How do I install windows on a MacBook Pro 2015?

[cuddles7864]

So my mom got a new macbook and i was just going to use her old one, except its kinda slow, I'm assuming because of performance degradation of the hard drive that has been in it for several years.

 

So basically want to get a newer M.2 SSD and replace the old one, and also install windows on it instead. However at the time it looks like apple doesn't like third party SSD's so I wouldn't be able use bootcamp to dual boot Windows and Mac OS, since I wouldn't be able to get into the Mac OS.

 

I've never rally messed around with Windows licensing or really installing Windows, let alone on a mac. So would there be any way of doing this without actually having the Mac OS?

[DrMacintosh]

12 minutes ago, cuddles7864 said:

So would there be any way of doing this without actually having the Mac OS?

No. 

 

You need macOS for the computer to get Windows working and to get all the drivers. You install it with Bootcamp which is installed on every Mac. 

Just download a Windows 10 ISO and put it on your desktop and open Bootcamp. 

 

All you can really hope to do is make the macOS partition as small as possible and make the Windows partition as large as possible. 

 

If you delete the macOS partition after you get Windows working you are going to run into problems with the internal disk. 

[cuddles7864]

3 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

No. 

 

You need macOS for the computer to get Windows working and to get all the drivers. You install it with Bootcamp which is installed on every Mac. 

 

All you can really hope to do is make the macOS partition as small as possible and make the Windows partition as large as possible. 

 

If you delete the macOS partition after you get Windows working you are going to run into problems with the internal disk. 

The problem is is that the drive I want to use (a Samsung 960 EVO) isnt actually supported by apple so I don't know if I can boot to the Mac OS.

 

Would I be able to install windows on the old Apple hard drive, then make a system image backup and then restore it to the new drive once I install it?

[nsinnott]

15 minutes ago, cuddles7864 said:

So my mom got a new macbook and i was just going to use her old one, except its kinda slow, I'm assuming because of performance degradation of the hard drive that has been in it for several years.

 

So basically want to get a newer M.2 SSD and replace the old one, and also install windows on it instead. However at the time it looks like apple doesn't like third party SSD's so I wouldn't be able use bootcamp to dual boot Windows and Mac OS, since I wouldn't be able to get into the Mac OS.

 

I've never rally messed around with Windows licensing or really installing Windows, let alone on a mac. So would there be any way of doing this without actually having the Mac OS?

For starters, is this a 2015 MBP? Because those models don't have hard drives... And if it is, you can't buy a standard M.2 SSD because it is a proprietary connector, so you'd have to buy an Apple compatible one from OWC anyway.

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, cuddles7864 said:

Would I be able to install windows on the old Apple hard drive, then make a system image backup and then restore it to the new drive once I install it?

A 960 Evo isn’t compatible with a 2015 MacBook Pro. You need a special SSD. 

[nsinnott]

5 minutes ago, cuddles7864 said:

The problem is is that the drive I want to use (a Samsung 960 EVO) isnt actually supported by apple so I don't know if I can boot to the Mac OS.

 

Would I be able to install windows on the old Apple hard drive, then make a system image backup and then restore it to the new drive once I install it?

Also, that model doesn't support NVMe drives anyway.

[Salacious B Crum]

6 minutes ago, nsinnott said:

For starters, is this a 2015 MBP? Because those models don't have hard drives... And if it is, you can't buy a standard M.2 SSD because it is a proprietary connector, so you'd have to buy an Apple compatible one from OWC anyway.

Yep go with OWC I did my iMac and worked like a charm made the thing new again in terms of getting rid of that f'ing beach ball The guy that came up with that should be put in a public stockade!

[cuddles7864]

50 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

A 960 Evo isn’t compatible with a 2015 MacBook Pro. You need a special SSD. 

You can actually use an adapter which allows you to install a normal m.2 drive. http://eshop.sintech.cn/ngff-m2-pcie-ssd-card-as-2013-2014-2015-macbook-ssd-p-1139.html

 

The main barrier is software. I think until now, Apple hasn't allowed third party drives and only allowed their (special ones). from what I read in another article Apple may now support it, but I haven't actually seen anyone do it yet. https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/287644/do-macbooks-support-nvme-ssd-drives-via-the-use-of-a-sintech-adapter

 

So I think Apple supports AHCI drives and not nvme ones. so if I got an AHCI drive would it work? instead of the 960 EVO which is nvme? like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V01C5O2/?tag=stackoverflow17-20

[DrMacintosh]

1 hour ago, cuddles7864 said:

The main barrier is software. I think until now, Apple hasn't allowed third party drives and only allowed their (special ones).

This is false, you can install any drive into a Mac as long as the drive falls into spec.