Resolved Unable to install Windows 8 on iMac 2012

[mac.rumors]

Hello everyone!

I replaced the HDD in my late-2012 iMac 27-inch (1TB Fusion drive) with a 512GB Samsung 830 SSD. Before replacing the HDD, I had split the fusion drive and installed Windows 8 on the 128GB Apple SSD.

After the replacement, the Windows drive will not boot, so I reformatted it. I am able to see both drives in disk utility. I installed ML on the Samsung SSD, and ran Bootcamp. However, the Windows installer is not able to install on the 128 GB SSD, the error being that it is not a bootable drive and to change it in the BIOS.

Any help/advise is greatly appreciated. My plan is to have Windows 8 on the 128GB Apple SSD and ML on the 512GB Samsung 830.

Thanks!

 

[tevion5]

Even if you got it to boot it would be a nightmare to use I'm afraid as Apple have yet to release drivers for Windows 8.

You will have to use Windows 7 if you want the drivers to be functioning properly and the system to anyway stable.

 

[jenzjen]

Not true re W8, the latest W7 drivers via boot camp assistant make everything work and stable, at least on a rMBP

OP, am confused by your error, can you post a screen shot

 

[chrfr]

Any help/advise is greatly appreciated. My plan is to have Windows 8 on the 128GB Apple SSD and ML on the 512GB Samsung 830.

Thanks!

You may need to either install on the other SSD or swap the 2 SSD positions in the iMac if possible.
For instance, the 2012 non-retina Macbook Pro needs to have Windows installed on the disk in the original position in order for it to boot. It can't boot from a disk installed into the DVD drive bay.

 

[mac.rumors]

Thanks for your inputs, everyone. I installed Windows 7 and the installer completed setup without any issues. Once everything was working fine, I wiped the Apple SSD clean again and was able to install Windows 8 without any further issues.

Looks like the HDD replacement somehow 'locked up' the Apple SSD. But all is good now

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You may need to either install on the other SSD or swap the 2 SSD positions in the iMac if possible.
For instance, the 2012 non-retina Macbook Pro needs to have Windows installed on the disk in the original position in order for it to boot. It can't boot from a disk installed into the DVD drive bay.

I wanted the larger 512GB Samsung SSD for OS X and the smaller 128GB Apple for Windows 8. Also, swapping the SSDs is not be possible in the new iMacs because the Apple SSD is a blade SSD, similar to the ones in rMBP, while the replacement Samsung SSD uses a standard SATA III interface.

Thanks!

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Not true re W8, the latest W7 drivers via boot camp assistant make everything work and stable, at least on a rMBP

OP, am confused by your error, can you post a screen shot

You're correct, Windows8 installs without any problems with the Win7 bootcamp drivers.

I couldn't get a screenshot of the error, but it said something to the effect that the Apple SSD partition could not be used for installing Win8 because it was not a bootable device and it needed to be enabled in the BIOS. I had confirmed that the drive's partition scheme was setup for MBR (I used the Bootcamp utility to set it up).

Thanks!

 

[chrfr]

I had confirmed that the drive's partition scheme was setup for MBR (I used the Bootcamp utility to set it up).

Thanks!

That's most likely the problem. Repartition as GUID. Bootcamp does what is necessary to make the drive boot Windows.

 

[: z :]

mac.rumors:

Do you know of a good step-by-step, detailed walk-through that I could use to break the Fusion drive and install Windows (7 or 8, I don't care) on the default iMac SSD? The only quirk is that I'm looking at buying the 3TB model. I think it would be the same thing that you did, only I would need to partition the 3TB drive into two partitions: a 2TB one and a 1TB one.

I have a longer post over on the Apple forums with more details, but no one has been able to help me so far.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/21037489#21037489

Thanks!