Installing Windows into BootCamp on a Mac

Before setting up BootCamp, you'll need to make sure you have two important disks:

  1. The system software disk for your Macintosh (which came with it) or a retail Mac OS X Disk (Leopard or Snow Leopard) and
  2. A Windows installation disk (available from the bookstore).

Don't bother trying this if you're missing either one. For the official word from Apple on this, check their BootCamp Manual. If you're at all daunted by these instructions, help is available from WIRED. If you're more experienced or adventurous, here's the run-down:

  1. Make sure you have enough disk space. WIRED recommends a partition size of 30-60GB, so make sure there's room for that on your hard drive.
  2. Go to the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder, and open the "Boot Camp Assistant". The Assistant will gather information about the size of the partition you want to create, ask you to insert your Windows disk, and reboot from it to start the Windows installation process.
  3. Once the Mac has booted to the Windows disk, you'll be walked through the installation. You pick a language, click install, and accept the license agreement. Then, you're asked the type of installation you wish to do -- "Upgrade" or "Custom". In the case of a fresh BootCamp partition, choose "Custom" for the first run of the installer.
  4. The next question asks what part of the disk to install the files onto. Select the partition that the Assistant created by checking the size listed (sometimes the names look strange). Newer versions of the BootCamp assistant give it the name "BootCamp."
  5. Format your selected partition as an NTFS volume using the "Drive Options" link and click "Next".
  6. The next screen will ask you to enter the Product Key from your media. Leave this blank for now, and click Next to proceed with the installation. (The installer will ask if you're sure. . .)
  7. When asked if you want to automatically include updates, say no.
  8. Once this process finishes, your machine will boot to Windows, and continue configuring. Be sure to set and remember your Administrator password. But, since you didn't enter a Product Key, the system will yet not "Activate" with Microsoft.
  9. From the start menu, select "Restart" and once the screen goes black,hold down the "option" key.
  10. Select the Windows DVD again, and remember to press a key to boot from it.
  11. Go through the Installer program again, but this time select "Upgrade" as your installation type, enter your product key, and agree to installing updates and activating as soon as you're online.
  12. Once Windows has been fully re-installed and started, and you see your Windows desktop, you're ready to insert the Mac OS disk, and install the Boot Camp drivers -- they'll enable things like the network port, camera, wireless networking, and bluetooth capabilities.
  13. When you insert the Mac OS disk, Windows should ask if you wish to run the setup program. Do so, and select the "Install Bootcamp Drivers" option.
  14. If the Bootcamp installer runs, your screen will flash, and you may be prompted to approve individual driver installations. If you've installed the 64-bit version of Windows 7, and the installer doesn't run, and gives a message like 'Bootcamp x64 cannot be installed on this model' try this:
    1. From the Start menu, select "Computer", and in that window, right-click on the DVD icon.
    2. Select "Open in New Window", and in that window, navigate the DVD directories to BootCamp/Drivers/Apple
    3. In the Apple directory, right-click on the "BootCamp64" Windows Installer package, and select "Troubleshoot Compatibility".
    4. In the window that appears, click "Start Program".
    5. The Boot Camp installer should run, making the screen flash, and optionally requesting approval for individual driver installs. Once complete, you should be able to access the Boot Camp Control Panel by . . .
  15. Lastly, make sure you get Symantec Anti-Virus installed from http://www.lehigh.edu/security, and the WIRED login client from http://www.lehigh.edu/wired/wired_software.html and move on to installing any other software you need.