2

I've searched around for a day and couldn't find a relatable solution.

I recently installed Windows 10 on my MBP (10.11.3) using Boot Camp Assistant, getting the ISO from MS site. After the installation, it restarted by itself.

I checked Disk Utility and the bootcamp partition is there.

Disk Utility

However, it is not in the Startup Disk (only the Macintosh HD), and there is only one option when I reboot pressing the option key (Macintosh HD). So far I can't find a way into Windows.

Anybody with a similar issue that was able to fix it?

Thank you.

EDIT: Just realized that it was weird that the BootCamp partition was shown in all yellow so pressed First Aid on it. It turned all white, and when I restarted, it turned yellow again, just like before.

7
  • MS-DOS (FAT) is not a good sign, neither is it showing a negative number for used space. I'd run Disk Utility over the entire drive & both partitions, from Recovery. Then remove that partition using Boot Camp, check the drive again & start over.
    – Tetsujin
    Feb 3, 2016 at 17:50
  • Is there a way I can change that? I reinstalled using Boot Camp Assistant but it is still MS-DOS.
    – ys27
    Feb 4, 2016 at 3:25
  • It might be dependant on what version of Boot Camp & precisely what Mac model - there's a list here of ones that support Win 10 - support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204990
    – Tetsujin
    Feb 4, 2016 at 9:10
  • It would help if you would modify your question to include the model/year of your MBP. Also are you trying to install 32 or 64 bit windows 10? It is possible to install windows 10 Macs older than 2012. Also could you post the output from the Terminal command diskutil list. This will show all your drive partitions, including the hidden ones. The command will not change your computer in any way. Feb 4, 2016 at 11:39
  • When you installed Windows 10, did you choose the "custom option" and then format the BOOTCAMP partition? If not, you probably should have. Feb 4, 2016 at 11:43

4 Answers 4

1

How Boot Camp Assistant works depends on the model of Mac you have. If your MacBook Pro has a built-in optical drive (basically, all non-retina display MacBook Pros), you MUST physically burn the ISO to a DVD and install it that way. You cannot use USB to install Windows on those models. To burn the ISO you downloaded, all you need to do is right-click it in Finder and choose "Burn to disc...". Make sure you have a blank DVD handy.

If your MacBook Pro does NOT have an optical drive (i.e. a Retina display model), then installing from USB is the only way to install Windows. However, you mentioned you downloaded an ISO from Microsoft. It is not sufficient to just copy the ISO to a USB flash drive. You need to make the USB stick bootable. Boot Camp Assistant should have taken care of this for you. There is an option within Boot Camp Assistant that says "Create Windows Install Disk".

In either case, you do not see a Windows option in your Startup Disk control panel because Windows is not installed and there is no Windows install media in any drive it can boot from. Whatever options you selected, all Boot Camp Assistant did was create a partition for you. It did not actually copy anything over to it. The partition is empty.

NOTE The Boot Camp Assistant always formats the Windows partition as FAT32. It does this because OS X only supports NTFS volumes as read-only (it cannot create an NTFS partition), and you would normally reformat the volume NTFS during the Windows install anyway.

7
  • I am on the latest MBP for 13", the Early 2015 version. So no optical drive. I read somewhere that after the Boot Camp Assistant finishes, it restarts and goes to the Windows Installer. It is not doing that. Not sure if that is right, or I still need to install separately. Anyways, how do I install to an empty partition from the OS X side? If I make the installer go on a usb stick, if I press option when booting, will it allow me to boot into the usb? Thank you.
    – ys27
    Feb 4, 2016 at 20:55
  • I updated my answer to reflect the new information you gave me. Boot Camp Assistant should have an option to create a USB install stick for you. It is normally the case that it reboots automatically to the USB drive once it creates it. But you are correct; if you make a bootable USB install stick, all you should need to do is Option+boot the computer and it should see it.
    – Wes Sayeed
    Feb 4, 2016 at 21:56
  • I didnt see the option to make a bootable USB while running Boot Camp Assistant, and although that may be because I didn't have one plugged in, it should still tell me to plug a usb in, which is weird. I don't have a usb stick handy right now, so I'll try this out when I get home. Thank you!
    – ys27
    Feb 5, 2016 at 15:25
  • I am looking at youtube videos of doing this, and I see that they have a select tasks option in the beginning, but I've never had this. Are the Early 2015 models with El Capitan without the select tasks page? @Wes Sayeed
    – ys27
    Feb 5, 2016 at 15:52
  • @yoloswagg27; The options that Boot Camp Assistant presents you with are different depending on what your Mac supports. Could you supply a screenshot?
    – Wes Sayeed
    Feb 5, 2016 at 16:35
0

I plugged in a usb stick while running boot camp assistant and it worked. Not sure if this is a consistent answer.

0

I had similar issue on Catalina.

Bootcamp would finish all steps and on restart boot back in to the MacOS.

In my case reformatting USB stick in "FAT" thru Disk Utility helped.

-1

In case you are still having this problem, you can try this:

  1. Create a partition any size you want.
  2. Use Boot Camp to install Windows just like normal
  3. If you're in the setup and installing it...

NOTE: If the "Copying Files" is done, cancel it.

  1. Then boot into OS X.
  2. Get the files inside the Windows iso (any version) then put it inside the Boot Camp partition.
  3. Boot the Boot Camp partition (It should show up even if the installation was cancelled).
  4. Then install it normally...

Hope it works for you.

This method installs Windows faster.

2
  • You can see from the accepted answer that the OP was able to solve his problem, so he is not "still having this problem". Mar 10, 2017 at 1:20
  • I said "in case that it wasn't solved"... So it was clarified that I just tried to help even if he solved it already... Mar 14, 2017 at 11:07

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .