24" iMac and BootCamp - Your experience, Getting the 24" to boot to Windows

[Cri-cri]

I moved this topic to the "Windows on Mac" section as it is more about it

[Flyinace2000]

I moved this topic to the "Windows on Mac" section as it is more about it

Boot ROM Version: IM61.0093.B00
SMC Version: 1.10f2
Serial Number: W86390KPVGP

Windows does not work.

[Cri-cri]

We got some feedback on the MacBidouille forum.

It seems that some of our readers can not boot when any USB or FireWire device is connected to the Mac. When nothing is connected, Windows accepts to boot. Once the XP desktop has been launched, the peripherals can be connected again and they work

Maybe something you should try

On a separate note, it does not seem that the SMC version has something to do with this problem.
We have both Windows working and not working with the SMC v1.1.0f2

[linathael]

Oki so the SMC is not the solution, eventhough on macbidouille forum only most case of incompatibility are associated with 1.1.0f1.

But... a new report:

- before installing BootCamp try to remove all peripherals except the keyboard and the mouse.

Edit: Cri-Cri faster than me

[Flyinace2000]

I just burned a new slipstreamed sp2 disc. I am going to try to install one more time. Wish me luck

I just burned a new slipstreamed sp2 disc. I am going to try to install one more time. Wish me luck

Does not look good. just restarted, and i hear the CD drive spinning away. Bult in screen is still blank. On, backlght, but blank.

[jemlang]

Well I got my very first imac last week and I have had the white screen problem and now the machine is dead!

it is at an apple service centre being fixed but it looks like another week without the machine. I had it for 3 hours before it died.

What a great start to switching from pc to mac!!

its the standard model 24 inch. Serial number is W86380X4VBN

I'm so annoyed!

[linathael]

Well I got my very first imac last week and I have had the white screen problem and now the machine is dead!

it is at an apple service centre being fixed but it looks like another week without the machine. I had it for 3 hours before it died.

What a great start to switching from pc to mac!!

its the standard model 24 inch. Serial number is W86380X4VBN

I'm so annoyed!

that's clear it is bad luck
there are no reported issues with other iMac models, and this problem affects only part of the iMac 24".
Apple needs to fix this issue quickly

I just burned a new slipstreamed sp2 disc. I am going to try to install one more time. Wish me luck

I just burned a new slipstreamed sp2 disc. I am going to try to install one more time. Wish me luck

Does not look good. just restarted, and i hear the CD drive spinning away. Bult in screen is still blank. On, backlght, but blank.

did you unplug all peripherals?
can you reboot from a DVD OSX (forcing it)?

PLEASE COULD YOU POST INFORMATION RELATED TO OPTICAL DRIVE (MODEL + FIRMWARE)
I want to be sure that we can eliminate this hypothesis (due to the increasing number of iMac being completely dead after BootCamp installation failure)

[Flyinace2000]

Well I got my very first imac last week and I have had the white screen problem and now the machine is dead!

it is at an apple service centre being fixed but it looks like another week without the machine. I had it for 3 hours before it died.

What a great start to switching from pc to mac!!

its the standard model 24 inch. Serial number is W86380X4VBN

I'm so annoyed!

that's clear it is bad luck
there are no reported issues with other iMac models, and this problem affects only part of the iMac 24".
Apple needs to fix this issue quickly

I just burned a new slipstreamed sp2 disc. I am going to try to install one more time. Wish me luck

I just burned a new slipstreamed sp2 disc. I am going to try to install one more time. Wish me luck

Does not look good. just restarted, and i hear the CD drive spinning away. Bult in screen is still blank. On, backlght, but blank.

did you unplug all peripherals?
can you reboot from a DVD OSX (forcing it)?

PLEASE COULD YOU POST INFORMATION RELATED TO OPTICAL DRIVE (MODEL + FIRMWARE)
I want to be sure that we can eliminate this hypothesis (due to the increasing number of iMac being completely dead after BootCamp installation failure)

i had everthing unplugged except a keyboard, mouse and network.

Model: MATSHITADVD-R UJ-85J
Revision: FCQA
Serial Number:

System Profiler does not give me the serialnumber... wierd

[linathael]

i had everthing unplugged except a keyboard, mouse and network.

Model: MATSHITADVD-R UJ-85J
Revision: FCQA
Serial Number:

System Profiler does not give me the serialnumber... wierd

Same for my olf iBookG4 12", the system profiler only provides the followinf information:

Modèle : MATSHITACD-RW CW-8124
Révision : DB0D
Numéro de série :
Disque amovible : Non
Protocole : ATAPI
Numéro de l’unité : 0
Type de socket : Interne

now let see if Windows compatible iMacs have a different OD.

when you read this message posted in topic corresponding to the news, it is rather scarry:

My first 24" iMac with black screen of "not installing Windows"
SMC = 1.10f2
CPU = Core 2 Duo 2,16 GHz
Graphics = GeForce 7300 GT 128 MB
Boot-ROM = IM61.0093.B00
S/N = W86361ZKGVGN

Apple changed the iMac an so:
My second 24" iMac fully functioning with Boot Camp
SMC = 1.10f2
CPU = Core 2 Duo 2,16 GHz
Graphics = GeForce 7300 GT 128 MB, ID = 0x0395, Version-ID = 0x00a1, ROM = 3021
Boot-ROM = IM61.0093.B00
S/N = W86374LMVGN

[Flyinace2000]

This is my scond 24" iMac. The first one booted windows fine, but had 6 stuck pixels and bad ram. The new one doesn't run windows, but has a perfect screen and good ram.

Both hum though.

[Ridcully]

Ditto on my SMC 1.10f2 no workie.
I've also tried booting with no peripherals with no luck.

Here's my drive info:
Model: MATSHITADVD-R UJ-85J
Revision: FCQA

And my Video card info:
Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0391
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3021

This post has been edited by Ridcully: Nov 5 2006, 12:40 AM

[Sonyc91]

Not working :

MATSHITADVD-R UJ-85J :

Modèle : MATSHITADVD-R UJ-85J
Révision : FCQA

[LeonO]

Just got my iMac 24" in today. Haven't tried to install BootCamp yet, but my machine apparently has a new SMC version and also a different DVD drive:

Machine Model: iMac6,1
Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: IM61.0093.B00
SMC Version: 1.10f3
Serial Number: W86430xxxxx

Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0391
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3021

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-K06:
Firmware Revision: Q609

[Darkelf]

I too, had the grey screen of death. Tried everything, install disks-keyboard commands-external drives... nothing worked.

Did manage to recover from it but not sure if it was sheer persistence or a fluke. Here's what worked:

Connected an external drive via firewire loaded with disk image of install disk 1.
-> Using the OPTION key on bootup would show the drive but couldn't access it.
-> Tried booting up with the drive/firewire attached and using the APPLE+OPTION+SHIFT+DELETE key sequence and after a few minutes, read the drive and I was able to reformat and reinstall OSX.

Have no idea if this is repeatable. Crazy!

The only things I had attached while installing bootcamp and then windows was keyboard to computer and mouse to keyboard.

Here is my system info:
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz
Boot ROM Version: IM61.0093.B00
SMC Version: 1.10f2
Serial Number: W86371xxxxx
2GB memory
MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-85J:
Firmware Revision: FCQA
Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0395
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3021

[linathael]

I too, had the grey screen of death. Tried everything, install disks-keyboard commands-external drives... nothing worked.

Did manage to recover from it but not sure if it was sheer persistence or a fluke. Here's what worked:

Connected an external drive via firewire loaded with disk image of install disk 1.
-> Using the OPTION key on bootup would show the drive but couldn't access it.
-> Tried booting up with the drive/firewire attached and using the APPLE+OPTION+SHIFT+DELETE key sequence and after a few minutes, read the drive and I was able to reformat and reinstall OSX.

Have no idea if this is repeatable. Crazy!

The only things I had attached while installing bootcamp and then windows was keyboard to computer and mouse to keyboard.

Here is my system info:
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz
Boot ROM Version: IM61.0093.B00
SMC Version: 1.10f2
Serial Number: W86371xxxxx
2GB memory
MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-85J:
Firmware Revision: FCQA
Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0395
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3021

Sounds good to me
so you now have a fully working OSX and WinXP machine, that's correct ?
I will relay your info to check if someone can reproduce it
thanks !

[Kalomir]

Must have missed something here. Darkelf, why did you have to reinstall OS X? I thought the issue was with an uninstallable XP: did the BootCamp faulty installation process damage your OS X? Does what you call the "gray screen of death" involve there's no bootable system upon starting the machine, due to BootCamp failure?
I thought we were dealing with a more basic bug here: XP installation would end on a black screen and thus fail. I mean your bug looks much more serious, yet how can me be even sure it is related to the first one mentioned?
I notice I should check my SMC version. Shall do it tonight.

[linathael]

Must have missed something here. Darkelf, why did you have to reinstall OS X? I thought the issue was with an uninstallable XP: did the BootCamp faulty installation process damage your OS X? Does what you call the "gray screen of death" involve there's no bootable system upon starting the machine, due to BootCamp failure?
I thought we were dealing with a more basic bug here: XP installation would end on a black screen and thus fail. I mean your bug looks much more serious, yet how can me be even sure it is related to the first one mentioned?
I notice I should check my SMC version. Shall do it tonight.

yes you missed one point
there are more and more reports of users loosing entirely access to their iMac after BootCamp installation failed, no way to boot from OSX, even from the DVD install disk.
booting from an external WinXP iso image was also a way I was proposing on apple forum, but did nto get any answer yet.

[jemlang]

Well I got my very first imac last week and I have had the white screen problem and now the machine is dead!

it is at an apple service centre being fixed but it looks like another week without the machine. I had it for 3 hours before it died.

What a great start to switching from pc to mac!!

its the standard model 24 inch. Serial number is W86380X4VBN

I'm so annoyed!

As above I mentioned how bootcamp killed my imac. well I got a call from the service centre today and they have found that it is the hard drive. so I should have it back in 3 days. so it might not have been the version my my imac.

[Kalomir]

As far as I know, the fact that for some users BootCamp failed to install XP (black screen syndrom) doesn't necessarily result in their totally losing access to their Mac (gray screen result)? I agree this is a huge bug, but are we sure it's necessarily the same?
Might as well result of a wrong choice when creating the XP partition, where they'd write on the OS X system by mistake. The XP installation interface is painstakingly ancient, everyone might make a mistake under DOS, it's quite easy.

[linathael]

Well I got my very first imac last week and I have had the white screen problem and now the machine is dead!

it is at an apple service centre being fixed but it looks like another week without the machine. I had it for 3 hours before it died.

What a great start to switching from pc to mac!!

its the standard model 24 inch. Serial number is W86380X4VBN

I'm so annoyed!

As above I mentioned how bootcamp killed my imac. well I got a call from the service centre today and they have found that it is the hard drive. so I should have it back in 3 days. so it might not have been the version my my imac.

cool
could you give us the reference of the HD sitting in your bootcamp- nonfriendly iMac?

[Kalomir]

cool
could you give us the reference of the HD sitting in your bootcamp- nonfriendly iMac?

Might just have been some kind of physical damage of this HD.

[linathael]

a member of the french forum has also successfully found a way to install BootCamp.

in summary:
- Boot of your install disk 1.
- Don't install OSX.
- When you see the menu bar at the top select "disk utility" in "utilities" in the menu
- you perform a "verify disk" followed by a "disk repair". You can also select : "permissions disk repair" previously to repairing procedure.
- then you reboot without the CD (so from your local OSX), and then you should be able to install Bootcamp without problem.

so the trick might be to use the repair disk utility from the install DVD and not the one from the HD.


this is a new trick, if you try it please let us know about the result.

[Darkelf]

Must have missed something here. Darkelf, why did you have to reinstall OS X? I thought the issue was with an uninstallable XP: did the BootCamp faulty installation process damage your OS X? Does what you call the "gray screen of death" involve there's no bootable system upon starting the machine, due to BootCamp failure?
I thought we were dealing with a more basic bug here: XP installation would end on a black screen and thus fail. I mean your bug looks much more serious, yet how can me be even sure it is related to the first one mentioned?
I notice I should check my SMC version. Shall do it tonight.

yes you missed one point
there are more and more reports of users loosing entirely access to their iMac after BootCamp installation failed, no way to boot from OSX, even from the DVD install disk.
booting from an external WinXP iso image was also a way I was proposing on apple forum, but did nto get any answer yet.

'Kalomir' - Yes, my entire computer crashed. As 'linathael' pointed out it was a complete system lockup.

One note on the external drive - this too, failed to work. As expected, anyway. Normally when attaching an external drive, you boot OSX with the keyboard OPTION key held down. This should show you the available drives/devices to boot from. In my case, I saw the external drive [in actuality it was my old G4 with an old HD set up as master installed with the OSX install disk 1, attached via firewire in data disk mode (hold down T key on bootup)] but click as I may, couldn't select it. I came across the option+apple+shift+delete with the firewire attached sort of by random and sheer persistence to try all the sequence combinations. Like I say, it might have been a stroke of luck that it worked at all.

Having things go wrong with beta software is a risk one takes. But the risk in its worst case scenario is customarily limited to having your data corrupted, not the whole computer lock up with no way to reinstall!!! I'm very upset about the whole thing.

I currently will NOT be attempting to install Windows on this computer until I get assurances that it'll actually work and not 'break my computer'. The highly touted 'windows compatible' garbage is the primary reason I spent several thousand of my hard earned dollars on this system. I am not a happy camper!

[linathael]

I understand your point of view Darkelf
You might wait for an official fix before installing WinXP, but you also should not forget that your iMac is under warranty, and if it is a hardware problem preventing you to install XP, you better get it fix within the first 12 months following your purchase.

[Ridcully]

a member of the french forum has also successfully found a way to install BootCamp.

in summary:
- Boot of your install disk 1.
- Don't install OSX.
- When you see the menu bar at the top select "disk utility" in "utilities" in the menu
- you perform a "verify disk" followed by a "disk repair". You can also select : "permissions disk repair" previously to repairing procedure.
- then you reboot without the CD (so from your local OSX), and then you should be able to install Bootcamp without problem.

so the trick might be to use the repair disk utility from the install DVD and not the one from the HD.


this is a new trick, if you try it please let us know about the result.

Are you saying this is a solution for the black screen iMac? (Not the dead iMacs)
I mean, I'll try it but I don't understand how fixing permissions could affect the screen not showing the install screen

[linathael]

Are you saying this is a solution for the black screen iMac? (Not the dead iMacs)
I mean, I'll try it but I don't understand how fixing permissions could affect the screen not showing the install screen

it is not only fixing permission I think

in addition I wounder how many users have tried to format their HD then perform a clean and full installation.

[Flyinace2000]

Are you saying this is a solution for the black screen iMac? (Not the dead iMacs)
I mean, I'll try it but I don't understand how fixing permissions could affect the screen not showing the install screen

it is not only fixing permission I think

in addition I wounder how many users have tried to format their HD then perform a clean and full installation.

When i first got the mac the first thign i did was wipe the drive clean and reinstall OSX with only the components i would need and use. I then wen to install windows with BooTcamp and i got the black screen issue.

[Ridcully]

Tried verifying/repairing etc....
Still no go.

[Kalomir]

Still have to check my SMC version, I'll do it ASAP.

I currently will NOT be attempting to install Windows on this computer until I get assurances that it'll actually work and not 'break my computer'. The highly touted 'windows compatible' garbage is the primary reason I spent several thousand of my hard earned dollars on this system. I am not a happy camper!

I understand your disappointment. It's really hard to believe such problems might occur without any answer from Apple. Hope we'll soon find a clue.
A member of the French forum just said he had the black (but not the grey) screen syndrom, but managed otherwise to install Vista via BootCamp. Quite surprising. Yet the GPU wasn't working properly with Vista (and I wonder if his version was legally detained).

[linathael]

Still have to check my SMC version, I'll do it ASAP.

I currently will NOT be attempting to install Windows on this computer until I get assurances that it'll actually work and not 'break my computer'. The highly touted 'windows compatible' garbage is the primary reason I spent several thousand of my hard earned dollars on this system. I am not a happy camper!

I understand your disappointment. It's really hard to believe such problems might occur without any answer from Apple. Hope we'll soon find a clue.
A member of the French forum just said he had the black (but not the grey) screen syndrom, but managed otherwise to install Vista via BootCamp. Quite surprising. Yet the GPU wasn't working properly with Vista (and I wonder if his version was legally detained).

In general, Vista seems to be less a problem than WinXP