***This answer is being updated due to reported flaws (bugs)! Do not use until this message has been removed.***
Note:
-----
The updated steps for installing Windows 8.1 are given [here][1].
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My hardware and software differs from yours. I will first document how I tested my answer and then try to adapt the answer to your needs. Since this is a fairly long answer, the adaption will be given as a separate answer.
My computer is an iMac (20-inch Mid 2007). The version of OS X is 10.10.2. I will be installing Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 Bit.
I have only one internal drive. It is a 1 TB hard disk using the Apple hybrid GUID partitioning scheme. Hybrid means Windows will see the drive as MBR partitioned, while OS X views the drive as GUID partitioned. I will be following Apple's recommendations and installing Window using the legacy BIOS. **I also have a working internal optical SuperDrive which is not used to install Windows.**
(Hint: For a better view, click on a image or open an image in a new window.)
1. Copy the Boot Camp Support Software (the drivers) to a flash drive.
The software can either be downloaded using the Boot Camp Assistant,
downloaded directly from the Web or copied off a OS X installation
DVD. See [System requirements to install Windows on your Mac via
Boot Camp][2] for details.
2. Make sure your firmware is up to date. See [EFI and SMC firmware
updates for Intel-based Macs][3].
3. Download and install a free copy of [VirtualBox][4] from Oracle. I
used VirtualBox, Version 5.0.0 r101573, Copyright © 2015.
4. Inside your Documents folder, create a folder named `VirtualBox`.
This is where you will keep the files created in the rest of the
steps.
5. Create a MS-DOS (FAT) formatted partition to install Windows. You
can use the Bootcamp Assistant, the Disk Utility, or commands
(`distutil`, `gpt` and/or `fdisk`) entered in a Terminal window.
Other third party tools, such as [`gdisk`][5], can also be used. Give this
partition the name `BOOTCAMP`.
6. Determine the disk and partition numbers of the partition named
`BOOTCAMP`. To do this, highlight the partition in the Disk Utility
application and click the Info button. A popup window should appear.
The values shown will be used in the next step.
[![][6]][6]
The information, in this pop up window, shows the disk and partition
numbers are 0 and 4, respectively. If your numbers are different,
you will need to substitute your numbers in the rest of the steps.
**If your partition number is greater than 4, then you can not install windows on this partition.** (*Technically, this may not be
true, but it is beyond the scope of this answer to explain how to do
so.*)
[![][7]][7]
Do **not** close the popup window.
7. Open the Terminal application and enter the following commands in
the Terminal window. This will set variables to be used in later
commands. In the next command, replace `α` with the "Disk Number"
shown in the Disk Utility popup window. The usual value for `α` is
`0`.
DISK0=/dev/diskα
In the next command, replace `β` with the "Partition Number" shown
in the Disk Utility popup window. The usual value for `β` is `4`.
PARTITION=β
The next command sets the variable `PARTID` to the disk identifier of
the partition. This should be the same as the "Disk Identifier"
shown in the Disk Utility popup window. The usual value for `PARTID`
is `disk0s4`.
PARTID="$DISK0"s"$PARTITION"
Note: the letter `s` is lower case.
Close the Disk Utility popup window.
8. With the Disk Utility application still open, select
`File`→`New`→`Blank Disk Image` from the menu bar. In the popup
window, enter the following values, then click the "Create" button.
Save As: bcssoftware
Tags:
Where: ~/Documents/VirtualBox
Name: BCSSOFTWARE
Size: 100 MB
Format: MS-DOS (FAT)
Encryption: none
Partitions: Single partition - Master Boot Record Partition Map
Image Format: read/write disk image
9. Determine the disk number of the partition named `BCSSOFTWARE`. To do
this, highlight the partition in the Disk Utility application and
click the Info button. A popup window should appear. The values
shown will be used in the next step.
[![][8]][8]
The information, in this pop up window, shows the disk number is 1.
If your number is different, you will need to substitute your number
in the rest of the steps.
[![][9]][9]
Do **not** close the popup window.
10. Using the same Terminal window, enter the following to set the
variable `DISK1`. Replace `γ` with the "Disk Number" shown in the
Disk Utility popup window. The usual value for `γ` is `1`.
DISK1=/dev/diskγ
**Quit the Disk Utility.**
11. Mark your partition as active in the MBR. Enter the following in
the same Terminal window. The input for the interactive command
`fdisk` is taken from the variable `INPUT`. If a password is asked
for, enter it.
INPUT=$(printf "f $PARTITION\nw\ny\nq")
sudo fdisk -e $DISK0 <<<"$INPUT"
12. Allow VirtualBox read/write access to your physical partition by
entering the following commands in the same Terminal window. If a
password is asked for, enter it.
diskutil unmount $PARTID
sudo chmod go+rw $PARTID
This will allow VirtualBox to install Windows on your physical
partition. **Note: This access will only last until OS X is
rebooted.**
13. Create the files that map the virtual partition and disk to the
physical partition and disk image. In the same Terminal window,
enter the following commands. If a password is asked for, enter it.
cd ~/documents/virtualbox
sudo vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename $PWD/bootcamp.vmdk -rawdisk $DISK0 -partitions $PARTITION
sudo chown $USER bootcamp*.vmdk
diskutil unmountDisk $DISK1
vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename $PWD/bcssoftware.vmdk -rawdisk $DISK1
14. Open VirtualBox and click on icon above the New label. Enter or
select the values shown below.
[![][10]][10]
Select the default settings except for the hard drive. Navigate to
the VirtualBox folder created in step 4. Choose the
`bootcamp.vmdk` file.
[![][11]][11]
15. After you return to the "Oracle VM Virtual Manager" window, enter
the following command in the same Terminal window.
diskutil unmountDisk $DISK1
Return to the VirtualBox application's "Oracle VM Virtual Manager"
window and click on the icon above the Settings label. Next, click
on the icon above the Storage label. Right click on "Controller:
SATA" and select "Add Hard Disk". Choose existing disk by opening
the file `bcssoftware.vmdk` stored in the folder created in step 4.
The attachment `bcssoftware.vmdk` should appear as shown below.
[![][12]][12]
16. Highlight the Empty CD/DVD and select "Choose a virtual CD/DVD
file..." to attach your Windows installation iso file. (Hint: Look
for the CD/DVD icons) Click OK to close the window.
[![][13]][13]
Your "Oracle VM Virtual Manager" window should similar to below.
[![][14]][14]
17. Before clicking the icon above the Start label to begin installing
Windows, enter the following command in the same Terminal Window.
diskutil unmountDisk $DISK1
18. When you reach the window shown below, select "Custom (advanced)".
[![][15]][15]
In the next window, click on "Drive options (advanced)".
[![][16]][16]
Select the BOOTCAMP partition and click on "Format". The error
message shown below will disappear. Click on "Next" to continue
installation.
[![][17]][17]
19. The rest the virtual machine installation will be repeated again
after booting Windows on the physical machine. Use the provided
answers when the following windows first appear. When asked a
second time, you can provide your own answers.
When the following window first appears, I would enter the Product
Key and uncheck the "Automatically active Windows when I'm online"
box.
[![][18]][18]
To be safe, I would not let any updates download or install until
after the Boot Camp Support Software (the drivers) is installed.
Therefore, I would click on "Ask me later" in the window shown
below.
[![][19]][19]
VirtualBox creates a virtual Public network for your virtual
machine. Therefore I would click on "Public network" in the window
shown below.
[![][20]][20]
20. Once the installation has completed on the virtual machine, you
need to make a copy the MBR bootstrap code. From the Start Menu,
select Computer to open a window containing the hard disk drives
and devices with removable storage. Determine the drive letters for
the hard disk drive labeled `BCSSOFTWARE` and the CD (optical)
drive. The image below shows the drive letters on my computer are
`D:` and `G:`, respectively. Your drive letters may differ from
mine.
[![][21]][21]
Close the window and open a Command Prompt window run as an
administrator. Select `Start Menu`→`All Programs`→`Accessories`,
then right click on `Command Prompt` and select `Run as
administrator`, as shown in the image below.
[![][22]][22]
In the Command Prompt window, enter the command shown below. If
necessary, substitute your drive letters for `G:` and `D:`.
G:\BOOT\BOOTSECT /NT60 D: /MBR
The results of running this command on my computer are shown below.
[![][23]][23]
Close the Command Prompt window.
21. You need to prepare Windows to run on your physical Mac. Open a
Windows Explorer and navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\sysprep
folder. Open the sysprep application. Select "Enter System
Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)", "Generalize" and "Shutdown" as shown
below. Click OK and wait for the virtual machine to shutdown.
[![][24]][24]
22. Once the virtual machine has shutdown, quit VirtualBox. Enter the
following in the same Terminal window. These commands will update
the MBR bootstrap code, set the Windows partition identifier to 7
in the MBR and then mount the partition. The input for the
interactive command `fdisk` is taken from the variable `INPUT`. If
a password is asked for, enter it.
sudo fdisk -u -y -f $DISK1 $DISK0
INPUT=$(printf "s $PARTITION\n7\nw\ny\nq")
sudo fdisk -e $DISK0 <<<"$INPUT"
diskutil mount $PARTID
23. Close other applications. Open System Preferences and select
"Startup Disk". Highlight the Windows icon and click the "Restart"
button.
[![][25]][25]
If something goes wrong, you will need to hold down the Option key
at startup to return to OS X. Hopefully, nothing will go wrong and
Windows will start.
24. When Windows finishing installing, insert the flash drive and
install the Boot Camp Support Software (the drivers).
COMMENTS
--------
I ended up having to create two user accounts. If you only want one account, you have two options. First, delete one of the accounts. Second, disable one of the accounts so it will not appear. The former can be accomplished from the control panel, the latter requires entering the command `control userpasswords2` in a Command Prompt window. For example, below is the window were one can enable or disable the rpj account. If you need help let me know.
[![][26]][26]
[1]: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/189335/any-solution-to-bootcamp-windows-8-1-with-macbook-pro-15-2010/189398#189398
[2]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204048
[3]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201518
[4]: https://www.virtualbox.org
[5]: http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/
[6]: https://i.sstatic.net/Eq3Qr.png
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