Windows on SD Card via MacBook Pro

Chunks

Hi all,

New MacBook Pro arrived the other week and I'm getting to grips with it. Been using windows up until now.

I'm using it for work and some of the software I've got for work requires windows still... So, I'm thinking, partition and install Win10 via Bootcamp on my Mac.

However, I have a not so large HD which I'd rather keep for macin' instead of winnin'.... So, I figured I would try and install Win10 on an SD card and boot from there.

Now, I'm finding loads online about booting win10 from USB and SD cards... but I can't get an option when using Bootcamp to mount the win10 iso to my SD card. It only gives me the option to partition my Mac HDD and nothing else.

Anyone had/tried this before? Anyone know how I can install win10 onto my SD card so I can then boot from it?

Speed and performance isn't really an issue... it's become more of a "it's not the norm so I'm gonna try and do it" type situation :-P

Thanks in advance.

Doodah7

Don't think it can be done?

I tried last year, as an experiment, to get Windows booting and running from an external SSD through USB3 and it wouldn't work. I read at the time that Windows won't load over USB but would over Thunderbolt but I wasn't going down that expensive rabbit hole!!

Chunks

tallpaul wrote: »

Don't think it can be done?

I tried last year, as an experiment, to get Windows booting and running from an external SSD through USB3 and it wouldn't work. I read at the time that Windows won't load over USB but would over Thunderbolt but I wasn't going down that expensive rabbit hole!!

Found a vid on YouTube with a guy using boot camp to mount an ISO on a USB key.... but in his version of boot camp he has the option of selecting the USB alongside partitioning option for HDD.... I only get the partition option....

So it seems it can be done now.... must.keep.digging.... or this will consume me!

sReq | uTeK

Seems it can be done.

https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT204384

Can I use the SD card slot while running Windows using Boot Camp?

Yes. The SD card slot works with Boot Camp in Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. You will need to download and install the Windows Support Software to use the SD card slot with Windows. For more information on using Windows on a Mac, see this page.

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

Doodah7

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Seems it can be done.

https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT204384

Can I use the SD card slot while running Windows using Boot Camp?

Yes. The SD card slot works with Boot Camp in Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. You will need to download and install the Windows Support Software to use the SD card slot with Windows. For more information on using Windows on a Mac, see this page.

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

Ehhmm, that's explaining that if you are in Windows using Bootcamp that you have access to the SD card on your Mac i.e. files or apps. It is NOT running Windows off of a SD card. Two different things completely.

Chunks

sReq | uTeK wrote: »

Seems it can be done.

https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT204384

Can I use the SD card slot while running Windows using Boot Camp?

Yes. The SD card slot works with Boot Camp in Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. You will need to download and install the Windows Support Software to use the SD card slot with Windows. For more information on using Windows on a Mac, see this page.

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

This is where I'm falling down... Can't seem to recognise the SD card in the machine...Only getting HD partition options.
Any thoughts?

I don't think that Windows would natively alllow this even on a PC. If the Mac's firmware will allow SD booting it's probably possible to hack it together by changing the SD controller drivers from start 4 to start 0, but it would be messy and I'd expect several STOP 0x0000007B errors in the process.

Chunks

Karsini wrote: »

I don't think that Windows would natively alllow this even on a PC. If the Mac's firmware will allow SD booting it's probably possible to hack it together by changing the SD controller drivers from start 4 to start 0, but it would be messy and I'd expect several STOP 0x0000007B errors in the process.

Really? I've been able to set my BIOS on a Dell PC in the past to boot from externals such as USB...

Chunks

Chunks wrote: »

Really? I've been able to set my BIOS on a Dell PC in the past to boot from externals such as USB...

And it boots Windows (full blown, not WinPE) via USB?

srsly78

Just run windows as a virtual machine instead, much easier. Even if you manage to get sdcard working it will be slow and painful.

5uspect

Yep, just run a VM and copy it to an SD if you wish. Parallels is fine but there are perfectly good free options out there.