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I need some help getting Windows up and running on my Early 2008 Macbook.

It does have a weird set up, but I think it's possible. All I have is a 16gb SanDisk USB drive. So, here goes.

I was trying to use bootcamp to install Windows but I partitioned the disk wrong and deleted my partition for OS X. I tried all the shortcuts, but nothing worked.

I finally used Startup Disk Creator on a Dell laptop running Ubuntu and got Ubuntu 17.10 running on it using the SanDisk. All is well, but I don't necessarily like Ubuntu, and I didn't really like OS X that much.

I want to use the Sandisk and get either Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 running. You have to remember that while the computer is 64-bit, it has a 32-bit EFI.

Here are my specs: MacBook, 4GB Ram, 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 160GB HDD, Ubuntu 17.10 LTS

I hope you guys can help me do this. Also, please don't hate or say "Upgrade" because, simply put, I can't as of now.

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  • I currently have 64 bit Windows 10 installed on 2007, 2011 and 2013 iMacs. Are you sure you have the right model? I ask because all MacBook4,1 models have 64 bit EFI's. Does your Mac have a working DVD drive? You should install Windows to use the BIOS boot method. The primary reason for using the BIOS is to be compatible with the drivers you will need to download from Apple. The steps for installing depend on whether you have the problem with dual booting Windows 10 installers. My 2007 has this problem. By 2011 this problem was fixed. My best estimate is your 2008 will have this problem.
    – David Anderson
    Apr 23, 2018 at 23:46
  • I have the early 2008. Not the pro or iMac. Just regular MacBook. I do have a working DVD drive but all I have is one CD R and RW. I have access to a usb drive. Also the 2008 macbook has 32 bit efi and can use 64 bit os if I recall correctly. I really hate Ubuntu but it's all I could get.
    – AlphaWolf
    Apr 24, 2018 at 0:46
  • I want a way to install it from a USB drive and boot it from the Option menu and replace any existing Os'es. (It = Windows 10) Also @DavidAnderson How good does it on the older macs? I heard it runs great and can compete with modern PC's but I'm not 100%
    – AlphaWolf
    Apr 24, 2018 at 0:50
  • Well, Windows 10 performs better on the 2011 iMac due to having 4 cores and 16 GB of RAM than the 2 core 2007 iMac with 4 GB of RAM. The 2007 runs fast enough for Microsoft Office and Visual Studio. I do not believe you can BIOS boot the Windows 10 installer from a USB port on any model Mac. I have USB EFI booted Windows 10 installer on the 2011 iMac and then did a BIOS install of Windows, but the same procedure would not work on the 2007 iMac. I have used a DVD to install 64 bit Windows 10 on the 2007 iMac, but I first had to remove the EFI boot software from the Windows 10 iso file.
    – David Anderson
    Apr 24, 2018 at 1:46
  • Could you send me the ISO you used for the 2007 iMac? I can try to boot it from USB and I might just have to buy DVD-RW disks.
    – AlphaWolf
    Apr 24, 2018 at 2:39

3 Answers 3

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I don't have personal experience with this but here's my best guess at the process

  1. Get a 32-bit Windows 10 .iso. You can download straight from MS.
  2. Use unetbootin or similar to create a bootable installer. Format for FAT32 under MBR (Master Boot Record)
  3. You should now be able to boot to the Windows installer and install from there.

It should be mentioned that while macOS and Ubuntu are free software, Windows is not and you'll have to figure out a license.

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  • Ok, I'll give that a shot. I have tried UNetBootIn with a 64-bit copy of Windows 10, but when I choose the EFI in the Option menu, it freezes. I'll try, thanks for the suggestion!
    – AlphaWolf
    Apr 23, 2018 at 21:39
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I do not have the time to create detailed instructions. However, I will document the steps I believe are necessary to install Windows 10 on your machine. These instructions have not been verified.

Basically, these instructions are based on my answer to the posted question: No bootable device USB 2.0 MacBook Pro mid 2014. You will need to convert the macOS commands to the Ubuntu equivalents.

The website Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File) can be used to download Windows 10. You should choose to download an iso file. You can use this file to install Windows 10. At some point after installing you will need to buy a license to continue to use Windows 10.

You will need to modify the steps as follows.

  • You will need to download the 32 bit Windows 7 Boot Camp Support Software. Windows is designed to use old drivers when newer ones are not available. I used the same download to install 64 bit Windows 10 on a 2007 iMac.
  • Step 9. You will need to clone the BOOTCAMP partition to the beginning of the drive. Do this after first booting to the BOOTCAMP partition. This will require destroying the Ubuntu installation. Once the new partition is complete, reboot to the new partition and destroy the old partition. Reclaim the free space. Continue with step 9.
  • Step 9. Since you do not have macOS (OS X) installed, you may need to hold down the option key during restarts and manually select the boot volume.
  • After the BCSS is installed, goto the Control Panel and open the Boot Camp pane. Select Windows as your startup disk.

Of course, installing Windows is easier if you choose to use your optical drive. You will also need a flash drive to hold the BCSS. You may need a machine running Windows to modify the Windows iso file. I would first try burning the iso to a DVD and test to see if you can boot. If not, then the instructions for modifying the iso file are given at the website: Select CD-ROM Boot Type:” error during Windows install.

Another option would be to install a 32 bit version of Windows 10 using the optical drive. Although this is the simplest way to get Windows 10, I believe it is worth the time to try to get 64 bit Windows running.

I assume I left out some important instructions. If you get stuck, let me know.

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  • OK, sorry for the late post, I'm stuck. I don't have access to bootcamp
    – AlphaWolf
    May 1, 2018 at 20:53
  • @AlphaWolf: Could you explain what "I don't have access to bootcamp" means? Do you mean that you can not access the website Boot Camp Support Software 4.0.4033?
    – David Anderson
    May 2, 2018 at 3:01
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  1. Install the Bootcamp support software in compatibility mode for Windows 7 or "previous version of Windows", execute the program titled "BootCamp64" under the path /Drivers/Apple. I used the OS X 10.5 Bootcamp software that were on the DVDs that came with my Mac, Bootcamp version 2.0. Keyboard functions such as brightness and volume control worked for me after installing this.

  2. Go to Dell support and download Dell Wireless WLAN 1397/1510 Half Mini Card Driver , they are the same chipset as the Airport extreme card I had, install in compatibility mode, or try installing via device manager manually after extracting the driver files to a folder. Don't use the built-in Broadcom 802.11n WiFi drivers, they are horrible. These drivers are a perfect match.

Good luck!

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