Install Windows7 into Bootcamp (using mid-2011 iMac)

Question

I am having a hard time getting Windows 7 to install on my iMac 2011. Any help would be most appreciated. There seems to be a lot of different ways to get this to work depending on various system specs etc so I am getting confused trying to get the correct method to work on my particular machine.

My iMac specs: 21.5inch mid 2001, macOS High Sierra, Bootcamp version 6.1.0, and a brand new 16gb blank USB Stick (formatted to MS-DOS Fat using Disk Utility erase feature, blank DVD-RW)

Here is what I have tried so far:

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Method 1

• Downloaded ISO Windows 7 Pro file
• Formatted MS-DOS FAT 16GB 2.0 USB Stick using Disk Utility
• Inserted blank DVD
• Right click ISO file > Open With > DiskImageMounter
• Disk Utility > Right click mounted iso file
• File > New Image > Format > DVD/CD Master > Save file
• Rename new file from .cdr to .iso
• Right click > Open With > DiskImageMounter
• Run Bootcamp (both boxes checked) -- Download latest Windows support software -- Install Windows 7

Bootcamp gives me this message:

The installer disc could not be found. Insert your Windows installer disc and wait a few seconds for the disc to be recognized.

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Method 2

• Downloaded ISO Windows 7 Pro file
• Formatted MS-DOS FAT 16GB 2.0 USB Stick using Disk Utility
• Inserted blank DVD
• Right click ISO file > Open With > DiskImageMounter
• Disk Utility > Right click mounted iso file
• File > New Image > Format > DVD/CD Master > Save file
• Keep file as .cdr
• Right click > Open With > DiskImageMounter
• Run Bootcamp (both boxes checked) -- Download latest Windows support software -- Install Windows 7

Bootcamp gives me this message:

The installer disc could not be found. Insert your Windows installer disc and wait a few seconds for the disc to be recognized.

Answer 1

You have not burned the Windows 7 ISO file to the DVD-RW. For example, I have the Windows 7 ISO file named English_Windows_7_Professional_SP1_W64_X17-59186.iso. To burn to a DVD-RW, I would need to right click on the file in the Finder application and select Burn Disk Image "English_Windows_7_Professional_SP1_W64_X17-59186.iso" to Disk..., as shown below.

Note: The Windows 7 ISO is required to include Service Pack 1 (SP1). See the website, Install Windows 7 on your Mac using Boot Camp, for more information.

Just so you know, 64 bit Windows 10 runs great on your model Mac. I know this to be true because I also have a iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011).