Enable "Create a Windows 7 USB install disk" on Lion

[macssorule]

Credit due to xxcrashxx, aero253 and gekkonaut from discussions.apple.com

With Lion, Apple has added an option to BootCamp that will create a bootable USB Windows 7 install disk. I was very excited about this, since it will decrease the time it takes to install Windows 7, I didn't have to burn a DVD, and it is much easier to transport. Unfortunately, Apple only allows this on computers that support booting from a USB drive (a.k.a. they don't have optical drive) which include the MacBook Air and 2011 Mac Mini. Their is a way around this, and after searching and finding the solution, I decided to pass it one to you.

Open BootCamp to see if the "checkbox is enabled or disabled.


If it is grayed out (disabled) here are the instructions to remedy it.

1. Open Applications > Utilities > Boot Camp. Right click "Show Package Contents". Click on the folder "Contents". Open the file "Info.plist" in your favorite text editor.
   
   
   
2. Scroll down to the list of strings under <key>DARequiredROMVersions</key>. It should have a list that look similar to this:
   
   
   

   Code: Select all

   <key>DARequiredROMVersions</key>
        <array>
                <string>IM41.0055.B08</string>
                <string>IM42.0071.B03</string>
                <string>IM51.0090.B03</string>
                <string>IM52.0090.B03</string>
                <string>IM61.0093.B01</string>
                <string>MP11.005C.B04</string>
                <string>MB11.0061.B03</string>
                <string>MBP11.0055.B08</string>
                <string>MBP12.0061.B03</string>
                <string>MM11.0055.B08</string>
        </array>

   
   
   
3. Copy and paste the first string in the list so that there is a duplicate at the beginning. Your new file should have a string like this:
   
   

   Code: Select all

   <key>DARequiredROMVersions</key>
        <array>
                <string>IM41.0055.B08</string>               
                <string>IM41.0055.B08</string>
                <string>IM42.0071.B03</string>
                <string>IM51.0090.B03</string>
                <string>IM52.0090.B03</string>
                <string>IM61.0093.B01</string>
                <string>MP11.005C.B04</string>
                <string>MB11.0061.B03</string>
                <string>MBP11.0055.B08</string>
                <string>MBP12.0061.B03</string>
                <string>MM11.0055.B08</string>
        </array>

   
   
   
4. Open Applications > Utilities > System Information. Under Hardware Overview there will be a Boot ROM Version. (Mine was MBP81.0047.B24)
   
   Copy YOUR Boot ROM Version and paste into the duplicate string you created at the beginning. It should look similar to this:
   
   

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   <key>DARequiredROMVersions</key>
        <array>
                <string>MBP81.0047.B24</string>               
                <string>IM41.0055.B08</string>
                <string>IM42.0071.B03</string>
                <string>IM51.0090.B03</string>
                <string>IM52.0090.B03</string>
                <string>IM61.0093.B01</string>
                <string>MP11.005C.B04</string>
                <string>MB11.0061.B03</string>
                <string>MBP11.0055.B08</string>
                <string>MBP12.0061.B03</string>
                <string>MM11.0055.B08</string>
        </array>

   
   
   
5. Scroll down to the list of strings under <key>USBBootSupportedModels</key>. Duplicate the first string the same as Step 3 and you should have something like this:
   
   

   Code: Select all

   <key>USBBootSupportedModels</key>
   <array>
      <string>IM130</string>
      <string>IM130</string>
      <string>MM50</string>
      <string>MP60</string>
      <string>MB80</string>
      <string>MBP90</string>
      <string>MBA40</string>
   </array>


   
   
   
6. In System Information, copy the first part of the Boot ROM Version. (Mine was MBP81)
   
   Then paste the first part of YOUR Boot ROM Version into the duplicate string at the beginning and you will have something like this:
   
   

   Code: Select all

   <key>USBBootSupportedModels</key>
   <array>
      <string>MBP81</string>
      <string>IM130</string>
      <string>MM50</string>
      <string>MP60</string>
      <string>MB80</string>
      <string>MBP90</string>
      <string>MBA40</string>
   </array>


   
   
   
7. Finally, save the "Info.plist". It may ask you to enter your administrator username and password.
   

Now open BootCamp and hopefully you will see the "Create a Windows 7 install disk" checkbox enabled.

[Lit3_Brit3]

Great tip! Thnx.

Bump for usefulness.

[z0mbieparade]

Wow, thanks! This was just what I was looking for.

[bionic]

Thanks a f*ck load man! 3 days of googling articles when i should have just checked here

[Brainiac52]

I joined C4M just so I could reply to this one. This has been the most useful thing I have read all day (and I do a lot of tech reading). Thanks a bunch!

[icemac]

Awesome post thanks a lot

[mcjava]

This works great! Don't know why Apple doesn't enable USB drive booting on machines with an optical drive --- the ability is there, why not make it available by default??

I have been dying to re-install through Boot Camp the Win 7 that I bought as part of my MBP package with VMWare Fusion. Fusion is fine, but for CPU instenive programs like CAD/CAM, just way too slow. And my Superdrive crapped out, and am so happy to find this info.

If you have XCode installed, using that to change the info.plist is even easier than using Text editor as shown above.

[jergle]

i followed the instructions, saved the info.plist and the checkbox appeared. after going through bootcamp everything worked, until the computer restarted on the windows side and said it couldn't find a bootable disk, to insert one and press any key. I'm stuck at this point. any ideas?

[renatops]

I have this problem too.

Anyone can help us?

[grudie]

i too have this problem have tried it on both mbp 5,5 and mp 3,1 but cannot get it to boot win from usb stick also tried a few different sticks

[sox]

Same problem for me. Can't boot from the USB stick. (Not from external DVD reader either)

[Register!]

I'm stuck at this point. any ideas?

Yes. You should state which Mac OS X version you're using. Is it Lion or Mountain Lion please? Or are you still using Snow Leopard?

The same question applies to renatops, grudie, and sox above.

[grudie]

im on mountain lion

[Register!]

grudie, for some reason I suspected that. It's probably wiser at this point to wait for the OP to come back to us on this, since the topic title is the methodology he researched for Lion. I'd be very interested in the response from the other two members.

I did happen to notice reading the topic through that the last report of success with this (here: http://www.codez4mac.com/forum/viewtopi ... 21#p758940) was on a date before the release of Mountain Lion. That was the reason for the question - some thing(s) may well have changed, least of all Gatekeeper ...

[grudie]

i think i will install lion on an replacement drive in the mbp and see what happens then

will report back when done