Mac cannot start Windows 10 properly due to compatibility issues.
Mac cannot start Windows 10 properly due to compatibility issues.
I recently acquired an OWC drive (2TB) to swap in for the 500GB drive on my MacBookPro11.5. It came with a case to house the previous drive, so I did that. When trying to boot Windows from it, the process failed (the same problem now). I suspect the attempt to boot from the external enclosure caused damage, as cloning the old drive to the new one with dd didn’t resolve the issue. The drive still worked when the original was still in use, but after removal, it remained unresponsive. Now it appears in the boot menu (chime option). During startup it displays the Windows logo and loading spinner, yet it abruptly shuts down and restarts. On subsequent launches, automatic repair attempts fail to detect any issues. I don’t believe automatic repair has ever succeeded. Windows won’t: keep showing a loading screen indefinitely, display a black screen, or trigger any error messages.
I suspect the NTFS partition remains intact (as seen in macOS), likely because dd was used instead of inferior cloning tools. Currently, I’m booted into macOS from the new drive and it’s operating perfectly as intended. If necessary, I saved a snapshot of the Apple SSD using Clonezilla to my server before attempting any changes, so I could revert if needed. However, cloning the SSD to another third-party device is only possible via the MacBook itself, since the provided enclosure doesn’t support it.
This situation is frustrating because Windows can’t handle NTFS partitions well enough for resizing or moving them. I learned this the hard way when trying to adjust the Windows partition with Disk Utility. I’m looking for more practical Windows troubleshooting advice—anyone have tips? (Sorry, no good answers here)
It seems the system isn’t fully starting as expected. No typical error messages appear. I’m unsure if it actually launches into Windows or if it stops mid-process. It might be running slowly with some issues. This could be unusual for me.
I chose Windows from the boot options. The screen displays the boot menu with the Windows icon and loading indicator. After a short time, it abruptly restarts. When I attempt to launch it again, the automatic diagnostic routine begins: (image credit: TenForums) The repair process fails to identify any issues, and the cycle restarts if you try to boot once more.
Interesting. It seems the boots are working, but the loading windows aren't opening properly.
wrong. you can boot Linux on that Mac and resize etc. there is a chance this will corrupt it though because Microsoft is stupid and resizing it while not booted into Windows can cause issues so I'd recommend backing the files etc up somewhere else first. regardless that Windows install seems borked and I'd recommend for you to just reinstall it using BootCamp.
Sure, I can help with that. Look for a distro that supports NTFS partitions and has good compatibility with your system. Since you're set on having Windows available, consider trying a lightweight version like Ubuntu or Linux Mint, which often handle NTFS well. Safe Mode booting might also resolve the issue without a full reinstall.
I haven't tested Linux on a 2015 MBP before, only on older models like 2011 and 2012. In theory, the steps are similar. I suggest using Ubuntu because it comes with GParted pre-installed. You can flash it to a USB drive using an app such as Etcher or DD, then restart your Mac, hold down the Option key, and it should appear as EFI Boot. Once booted, open a terminal and type: sudo gparted. Select the built-in SSD in the top right and resize the partition if needed. This process can be tricky. My usual recommendation is to go with Windows 10 since troubleshooting it has become difficult—they removed many helpful features like easy access to safe mode. If it fails, you can simply wipe it and reinstall.
The EFI on retina MacBooks behaves differently. I attempted the methods you mentioned (Etcher, unetbootin, Rufus, etc.), but they didn't resolve the issue. It took a few clicks through Advanced Options—once for advanced options, again for advanced-er options, then another time for the most advanced settings—and a reboot was needed to reach the screen where Safe Mode could be enabled. The positive outcome came when I booted into Safe Mode with Networking; Windows started normally afterward. That’s great news! Thanks for encouraging me to try Safe Mode—it worked without any complicated steps. Now I can resume using my device. Thank you all!