Can't Install Windows 7 Drivers on Late 2006 iMac

[TacticalDonut]

I have an old late 2006 20-inch 2.16 GHz iMac that I'm trying to install Windows 7 Professional on using Boot Camp 4.0.4 because Lion doesn't get 5. Trying to download the drivers from Boot Camp Assistant gives me the error "Can't install Windows Support Software because it is not currently available from the Software Update server" (image). Downloading the drivers from Apple's website using this link in the table and saving it onto a FAT/MBR external disk works, but when I try to install it in Windows 7, it seems to install the drivers, but it always misses the display drivers and occasionally the audio drivers, even after a restart or trying to "repair" the program. The installation shows zero errors despite not installing the drivers properly, and no error messages ever appear that would indicate a problem with the installation. The display drivers in Windows after installing the Boot Camp software is just the generic PNP one that results in either a horribly low-resolution screen or one that is so stretched out that you can't read anything.

When I had installed Windows 7 on my early 2008 MacBook, the initial installation of Windows 7 (not the Boot Camp software) started with a stretched screen, but halfway through the installation, the screen flashed and then the display looked normal, so I guess it installed the graphics drivers during the initial installation? This is not the case with the iMac. I am using the same install DVD, which is a legitimate purchase from the Microsoft Store.

I have also tried to install the display drivers manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog and from AMD's website, but neither work.

I have not tried to install or search for the display drivers through Windows Update, as I would have to first deregister the license key on my 2008 MacBook, and then install hundreds of updates through WSUSOffline so the computer can actually connect to the update server. But, if that is what will fix it, I am more than happy to do that as I'd rather have Windows 7 be on my iMac rather than the MacBook because the iMac actually seems to perform much better and can run Minecraft with OptiFine at normal graphics around 60 FPS whereas the MacBook can only get 20. I know Windows 7 isn't supported, but I plan to leave the entire device offline after installing all of the Windows updates through a mobile hotspot as compared to my home network. I can just get the program installers from another PC and then copy them to the iMac.

TL;DR
Expected Behavior:

• Windows 7 support software is downloaded through Boot Camp, Windows 7 is installed, and the Boot Camp software is then installed and the display works as normal

Actual Behavior:

• Boot Camp cannot download the support software, and downloading the software from Apple's website instead and then installing it in Windows results in the graphics drivers not installing despite not showing any errors, resulting in a horribly stretched screen

Tried:

1. Downloading Boot Camp support software through the Boot Camp app - failed with "Can't install Windows Support Software because it is not currently available from the Software Update server" (image).
2. Downloading Boot Camp support software from Apple's website using this link in the table and saving it onto a FAT/MBR external disk - works, but display drivers don't install.
3. Manually installing the graphics drivers from AMD's website and the online Microsoft Update Catalog - installed, but didn't fix the display issues.
4. Running Apple Hardware Test 3A111 to test for hardware issues that would cause the drivers to not be installed - Showed zero issues during extended testing
5. Tried installing the drivers individually from the "Drivers" folder in the BC download - Either showed an error on installation or installed but didn't change anything.

Have not tried:

1. Searching for and installing the graphics drivers through Windows Update, if this is even possible

I'd appreciate any advice on this issue.

 

[bobesch]

You've got the BootCamp4.0.4033.zip (BTW thanks for the link!)
Did you try to install the drivers individually by running the driver-setup from within the bootcamp/drivers-folder?

 

[TacticalDonut]

You've got the BootCamp4.0.4033.zip (BTW thanks for the link!)
Did you try to install the drivers individually by running the driver-setup from within the bootcamp/drivers-folder?

I have tried to install them individually, but they either show an error on install or install without errors and not change anything.

Thanks for the suggestion, though. I'll add that to the list of things I've tried in the OP.

 

[Project Alice]

I have the 17” little brother of your iMac and have Windows 7 running on it perfectly. Though it’s an early 2006 with a 1.83GHz Core Duo, with the 32bit version of Windows 7.

It’s been installed on there for a few years, but I don’t remember doing anything weird to get hardware working. In fact I think most of it just worked out of the box. The ATI drivers from the AMD website should just install like normal.

I would just ignore bootcamp altogether and just pretend it’s a PC (because, it basically is).

What drivers are actually missing or have an error in device manager? What error are you getting when installing the ATI drivers (from the AMD website)?
Also is this 64bit or 32bit Windows 7 you’ve installed? It shouldn’t matter, just make sure the drivers you download are for the correct version. The bootcamp drivers aren’t going to target Windows 7 at all on that machine and definitely not the 64bit version (hence ignore bootcamp and pretend it’s a PC).

 

[bobesch]

Also is this 64bit or 32bit Windows 7 you’ve installed? It shouldn’t matter, just make sure the drivers you download are for the correct version. The bootcamp drivers aren’t going to target Windows 7 at all on that machine and definitely not the 64bit version (hence ignore bootcamp and pretend it’s a PC).

Yep, that's exactly, what I've been also thinking about: is it Win7 x64, the OP did install?
Would 64bit cause trouble, since the white intel-iMacs came with the 32bit-EFI?
BootCamp software includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit drivers. Maybe something has gone mixed-up there...

 

[Project Alice]

Yep, that's exactly, what I've been also thinking about: is it Win7 x64, the OP did install?
Would 64bit cause trouble, since the white intel-iMacs came with the 32bit-EFI?
BootCamp software includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit drivers. Maybe something has gone mixed-up there...

Windows doesn’t care about the EFI. It uses a BIOS emulator anyways on early Intel. Unless OP somehow installed via EFI but I doubt it would even boot are all on this early of a Mac, it wasn’t til 2009 Macs that the EFI became somewhat compatible with other OSes and even then stuff didn’t work right.

 

[TacticalDonut]

I have the 17” little brother of your iMac and have Windows 7 running on it perfectly. Though it’s an early 2006 with a 1.83GHz Core Duo, with the 32bit version of Windows 7.

It’s been installed on there for a few years, but I don’t remember doing anything weird to get hardware working. In fact I think most of it just worked out of the box. The ATI drivers from the AMD website should just install like normal.

I would just ignore bootcamp altogether and just pretend it’s a PC (because, it basically is).

What drivers are actually missing or have an error in device manager? What error are you getting when installing the ATI drivers (from the AMD website)?
Also is this 64bit or 32bit Windows 7 you’ve installed? It shouldn’t matter, just make sure the drivers you download are for the correct version. The bootcamp drivers aren’t going to target Windows 7 at all on that machine and definitely not the 64bit version (hence ignore bootcamp and pretend it’s a PC).

Hi, very sorry about not responding, I completely forgot about this thread and I guess MR emails go into my spam folder :/. I just kinda gave up and moved on. It is absolutely the 32-bit version and I am very sure the BC drivers are for my iMac, unless I'm somehow reading the table wrong. I haven't checked what drivers are missing - I know for certain the graphics drivers were missing; I only have the generic PNP adapter driver showing in Device Manager. I do not receive any error when I am installing the ATI graphics drivers; they install fine, but there is no difference in the display and only the PNP adapter shows, even after a restart. Unless the website is so horribly unintuitive that I just downloaded and installed some bloatware ATI control panel, those drivers don't work.

Would it be possible to get the drivers through Windows Update? I have one license available so I could activate Windows and try to get it through WSUS.

Also, even almost a month later, you still can't download the drivers from Boot Camp Assistant, so I'm assuming Apple just killed it.

Yep, that's exactly, what I've been also thinking about: is it Win7 x64, the OP did install?
Would 64bit cause trouble, since the white intel-iMacs came with the 32bit-EFI?
BootCamp software includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit drivers. Maybe something has gone mixed-up there...

It's the 32-bit version.

 

[bobesch]

You may give BootCamp3 a try.
It's located on the SnowLeopard-DVD.
You can access it for download, when the DVD is launched within a Windows-session.
That did help me with my early-2009 iMacs.
Good luck!

 

[CyrilCommando]

I think what happens here is that the drivers are actually installed but Windows is too stupid to switch drivers. It's what I suspected and it was a really easy problem to solve.

Device Manager>Display Adapters> Generic Monitor> Update Driver Software>Browse my computer for driver software> Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer. Uncheck "Show compatible hardware". A list will come up with sh#tloads of display drivers. Find one for your model (There will be many for the same one) and click Next. A warning will come up, click yes. Screen may flicker. Reboot.