Boot Windows from thunderbolt

[bkar89]

Hi!

i've been playing around with my WD thunderbolt duo. I did manage to install windows 7 on it. But it only boots when i have a bootcamp partition on the internal SSD.

When i formated the SSD, and removed the bootcamp partition, the thunderbolt drive with windows on it, would no longer show up during the boot sequence. So i guess there is something on there that telles EFI what to, when booting something other than OSX...

I would really like to be able to run windows off this thing, partitioning the internal SSD isnt really worth it.

* You can boot off TB, Unlike USB, as Windows see the TB Drive as an internal drive (SATA on PCIx bus via TB)

Would cloning the bootcamp partition with Norton ghost or carbon copy do the trick?

* This is on a rMBP

 

[cl-scott]

Windows is designed to only run off of an internal HDD/SSD. I believe Windows 8 will allow booting off of external media, but you're SOL as far as Windows 7 is concerned.

 

[bkar89]

Not really.

As i stated, TB is capebale of booting off external, unlike USB and FW.

I changed the partion map, it was set in GUID, needed to change to MBR to get the EFI to boot anything other than Mac OSX.

its all good now

 

[BarkingGhostar]

So, you changed GUID to MBR on the Tb disk with the previously installed W7. And you are able to do this without installing bootcamp?

 

[Tyranicus]

So, you changed GUID to MBR on the Tb disk with the previously installed W7. And you are able to do this without installing bootcamp?

It can be done from OS X with Disk Utility.

 

[BleepToBleep]

Hey guys,
I know I'm reviving an old thread, but I made a guide that explains how you can install and boot Windows 7 or 8 on an external thunderbolt or USB3 drive:
http://bleeptobleep.blogspot.fr/2013/02/mac-install-windows-7-or-8-on-external.html
It's not even required to use bootcamp at all.

 

[lokiju]

I'm betting you could make this a lot easier and just use something like rEFIt.

http://refit.sourceforge.net/

What I use to tripple boot my MBA with OS X, Ubuntu and Windows but I'm willing to bet this would help with this topic as well.

 

[joshhedge]

Thank you for reviving this. Had to remove my bootcamp partition as my 256GB SSD is really struggling for space at the moment.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Thanks for resurrecting this as well. Justifies my getting that thunderbolt SSD by Lacie.