Installed Windows 7, 64-bit on my MacBook Air v 2,1 | 2.13 GHz, Runcore SSD

[Scottsdale]

I had read mixed reviews about people installing 64-bit Windows 7 on the MacBook Air. It went really well for me, I think. A few small things. One, when putting the OS X 10.6 disk in to install Boot Camp on the Windows OS it says something like "the MBA doesn't support 64-bit Windows."

I read from someplace on web to go into the drivers/Apple/x64 folder on Snow Leopard install disk and double clicked on each driver file inside Windows 7 to install each driver. Each driver took a few seconds and showed positive results. I then clicked on the Windows Update. If found an Nvidia 9400m graphics driver. After that updated, I went in and checked the devices. The "MBA" chipset drivers were showing as not installed. I went to "find and fix problems." Sure enough there was an error stating there was a 100 MB file to install the 64-bit chipset for Windows 7. I clicked and let that install.

I then used Windows 7 on the MBA, and so far I haven't had any issues. A few weird things. When I was installing, it didn't ask me how I wanted to format it, NTFS or FAT. Maybe that's a difference with Win7 from Vista. My instruction set was from BootCamp for Vista. Next, the buttons to control display brightness and function keys aren't working. I didn't take anymore time to figure those out. I have read some who have everything working perfectly.

I just wanted to report that somehow Windows 7 Professional is working in 64-bit on the MacBook Air. BootCamp doesn't install in the Windows OS side, but works fine just the same and can boot into Windows 7 by pressing the option key during startup and selecting "Windows."

The performance of Windows 7 on the MBA is a dream. I am truly impressed with the MacBook Air's capabilities... it's just too bad OS X doesn't fare so well on the MBA.

I really don't understand why Apple doesn't want us to boot 64-bit on the MacBook Air in Windows 7??? I guess it must be fairly embarrased that Windows 7 works better and faster on the MBA than OS X and OS X Snow Leopard isn't really even 64-bit. If the CPU and chipsets are capable, why does Apple feel the need to cut performance and limit our capabiltities???

I rarely use Windows, and I didn't really need to install it as I have a Windows computer. I just wanted to share the results of installing Windows 7 on the MBA. I guess 32-bit would have went safer... I really don't understand why Apple isn't officially supporting Windows 7 on Macs yet? Doesn't it seem that would be a requirement given its claims of running Windows on Macs?

I will post any other findings over the next few weeks.

 

[ayeying]

I read from someplace on web to go into the drivers/Apple/x64 folder on Snow Leopard install disk and double clicked on each driver file inside Windows 7 to install each driver. Each driver took a few seconds and showed positive results. I then clicked on the Windows Update. If found an Nvidia 9400m graphics driver. After that updated, I went in and checked the devices. The "MBA" chipset drivers were showing as not installed. I went to "find and fix problems." Sure enough there was an error stating there was a 100 MB file to install the 64-bit chipset for Windows 7. I clicked and let that install.

You know, if you completely disable UAC, this wouldn't be a problem. You can use BootCamp64.msi and let it install automatically.

 

[billgatesceo]

Or, if you have a mouse hooked up, you can right click, run as administrator command prompt. cd into the apple drivers directory and run the msi from there. It will install fully and all drivers and buttons, etc will work.

 

[kate-willbury]

i think its pretty obvious by now that windows 7 > osx

 

[Scottsdale]

Or, if you have a mouse hooked up, you can right click, run as administrator command prompt. cd into the apple drivers directory and run the msi from there. It will install fully and all drivers and buttons, etc will work.

Thank you Mr Gates. You're always sure to please the Windows crowd. I will try that later today.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[coast1ja]

May I ask why you went with 64 bit??? The only real benefit of 64 bit is that it allows you to use more ram, but with the MBA fixed at 2gb, there really isn't a reason to install 64 over 32. I may be mistaken, but I think I'm going to install 32 bit Windows 7 on mine... for one, the OS takes less space!... on a 64gb like I have, space is a valuable thing!

 

[Runcore]

FYI we did the same here and the MBA can now play Team Fortress without a flinch or glitch.

Unreal

Matt Dawson
Runcore

 

[ayeying]

Or, if you have a mouse hooked up, you can right click, run as administrator command prompt. cd into the apple drivers directory and run the msi from there. It will install fully and all drivers and buttons, etc will work.

Last time I tried that, it didn't work. UAC still blocked it even with "run as administrator".

 

[Abyssgh0st]

FYI we did the same here and the MBA can now play Team Fortress without a flinch or glitch.

Unreal

Matt Dawson
Runcore

TF2? That's good to know. What were the graphics settings like?

 

[Runcore]

TF2? That's good to know. What were the graphics settings like?

The MBA is MIA.

I believe it is on the native resolution with no configuration tweaks.

So I would say normal settings not high or low.

Matt