With respect to Microsoft Windows, 2012, through 2014 were translational years for Apple Macs. For the 2011 and older Macs, Windows is installed in BIOS/MBR mode using a Windows installer DVD. In 2012, Apple started to drop the optical drive from its Mac models. To allow Windows to be installed, the Boot Camp Assistant application copied the files from the Windows installer iso, to a USB flash drive. The "Boot Camp Support Software" was also included on the flash drive. To install older Windows versions, the "Boot Camp Support Software" files had to be manually copied to the flash drive.
Staring in 2015, Apple dropped the ability to install operating systems that require a BIOS/MBR boot method. This eliminated the possibility of installing Windows 7 on these Mac models. This change brought Macs update to date with the reset of the industry, which converted to EFI/GPT booting of Microsoft Windows in 2011. Also, with the release of El Capitan (OS X 10.11), the Boot Camp Assistant can now install Windows on certain Mac models without the use of a DVD or USB flash drive.
So where does this leave the transitional 2012 through 2014 model year Macs? I wish I had an absolute answer. Consider the following.
- If one had Windows 7 installed in BIOS/MBR mode and upgraded to
Windows 10, then the result would be Windows 10 running in BIOS/MBR
mode using the "Boot Camp Support Software" intended for a Windows 7
installation. Some people have reported that running "Apple Software
Update" afterwards will result in the downloading and installing of
newer "Boot Camp Support Software".
- Some people have installed Windows 8/8.1/10 from scratch on their
model Mac in BIOS/MBR mode with any problems, while others have
done the same on their model Mac in EFI/GPT mode without problems.
I do not remember anyone trying both methods. Usually, once one method
works, they quit trying.
So, it really depends on what the "Boot Camp Support Software" for you model Mac will allow. You have reported that the Boot Camp Assistant installed Windows 10 on your Mac using a BIOS/MBR boot method. So I assume this is what is right for your model Mac. However, if you have created the Windows 10 USB flash drive installer, then you could try both methods. Insert the flash drive and restart the Mac. Hold down the option key at startup. If an icon labeled "Windows" appears you can try a BIOS/MBR install. If a icon labeled "EFI Boot" appears, then you can try a EFI/GPT install.
In the end from the user perspective. it really does not matter which method is employed to boot Windows. Ubuntu is installed in EFI/GPT mode which works independent of either Windows boot method. I guess the Windows EFI/GPT method offers a fast boot option, but this can only be used when Windows is the sole operating system on a computer. You intend to include both OS X and Ubuntu Linux.
Note: Some Linux installers will not install in EFI/GPT mode to a hybrid GPT. To solve this problem, you may need to:
- (Optional) Make a backup copy of your Protective MBR (PMBR).
- Use the Boot Camp Assistant, Disk Utility or other application(s) to
create a hybrid GPT.
- Install Windows. (Usually to partition 4)
- Save a copy of the hybrid MBR.
- Covert the MBR back to a Protective MBR (PMBR) or restore from backup.
- Install Linux to new partitions without changing the existing partitions.
- Restore the hybrid MBR from the backup.
Another solution, would be to install Linux first, leaving a space for Windows to be installed after Linux. In this case, format the Windows partition HFS before installing Linux and FAT before installing Windows.
If you intend to install Windows on a second disk, you may want to read the posts made to the question: "Problem Installing Windows 7 via Boot Camp".
Got it working finally...
The first trick is to remove ALL disks from the MacPro when trying to load setup. You may leave clean HDDs or SSDs where the Mac EFI cannot find MBR or Protected MBR.
After you removed all other disks the MacPro4,1 will not directly freeze after choosing EFI Boot on the installer stick.
(You will have to create it like mentioned before here to force an EFI boot of the installer.)
There will then be a progress bar loading files but unfortunately you will get stuck on a black screen in a few seconds...
To be finally able to load setup you need to flash MacPro4,1 firmware to MacPro5,1 firmware.
The EFI version reported in rEFit shell will not change. But you will still have a different version after the upgrade flash. Apple does not seem to take great care about correct versioning with EFI standards as I understood from Rod Smith's comment here.
This more recent Apple internal version of the MacPro5,1's EFI will be providing us with the ability to boot EFI setup from the Windows 10 Installer on the MacPro4,1 machine.
Setup will load fine then and will give you a clean bootable EFI/GPT install of Windows 10 (W8 I did not try since I am happy with the more recent version). Install bootcamp drivers and enjoy AHCI without patches.
Be sure to strip the bootmgr files from the installer disc or stick. Even when choosing EFI boot, the Apple EFI will still boot the installer in BIOS/CSM Mode when those files are present.
I will probably post more detailed step by step instructions soon...
Here they are:
Make EFI bootable USB Installer
- Download Win10 install ISO from Microsoft
- Boot into Windows DVD Setup or existing BIOS/CMI installation to access a Windows command prompt
- open command prompt (from windows run cmd, from setup press shift+F10)
load diskpart and make a clean installer stick
type in command prompt:
diskpart
list disk
select disk n #n=usb stick
clean #everything will get deleted!
convert gpt
create partition primary
format quick fs=fat32 label=Winstall
exit
exit
mount downloaded install ISO (I did it in Windows, should work in OSX too)
- drag everything from the mounted ISO onto the USB stick
- delete bootmgr and bootmgr.efi files from the stick to avoid BIOS/CMI boot and force EFI boot. See also here
Flash MacPro4,1 with MacPro5,1 firmware
Bootrom MP41.0081.B07 (EFI 1.4) to Bootrom MP51.007F.B03 (EFI 1.5)
(If your machine shows Bootrom version MP41.0081.B08 you could first try to continue without upgrading. I don’t know which Apple EFI version is contained in there. Downgrading should be possible as well, definitely possible to version MP41.0081.B07. Please research if you don’t want to lose the downgrade possibility to MP41.0081.B08)
The upgraded EFI finally enabled me to complete the boot process and you will have all other advantages of the 2010 and later models (hex-core CPU, faster RAM, Audio over DP) This upgrade is reversible. (If using El Capitan you need to disable System Integrity Protection. Otherwise the flash will not perform. If patch is running successfully you can see a big grey loader bar and the apple logo. Optical drives will open. See here how to easily disable SIP)
- Dowload MacPro5,1 Firmware here
-Mount dmg
(above steps will avoid error 5570)
- Download Mac Pro Firmware Upgrade Utility here
- Run Utility and follow instructions
- check upgraded bootrom version and identifier in System Information
Setup Windows with EFI boot
- remove ALL disks from the Mac Pro
- Plugin USB Installer stick
- Boot Mac holding option/alt key
- Choose EFI Boot
- Enter setup and select GPT installation target disk
- Install
Install Bootcamp Drivers (optional of course.. You can also manually add what you want)
- Boot into Windows
- Download Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5640 here
- run setup
(the setup was hanging on my machine while installtion of the RealTek Audio drivers. To solve that follow instructions here)
Done.
Only issue I have is with my NVIDIA GTX 680 DVI-D port (and maybe others). After installing NVIDIA drivers screen will go black without signal. Booting then will show Windows logo but will go black w(o signal when login screen should appear. The system will boot to login properly after only 5-10 sec black screen without signal when using the DVI-I port instead. After successful login I could unplug and switch the port. Confirmed on EVGA and Gainward card. Did not have time to investigate further.
Best Answer
"Windows 7 x64 (64-bit) will NOT boot natively using UEFI on a Macintosh!"
See source with technical details here: https://darobins.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/native-uefi-windows-7-boot-on-mac-mini/
PS It would have been nice to not only copy and paste my installation guide in your question. That cost me some time to put online. A link or reference as source would have been nice. From the title of my post it could have come to your mind as well, that a WIN8 or WIN10 installation had been the goal, not WIN7...EFI Boot Windows 8.1 or 10 Install on MacPro4,1 / Mac Pro (Early 2009)