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I am having issues installing Windows 7 through Bootcamp on my Mac. I want to be able to natively boot into my Windows installation so Parallels or VMWare will not work for me. I am using an early 2013 MBP with retina.

Here's what happens: I am able to partition the drive with the Bootcamp assistant, download the support software, and have the machine reboot into the Windows installer. Upon installation however, it seems like the USB controller for my MBP is not active and it's not able to find my installation media. The specific error that I'm getting is:

"A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB, or Hard disk driver. If you have a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive with the driver on it, please insert it now."

I made a video reproducing what happens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GMg-xXsmzo

Hopefully someone out there has run into this as well, I could really use some unblocking!

James Linden
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2 Answers2

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The (fixed) Pre-Installation Environment (boot.wim) of your Windows_7.iso doesn't contain the necessary drivers to use the USB3-interface of your Early 2013 Macbook Retina.

To circumvent limitations (new drivers, new hardware) Microsoft uses the $WinPEDriver$-feature to provide drivers at installation time.

Apple Boot Camp uses this method to provide the necessary drivers with the boot medium - your thumb drive.

Usually the Boot Camp Assistant does the whole work properly:

  • Partition your drive
  • Download the appropriate Boot Camp Support Software
  • Create the Windows 7 install thumb drive (with all necessary drivers)

Please check if you meet the following requirements:

  1. Backup of your entire hard disc

  2. Windows 7.iso Home Premium x64, Professional x64, or Ultimate x64 (these three are us-en digitalriver isos and here is a full list of all images available there)

  3. Formatting of the USB-device (according to Apple):

    If the size of the thumb drive is 32 GB or less it should be MS-DOS (FAT).

    If the size of the thumb drive is over 32 GB it should be ExFAT.

  4. Boot Camp Support Software version: 5.1.5621

    download link: Latest Boot Camp Support Software

  5. File/Folder structure of the root of your boot device (your thumb drive):

root files and folders

  1. If your boot device doesn't contain $WinPEDriver$, AutoUnattend.xml and BootCamp please download and extract BootCamp5.1.5621.zip and copy the contents of the resulting BootCamp folder to the root level of your install drive.
  2. If your install drive already contains those files and folders then check if the USB drivers are present. (Paths: /$WinPEDriver$/IntelxHCISetup/Drivers/HCSwitch/Win7/x64/ and /$WinPEDriver$/IntelxHCISetup/Drivers/xHCI/Win7/x64/). If they aren't present the wrong Boot Camp Support Software package has been chosen. Delete $WinPEDriver$, AutoUnattend.xml and BootCamp and continue with step 6.

Now the installation should work.

klanomath
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  • Great post. I'll follow these instructions and report back. – James Linden Dec 14 '14 at 21:00
  • @scotchmarquis I adapted my answer to another similar question to your conditions... so follow the instructions here – klanomath Dec 14 '14 at 21:05
  • This didn't help me with Win 8.1 x64 install on iMac 5k with Yosemite. – Meglio Apr 17 '15 at 15:27
  • @Meglio Do you get any error message? – klanomath Apr 17 '15 at 15:58
  • @klanomath the same "driver cannot be found for your media... blablabla". I'm stuck with it right now. – Meglio Apr 18 '15 at 01:01
  • The issue was I inserted USB flash drive into the keyboard's USB port. Because no Apple Keyboard drivers are available but the time Windows starts installation process, it cannot access its USB ports. So the solution is to insert the USB stick driver in a USB port which is on the back of your iMac. – Meglio Apr 18 '15 at 05:26
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When you reboot your machine, hold down Option to bring up the boot menu. You should (and I say 'should' because it may not be the case with your particular build of the Windows installer image) have a few options there, the normal Macintosh HD and Recovery 10.x, and then a couple of Windows options. One should be a regular BIOS link to the Windows installer, and the other should be a UEFI link to the installer. Try both of them out and see if you can get a little further using one or the other.

I had an issue back when Windows 7 was first launched as a Tech Preview where the installer wouldn't recognise my internal keyboard in the one, but it would in the other.

Sera H
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  • UEFI does not appear as an option for me. I only see Macintosh HD, Recovery, and my USB thumb drive. Using an early 2013 retina MBP. – James Linden Dec 14 '14 at 17:33
  • Did you create the thumb drive using the BootCamp installer? It's been a while since I had to BootCamp, but I vaguely recall an option to create a Windows Install Drive with the needed BootCamp drivers loaded in to it. – Sera H Dec 14 '14 at 17:37