iMac Can't install Windows 7 on my new iMac, help please

bananashakes18

bananashakes18

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hello. ive tried searching and searching but either people have the same problem but no solution. currently got my 27 inch imac today. was doing the tutorial for installing windows using bootcamp. all was going good until it asked what partition to choose. i chose it and it said it had to be formated for ntfs. i picked format from the options but nothing happened. installation did not start. so went to bootcamp. earased the partition i had made and want to start over but wont it keep saying the same thing? also, i was reading and some people said you need bootcamp 3.2 to install windows 7? is that correct? also, tried updating from the update from Apple and nothing happens. i just get a notepad page with symbols.and japaneese writing. tried updating from various places and all the same thing. anyone have problems installing windows 7 or know what i am doing wrong? thank you in advanced.... oh oh oh also... now after i did all that.. everytime i turn my imac on there is a black screen and it says press any key to boot from disk. (no disk is inside) how do i stop that or more importanly why is it saying that? and sorry for misspellings... im trying to get all my thoughts out. lol. thanks again
 
danbrumit

danbrumit

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Hi Bananashakes18, I had the same problem with my 24" imac and windows 7. I ended up using bootcamp 3.1 instead of the tutorial. You also should be able to call Apple and have them walk you through it right? I don't know what to say about the black screen.
 
acosmichippo

acosmichippo

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regarding the last part - it sounds like your mac is set to boot to the Windows partition by default, which is normal after trying to install bootcamp. To change it back to OSX, go to System Preferences->Startup Disk, and choose your partition with OSX on it. If you do this, your mac won't know to boot to your windows disc for the installation, so if you try again, you'll have to hold "option" down while your mac is booting, and select the windows disc to re-initiate the win7 installation.

Regarding updating bootcamp for Win7 - if you just got your iMac today, you certainly have a version of bootcamp compatible with win7. As far as i know, Apple doesn't make bootcamp 3.0 available to download - it's on your OSX install disc #1, which gets installed inside windows.

And regarding your original formatting issue - that screen is a little confusing, especially with all of the partitions to choose. Make sure you select the one titled "BOOTCAMP" or something to that effect. Then under that window, select the "Format" button. Once it's formatted, the "Install" button should be active to click. I'm typing this part from memory, so it may not be 100% accurate.
 
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bananashakes18

bananashakes18

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OK I'll try the option to load osx by default.

Now regarding bootcamp. I do have 3.1.4 the problem all started with windows installation saying my partition (which was the bootcamp named partition) saying it had to be ntfs in order to continue. So would I just choose that partition.. Then press format and then install?
Oh I can't wait to get home to try it.

So what I read online about wIndows 7 not being able to install unless u have bootcamp 3.2 is wrong?
Thanks again for your help :)
 
acosmichippo

acosmichippo

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bananashakes18 said:
Now regarding bootcamp. I do have 3.1.4 the problem all started with windows installation saying my partition (which was the bootcamp named partition) saying it had to be ntfs in order to continue. So would I just choose that partition.. Then press format and then install?
Oh I can't wait to get home to try it.
Click to expand...
Yep. within OSX, your mac canot format the bootcamp partition in a way that windows "likes" it, so it just does it enough to set aside the space on the hard drive. Then when you go to install windows, windows has to reformat it for itself. That should get you past your hurdle.

bananashakes18 said:
So what I read online about wIndows 7 not being able to install unless u have bootcamp 3.2 is wrong?
Thanks again for your help :)
Click to expand...
it depends. Boot Camp has bugs like any other software. Maybe the person that told you that was suffering from a bug in pre-3.2 bootcamp that was resolved in 3.2. But officially, windows 7 was supported from 3.0 onwards, i think. Once you get everything installed, it would be a good idea to update bootcamp to 3.2 (or whatever is current) through Apple software update in windows.
 
iksn

iksn

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Actually windows won't reformat it, when the screen pops up that says your partition isn't formatted properly you must choose the bootcamp drive and then click the format button and you will be good to go. When you see the popup that says press any key to boot from your disk, just ignore that and it will install.
 
bananashakes18

bananashakes18

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ok , i will try that after my lion is done downloading... one more question before starting all this.. when i choose the bootcamp partition the first time.. then when i pressed format.. the name bootcamp was gone. the disk size was still what i wanted it to be but the name bootcamp that was given to that partition was gone. does it HAVE to say bootcamp? im getting mixed answers on that too.
 
bananashakes18

bananashakes18

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thank you everyone! It worked. Updated to lion as well. Haven't been able to play with it much but atleast everything installed good :) I made my osx as default when the comp turns on. Any way to have it so it let's me choose which one I want at start up without holding down option?
 
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iphonewarrior

iphonewarrior

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rEFIt is good! I had massive problems with it when installing Linux/Ubuntu on my MBP. I didn't use Bootcamp for installing Windows 7.
 
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