This document shows you how to install Microsoft Windows on an Intel-based Mac computer using Boot Camp.
NOTICE: Make sure to back up all of your data before using Boot Camp, and regularly back up data while using the software.
Boot Camp lets you install Windows on a Mac computer, using a Microsoft Windows installation disc that you provide. Windows is installed on its own partition. After installation, you can use either Windows or Mac OS X on your Mac computer. The Boot Camp Assistant application helps you create the Windows partition and restart your Mac using your Windows installation disc. Then you follow these instructions to install Windows and install software drivers that let Windows work with your Mac hardware.
If you've already installed Windows on your Mac with Boot Camp and you want to upgrade to Windows Vista or Windows 7, you don't need to use the Boot Camp Assistant. Follow the instructions in "Upgrading to Windows Vista or Windows 7".
Important: Before you use Boot Camp Assistant, print this document. It contains information you'll need while installing Windows.
* An Intel-based Mac computer with Mac OS X 10.6 or later, with about 32GB of available space on your internal hard drive.
* The keyboard and mouse or trackpad that came with your computer. (If they aren't available, use a USB keyboard and mouse.)
* Mac OS X version 10.6 or later (the latest version of Mac OS X is strongly recommended)
* A built-in optical disc drive or a compatible external optical drive. For information on using your computer with an external optical drive, see the documentation that came with your computer.
* A Mac OS X version 10.6 installation disc.
* One of the following:
Important: You must use a single full-install Windows installation disc. You cannot use an upgrade or system builder version of Windows. If you're installing Windows XP, you must use Service Pack 2 or later. You cannot install an earlier version of Windows XP and then attempt to update it later. To see how much free space you need on your disk for Windows, refer to the documentation that came with Windows. You can use a 32-bit version of Windows XP or Windows Vista with any Intel-based Mac computer. You cannot use a 64-bit version of Windows XP on any Mac computer.
SPECIAL NOTE: I obtained my Windows 7 by searching for "GFC-02726 Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit SP1 OEM New Packaging - PC - Best Buy". I bought this product and picked it up at a nearby Best Buy. You can ask that the product be shipped to any Best Buy of your choice. For me, this was the simplest solution for getting Windows on my Mac.
You can use a 32-bit version of Windows 7 with any of these Mac computers:
You can use a 64-bit version of Windows Vista or Windows 7 with any of these Mac computers:
If you're not sure when your Mac computer was introduced, search the web for something like "How to Identify [blatz] models" replacing [blatz] by your model, such as "Macbook Pro", then click your Mac model, and look for an article on identifying your Mac. Use "About This Mac" from your Apple Menu, and click on "More info..." to get to the "System Profiler". There, under Hardware, you should see your "Model Identifier:".
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT YOU HAVE A COMPUTER THAT CAN HANDLE THE WINDOWS SYSTEM.
Installing Windows on your Mac computer involves the following steps:
Step 1: Check for updates.
Step 2: Open Boot Camp Assistant.
Boot Camp Assistant creates a partition for Windows and starts the Windows installer.
Step 3: Install Windows.
Step 4: Install the Boot Camp drivers on your Windows volume.
Important: Before you begin, make sure you have a backup of the important information on your computer.
In Mac OS X, go to http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp and check whether you need to update your software before you can install Windows.
Boot Camp Assistant helps you create a new partition for Windows and gets you started with the Windows installation. Important: If you're using a portable computer, connect the power adapter before continuing. Your version of Boot Camp Assistant is most likely version 3.0.4, but you may have read about versions like 3.x, where x is 1 or more. Don't be fooled by this. The Mac OS X version of Boot Camp Assistant is NOT the version of the "drivers" needed on the Windows side, which is what 3.1 or more describes. Just use your currently installed Boot Camp Assistant. You'll download the 3.x drivers later from Windows itself.
1 Log in to an administrator account on your computer, quit all open applications, and log out any other users on your computer.
2 Choose Apple -> Software Update.
Install all available updates. If your computer restarts after installing an update, choose Apple -> Software Update again to install any additional updates.
3 Open Boot Camp Assistant (in Applications -> Utilities).
If you are asked to "Download the Windows support software for this Mac", do NOT do it. Choose the option that says you have the Mac OS X installation disk. Then Continue.
Boot Camp Assistant lets you choose the size for your Windows partition, and then creates that partition on your internal disk drive without erasing any data.
Note: If your computer has more than one internal disk and you want to install Boot Camp on a disk that isn't in the first hard drive bay, remove the drives in the lower numbered bays. You can reinstall the drives after you install Boot Camp. Refer to your Windows installer documentation to help you determine the best partition size for your system. Windows Vista and Windows 7 require more disk space than Windows XP.
If you're installing Windows XP, your Windows partition can be 32 GB or smaller, and you can choose between two formats for that partition. You'll select the format in a later step, but you must decide on a format now so you can choose an appropriate size.
Here are the two formats:
If you have problems creating a Windows partition, check the following:
Read and follow these instructions for installing Windows on your Mac computer. Refer to your Windows documentation for general information about installing and setting up Windows.
If you're asked to choose between an upgrade or custom installation, choose a custom installation.
It's important to select the correct partition when installing Windows so that you don't overwrite Mac OS X on your computer. You'll then choose the correct format. NOTICE: Do not create or delete a partition, or select any partition other than as noted below. Doing so may delete the entire contents of your Mac OS X partition.
After you install the Windows software, your computer automatically restarts using Windows. Use the Windows setup screens to configure Windows.
If you have problems installing Windows, try the following solutions. If you get a message saying "Installer Disc Not Found" when installing Windows Make sure you're logged in to Mac OS X as an administrator.
Be sure you are using the original keyboard and mouse that came with your computer. If you're using an Apple mouse, the Windows installer may not respond if the mouse is connected directly to your computer. Connect the mouse to the USB port on your keyboard.
Verify that you're using an original, full version of one of the following:
Media Center, OEM, and upgrade versions of Windows XP are not recommended. Restart your computer and hold down the Option key until one or more disk icons appears on your screen. Insert the Windows installation disc. Select the Windows installation disc icon and then click the arrow beneath it. Quickly press any key on your keyboard to start the installer. Follow the onscreen instructions to repair or reinstall Windows.
Eject the disc by holding down the Eject key on your keyboard while restarting the computer.
After installing Windows, install Mac-specific drivers and other software for Windows using your Mac OS X installation disc. The Mac OS X disc installs drivers to support Mac components, including AirPort, built-in iSight camera, the Apple Remote, the trackpad on a portable Mac, and the function keys on an Apple keyboard. The Mac OS X disc also installs the Boot Camp control panel for Windows and the Apple Boot Camp system tray item.
To install the Boot Camp drivers:
1 Eject the Windows installation disc.
2 Insert the Mac OS X disc.
If the installer doesn't start automatically, browse the disc using Windows Explorer and double-click the setup.exe file in the Boot Camp directory.
3 Follow the onscreen instructions.
If a message appears that says the software you're installing has not passed Windows Logo testing, click Continue Anyway.
Windows that appear only briefly during the installation don't require your input. If nothing appears to be happening, there may be a hidden window that you must respond to. Check the taskbar and look behind open windows.
Important: Do not click the Cancel button in any of the installer dialogs.
4 After your computer restarts, follow the instructions in the Found New Hardware Wizard to update your software drivers (Windows XP only).
5 Follow the instructions for any other wizards that appear.
6 Check for updated Boot Camp drivers by using Apple Software Update or going to www.apple.com/support/bootcamp.
If it appears that the Boot Camp drivers weren't successfully installed, try repairing them.
If a message appears that says the software you're installing has not passed Windows Logo testing, click Continue Anyway. If you need to reinstall specific drivers, you can install one driver at a time. For example, if your built-in iSight camera isn't working, you can reinstall just the iSight driver. Individual drivers are in the Drivers folder on the Mac OS X installation disc.
After you've installed Windows and the Boot Camp drivers, you can start using Windows on your Mac. Boot Camp makes it easy to start up your computer using either Mac OS X or Windows. You can set the default operating system for your computer using Startup Disk preferences (Mac OS X) or the Boot Camp control panel (Windows). You can also select an operating system as your computer is starting up.
You can use the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences in Mac OS X to set the default operating system for starting up your computer. Boot Camp also installs a Boot Camp control panel that lets you set the default operating system when you're using Windows.
To restart in Mac OS X using the Boot Camp icon in the system tray: In Windows, click the Boot Camp icon in the system tray and choose "Restart in Mac OS X." This also sets the default operating system to Mac OS X.
You can select which operating system to use during startup by holding down the Option key. This displays icons for all available startup disks, and lets you override the default setting for the startup disk in Startup Disk preferences (Mac OS X) or the Boot Camp control panel (Windows) without changing that setting.
If you're having trouble using Windows on your Mac, try the solutions below. For more troubleshooting information, go to www.apple.com/support/bootcamp.
You may have formatted your Boot Camp partition incorrectly so it cannot start up your computer. Start up your computer with Mac OS X and open Boot Camp Setup Assistant. Remove the Boot Camp partition and then re-create it. Install Windows again, being sure to format the partition.
Some graphics cards may not work with both Mac OS X and Windows on a Mac computer. If you're having trouble with your screen display when using Windows, try the following:
From now on, when a problem causes a BSOD or another major error that halts the system, the PC will not automatically reboot.
You can rename the Windows partition only in Windows. Start up in Windows and right-click the C: drive in Windows Explorer. Then type a name.
How you remove Windows from your computer depends on whether you installed Windows on a single-volume disk, or on a second disk partition. If you installed Windows on a second disk partition using Boot Camp Assistant as described above, remove Windows by deleting the Windows partition, and restore the disk to a single-partition Mac OS X volume as follows:
If your computer has multiple disks and you installed Windows on a disk that has only one partition: Start up in Mac OS X and use Disk Utility, in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder, to reformat it as a Mac OS X volume.
These sections describe how to upgrade Windows or your version of Boot Camp.
If you've already installed Windows on this computer, you can install the updated Mac drivers for Windows.
Important: If you've customized your Windows environment, write down your settings before updating the drivers.
If the installer doesn't start automatically, browse the disc using Windows Explorer and double-click the setup.exe file in the Boot Camp directory.
You can upgrade Windows XP to Windows Vista or Windows Vista to Windows 7.
Note: If you're using Windows XP, you cannot upgrade to Windows 7. You can perform a clean install (also called a custom install), which erases your Boot Camp partition. Before you perform a clean install, make sure you have the installation discs for all your programs and a backup of your personal files and settings. You can restore them after the installation.
To upgrade to Windows 7, you need:
The Windows 7 installer may not be able to install Windows 7 if your Mac OS X partition is mounted. This utility unmounts your Mac OS X partition. It will be mounted again when you download updated software for Windows 7.
To upgrade to Windows Vista, you need:
If you're having trouble upgrading Windows on your Mac, try the solution below. For more troubleshooting information, go to www.apple.com/support/bootcamp.
If you see "Windows was unable to create a required installation folder" when upgrading Windows....
You may see this alert if you install Boot Camp 3.0 or later and then try to upgrade to Windows 7. Before you update to Windows 7, download Apple_WIn7_Upgrade_ Utility.exe, which is available at http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp. For more information, see "Upgrading to Windows Vista or Windows 7".
For more information about Boot Camp, go to www.apple.com/bootcamp. For Boot Camp support, go to www.apple.com/support/bootcamp. Apple welcomes your feedback on Boot Camp. To submit feedback, go to www.apple.com/macosx/feedback. Apple does not provide support for installing or using Microsoft Windows software. To find help for Windows issues, go to www.microsoft.com/windows.
(C) 2010 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. 019-1702 2010- Apple, the Apple logo, AirPort, Boot Camp, iMac, iSight, Mac, MacBook, and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Intel, Intel Core, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corp. in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.