Windows on Macbook Air

sammicksammick
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
How do you load Windows on a Macbook Air-with no optical drive

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Remote Disk, just like you would reinstall MacOS X.
  • Reply 2 of 6
    k squaredk squared Posts: 608member
    Wouldn't the optional optical drive work? Or any other external optical drive? Does Windows require an internal drive to install?
  • Reply 3 of 6
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,326moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post


    Remote Disk, just like you would reinstall MacOS X.



    It seems the software uses Netboot to allow booting wirelessly. The MBA is the first Mac that lets you use Netboot wirelessly and the software that runs on the optical drive host runs a Netboot server:



    http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?...80118143319155



    Whether or not it allows you to boot a Windows disc isn't clear though. I imagine they'd have tested that. Since they adjusted the EFI firmware, maybe they've changed it to allow booting Windows from a USB drive, which Windows typically won't install with.



    I guess it's down to someone to try it out.
  • Reply 4 of 6
    kareliakarelia Posts: 525member
    I was aware that Windows won't install TO a USB or FireWire hard drive, but I always assumed it could install FROM a USB disc drive to an internal hard drive. Is this not the case?
  • Reply 5 of 6
    sandausandau Posts: 1,230member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Karelia View Post


    I was aware that Windows won't install TO a USB or FireWire hard drive, but I always assumed it could install FROM a USB disc drive to an internal hard drive. Is this not the case?



    absolutely can. People have even done it from a bootable flash drive. This is what people are doing with the Asus eee pc.
  • Reply 6 of 6
    ballmersteveballmersteve Posts: 138member
    Why would you buy one of these pancake laptops in the first place?
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