the appropriate drivers. It's very easy to do.

Remember in the first step of this lesson we downloaded the Boot Camp support files? It is these files that will be useful to us now since they contain everything necessary drivers. We just need to run the file setup.exe from the directory D:/BootCamp/(where D: is the installation flash drive).

Next will follow the standard installer steps (how did I “ I love» application installer in Windows). You will have to click the Next > button many times.

Well, now you can breathe a sigh of relief. You and I just Installed Windows 7 using Boot Camp Assistant. Moreover, we did it very compactly, borrowing only 10 GB of space from the built-in SSD. T

Since we chose to install a lightweight version of Windows 7 Lite, we were also able to reduce the size installed system. So we used only 4.73 GB out of 10 available.

We also installed drivers and support files for all devices on your computer. If everything is clear with the drivers, then the support files, in turn, give us the opportunity to use top row function buttons (volume, brightness, keyboard backlight, etc.) from under Windows.

Let me remind you again. In order to switch from MAC OS X to Windows, you need to reboot the computer with the Option key(Alt) and select the appropriate section from the Download Manager.

If during the installation process you did not understand something or something did not work out, be sure to read STEP No. 5 of this lesson, where we will look at the most common problems problems that occur when installing Windows on MAC computers.

In any case, leave your questions in the comments and I will try to find a solution to your problem.

Be sure to study the remaining parts of the lesson:

• CONTENTS -
• STEP 1 - —
• STEP 2 - —
• STEP 3 - - Install Windows 7 on MAC using BootCamp Assistant
• STEP 4 - —
• STEP 5 - —

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Computers are known to everyone Apple are very multifunctional and have a wide selection of specially designed software. But sometimes it happens that a Mac or iMac user wants to install the Windows operating system that is already so familiar to them. Sometimes OS Windows may be needed to install some programs so that you can play your favorite games, but there is no suitable alternative for Mac.

You can install the OS yourself. This can be done in several ways, for example, through a utility or using a flash drive. Let's look at the example of applications from Apple, which are called Bootcamp, Parallels Desktop and Virtual Box.

Preparing and installing Bootcamp

This option allows you to install an additional OS on Mac and iMac in a separately created partition on your hard drive. You can choose which system to boot into during startup. The advantage of this utility is that by installing the program through it, all the resources of your PC will be available to Windows, this will allow you to use the Mac’s performance to the maximum. The computer will easily play the latest games and perform complex tasks.

Before installing an additional OS, keep in mind that it will take up a lot of space on your hard drive. Make sure it has the required gigabytes. On average, you may need about 30 Gb.

Before you begin installing the operating system on your iMac or Mac, check and prepare Boot program camp. First, make sure that all updates from Apple are installed on it. To do this you need to do the following:

When you launch the utility, you will have the opportunity to select the location where OS Windows will be installed. Before starting the software, you should close all open applications and programs.

Once the utility and flash drives for copying information are ready, you can proceed to the first steps:

Once all files have been copied, the iMac will automatically begin rebooting. Next, to display the download manager, press and hold Alt key. On the Mac, the disk menu will open, mark the partition with the name of the operating system. This will be followed by launching the OS and setting the parameters.

To install Windows 8 you need to do the same. Only in the window Selecting Actions"You should check the boxes next to the items " Download latest software" And " Create a disk to install Windows 7 or new».

Installing Windows on a Mac, or rather, setting up the program, begins with choosing a language. Immediately select the correct language, otherwise you will have to perform all the steps again. Having selected all the parameters in this window, click the Next button, which is located in the lower right corner.

To install the Windows operating system on a Mac, carefully follow all specified instructions. Do not restart or turn off your computer during the process. The procedure cannot be interrupted in any way.

After your iMac restarts a second time, you can begin installation. necessary drivers. To do this, download them back from the flash drive, install and run the installation program.

Installing Windows via Bootcamp using a USB flash drive

Installation can be carried out either using a disk with the operating system or via a USB drive. To load a program from a flash drive onto a Mac, you must first download it. If we are talking about Windows 8, then the version of this system must be in iso format.

This installation option on Mac and iMac is no different from the previous one. Before you begin, you should also check bootcamp for updates and save all the necessary data. Next instructions will help you complete the task:

But it happens that when the installation media is a flash drive, the utility requires you to insert a disk with the program and refuses to continue downloading the software to the iMac. In this case, you can download the Daemon driver Tools Lite iMac. With its help we install Windows iso image, it will serve as a virtual drive and then Bootcamp will complete the installation process of our OS without any problems.

Installing Windows on Mac and iMac via Parallels Desktop

In addition to Boot Camp, there are several other options for installing an additional operating system. For example, you can use the program Parallels Desktop, which is a virtual machine on the Windows installation. You will be able to run Windows programs without rebooting the PC.

Installing Windows using VirtualBox

VirtualBox is one of the popular virtualization programs. With its help, your PC will easily run two operating systems at once. Installing an additional OS via VirtualBox is quite simple.

To get started, enter the query VirtualBox into the search engine, go to the official website and download the program. Once installation is complete, click on the program icon and select “Create”. After this, you can begin installing Windows.

Sometimes it happens that after installing an additional operating system, problems with sound or video playback appear on the iMac. To solve this problem, you need to install on your Mac all the drivers that were previously saved to an additional storage device (disk or flash drive).

After all the steps taken, the installation of Windows on Mac is completely completed. Restart the program and everything will definitely work.

Video on the topic

Many people who are used to working with Windows find it quite difficult to switch to a new operating system after purchasing a computer from Apple. In addition to non-standard controls and many functional differences, they are also not satisfied with the fact that the number of programs, games and various utilities developed for macOS is significantly smaller. For this reason, some users install Windows on Mac.

Is it possible to install Windows on Apple computers?

As a rule, the question about the possibility of installing Windows on a Mac computer appears in the first few days after purchasing it. Few people are interested in this issue before purchasing. But the habits left over from the times using Windows, and a noticeable shortage of software force us to think about the possibility of using a more familiar and familiar operating system.

Fortunately, such an opportunity exists. Owners of Apple computers can install almost any Windows OS, and without the help of qualified specialists.

The Windows operating system does not replace installed macOS, it is an additional independent program.

How to install Microsoft OS on Mac

To install Windows on Mac devices, the Boot Camp utility is most often used; virtualization programs are used less frequently. But first you need to choose the appropriate OS version and upgrade macOS, if necessary. Many users do not attach much importance to the issue of choice, which creates additional difficulties for themselves both at the stage of installing an additional OS and after it.

For example, Windows 10 cannot be installed on Mac computers, released before 2012. This is due to higher system requirements and other features of the program. If you don't follow this rule, you will simply waste time. Here is a list of Mac computers that support Windows 10:

• all model range MacBook Pro, which appeared after mid-2012, including 13 and 15-inch versions;
• two MacBook models with a 12-inch monitor diagonal, sold at the beginning of 2015 and 2016;
• all models MacBook Air with diagonals of 11 and 13 inches, hitting the market after mid-2012;
• Mac Pro, released in late 2013;
• Mac mini 2012 and 2014, including the Mac mini Server model introduced in late 2012;
• all iMac models since the late 2012 version.

As for earlier versions of Windows, they can also be installed on Mac computers released before 2012, but there are also some restrictions. Here is a small list of operating systems supported Apple devices, indicating the appropriate version of the Boot Camp program:

• Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate (Boot Camp 4 or 1);
• Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate Service Pack 1 or later (Boot Camp 3);
• Windows XP Home Edition or Professional with Service Pack 2 or 3 (Boot Camp 3).

Before purchasing an operating system, make sure it is suitable for your computer.

Many users from Russia and post-Soviet countries prefer to download unlicensed operating systems instead of buying original boot disks. This is a gross violation of copyright law.

What you need to install Windows on Mac

In terms of installation requirements, all Windows OS releases can be divided into three categories:

1. Windows 7 and above early versions.
2. Windows 8.
3. Windows 10

Requirements for the first category:

The external drive must support the method of storing and transferring data in FAT (MS-DOS) format.

Requirements for the second category (Windows 8):

• original image the required version OS (flash drive, DVD or ISO image);
• Internet connection;
• at least 40 GB of free space;
• one of the Mac computers with technical characteristics, corresponding system requirements eighth Windows versions;
• installed Mac OS X of the appropriate version.

If all requirements are met, the Boot Camp utility will automatically install additional software to adapt Windows 8 to technical features your Mac.

To find out the version of your operating system, you need to go to the menu (the button with the Apple logo in the lower left corner of the keyboard) and select “About This Mac”.

The requirements for the third category are similar, except for one condition: the version of the OS used must be Mac OS X Yosemite or higher.

Installation using Boot Camp

Due to differences between different Windows operating systems, we will describe installation instructions for each category separately.

Windows 7 or earlier

To install Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 on an Apple computer, you must:

1. Connect an external storage device and do not remove it until the installation is complete.
2. Create virtual image boot disk. To do this, you can use programs such as Daemon Tools or Nero Burning Rom. The image will be required to work with the Boot Camp program.

   You can create a Windows boot disk image using Nero programs Express

3. Launch the Boot Camp program. It can be found in the "Utilities" folder. If you can't find the desired folder, use the search.
4. The installer will appear, where you need to check the box next to “Create an installation Windows disk 7". After this, click the “Continue” button.

   In the window that appears, put a checkmark next to the item “Create installation disk Windows 7"

5. Insert the disk with the new OS or mount the image in virtual disk drive and click “Continue” again.
6. After a few seconds, a message will appear indicating that you can download the appropriate software from the official Apple website. We confirm the action. The Boot Camp utility will automatically download the necessary software. If this does not happen, you need to download the archive with drivers yourself by selecting your Mac computer model and Windows version on the official website.

   Confirm that the latest software has been downloaded Windows support from Apple website

7. After downloading additional software, you need to unpack it to external storage(USB flash drive). The system will offer to copy files with replacement, confirm this action.
8. Once again, go to Boot Camp and select “Install Windows”.
9. The program will offer to divide the memory allocated for the additional OS into disks, after which it will reboot and begin installation.

   Set the required size virtual disk for Windows OS

Further actions must be performed based on the prompts of the installer program.

Video: install Windows 7 on Mac as a second OS

Windows 8

Installing Windows 8 is easier and faster than earlier versions of operating systems:

Boot Camp will install the necessary software and drivers on its own. No external USB storage required. This also applies to the latest release. Microsoft- Windows 10. Just install boot disk or flash drive, run “Boot Camp Assistant”, divide disk space and follow the instructions.

Video: How to install Windows 8 on Mac as a second OS via BootCamp

Features of installing Windows OS using a flash drive

In fact, the process of installing an additional OS using a flash drive is the same as in the case of a DVD, the only difference is that you need to prepare a USB drive in advance so that it becomes bootable. If you simply burn the image to a USB drive, nothing will work; you need an additional program called UltraISO or similar.

In order to install Windows from a flash drive, you need to make it bootable

This program is shareware - available test period, which is quite enough to install Windows from a flash drive. Let's bring brief instructions on preparing a USB drive for installing an OS from Microsoft:

You can buy an operating system already stored on a USB drive. In this case, no additional actions need to be taken.

Using the instructions described above, you can install Windows OS as an additional and, importantly, independent program. Before each start of your computer, you will have a choice which of the installed operating systems to use.

Virtualize Windows OS on Mac

In addition to installing via Boot Camp, there is another method to use Windows on Apple computers - virtualization. It differs in that the Microsoft operating system is installed and used as an application running directly on macOS. In this case, it looks more like a regular program that opens in a small window than a full-fledged operating system.

When installed in virtualization mode, Windows operates more like a regular application

On at the moment The most popular virtualization programs are:

• Oracle VM VirtualBox, distributed free of charge;
• Parallels Desktop, which costs 3,990 rubles;
• VMware Fusion with a price tag of 5,153 rubles.

The difference in cost is dictated solely by the pricing policy of the development companies, since all programs work equally well. The only difference free program for virtualization from paid analogues- it cannot be used with Boot Camp.

Installing virtualization programs is almost identical, so as an example, let's consider installing only one of them - Parallels Desktop:

When you start the program, a Windows window will open in front of you, which can be maximized full screen mode(full-screen).

Video: how to install Windows XP on VirtualBox

Combined use of Boot Camp and virtualization

Some users have gone even further, developing a mechanism for combining the capabilities of Boot Camp and virtualization. Thus, they solved the problem of excessive consumption of computer resources with two operating systems running simultaneously.

To achieve the correct operation of the above circuit, you need to perform the following steps:

1. Install Windows on your computer using Boot Camp.
2. Install one of the virtualization programs (except Oracle VM VirtualBox).
3. When creating a new virtual machine check the box next to “Use Windows via Boot Camp”.

Pros and cons of using Boot Camp and virtualization

Boot Camp was created by Apple developers to give users the ability to change operating systems at will. Moreover, databases have been created in the form of drivers and additional software designed to simplify the process of adapting Windows to computer technology from Apple. It is for this reason that Boot Camp is so popular among MacBook owners of various modifications.

Benefits of using Boot Camp:

As for the disadvantages, there is only one: not all versions of Windows are supported by Mac computers.

If we talk about the benefits of Windows virtualization on Mac, we can highlight the following points:

• the ability to use Windows without leaving macOS;
• quick work with documents and programs.

Disadvantages of virtualization:

• two operating systems running simultaneously consume much more system resources;
• Some Windows programs may not work correctly. The situation is similar with the screen resolution settings.

Thanks to utilities such as Boot Camp and virtualization programs, users have the opportunity to work on familiar operating systems Windows systems, using high-performance, high-quality Mac computers. This is an excellent example of how two once-warring giant IT corporations are meeting each other halfway for the sake of the interests of their clients.

It all started with the fact that I needed to install Windows 7 as a second system.
The options with Parallel and VMW were not suitable; a separate download was needed.

I won’t describe what pitfalls I encountered; I’ll get straight to the point. There are essentially two ways. Moreover, one of them will not suit everyone.

Disk partitioning.

But first, we need to partition the disk using Bootcamp Assistant. Moreover, on some models of Macs you simply cannot do this. The assistant will require a Windows installation disc. This is done as follows:
1. Go to the Programs - Utilities folder.
2. Right-click on the Bootcamp Assistant and select Show package contents
3. Copy the Contents/Info.plist file somewhere and edit it
String
PreUSBBootSupportedModels
change to
USBBootSupportedModels
4. Copy the file back, replacing the original (you will need a password)

Now in the Bootcamp Assistant we have the opportunity to make bootable USBs and partition the disk without installation disks. At your discretion, allocate a place for Windows partition(the data will not be lost anywhere, but it’s better to save the necessary data in a safe place just in case)

Method 1.

This method is the simplest. However, it is not available to everyone. I’ll say right away that I was not able to successfully use it on non-Air Macs older than 2012. But you can try if you have time. or go straight to method 2, it always works.
For installation we will use bootable usb Windows 7 flash drive. You can make it either on a PC using Windows 7 USB DVD Tool, or on a Mac using the Bootcamp Assistant.

Now all that remains is to boot from the flash drive and install Windows as usual. If a regular bootloader does not see your flash drive, you can try an alternative one - . If you can’t boot from it either (No Bootable Device errors or messages appear that the Mac’s firmware does not allow booting), then you should say goodbye to this method and not waste any more time.

Method 2.

So for this method we will use VMWare Fusion (enough free version) and an ISO image of the Windows installation disk.

The first thing we need to do is make sure that the disk will not be used during our operations. To do this, I temporarily moved from it custom folder(Settings - Users and groups - open the lock - right click on the user - Additional parameters - change the “User folder” field - reboot). I also installed VMWare on another drive. If there is no second disk, then you can use an external one - for example a flash drive. ISO image there too. After all these preparations, we will begin the installation.

First you need to open Disk Utility, select the disk (entirely, not a separate partition) and look at its number in Info. In my case it's disk1.

Open a terminal and enter the commands:

cd "/Applications/VMware Fusion.app/Contents/Library/"

./vmware-rawdiskCreator create /dev/disk1 fullDevice ~/external-hdd ide

where /Applications/VMWare Fusion.app is the path to the installed VMWare, and disk1 is our future Windows disk.