TIP: Fix for Thunderbolt problem with Windows 8 in Boot Camp

Monday, March 18, 2013

Boot Camp users who updated Windows 7 to Windows 8 may find that a Mac booted with Windows 8 does not recognize Thunderbolt . According to a new Apple tech article, the problem is an incompatibility with the Windows 8 Fast Boot feature (also called Fast Startup). The workaround is to disable Fast Boot using the Windows Control Panel. Here's how:

1. In Windows 8, open the Control Panel. (You can move the mouse to the upper-right corner to activate the Charms bar, click the Settings icon, and then select Control Panel.)
2. Select Hardware and Sound.
3. Under Power Options, choose Change What the Power Buttons Do.
4. Under Shutdown Settings, uncheck the Turn On Fast Startup. Checkbox.
5. Click Save and then restart the Mac back into Windows.

After restart, Windows 8 will recognize Thunderbolt devices attached to the Mac.

If you've tried this workaround .

Related:Apple releases Boot Camp 5 for booting Macs with Windows 8
Running Windows on Macs -- A Comparison of Available Solutions

Follow us

Running Windows on Macs

• Apple releases Boot Camp 5 for booting Macs with Windows 8
• Running Windows with Apple's Boot Camp 5: problems and fixes
• Boot Camp 4: problems and fixes
• An comparison of solutions to run Windows on Macs
• VMware Fusion 5 integrates with Mountain Lion, Win 8, boosts speed

Popular Problem Solving Topics

• Lion and Active Diretory tips and problem reports
• Mac and Windows server file and print sharing tips and problem reports
• Problems and fixes with Snow Leopard and file sharing
• iPhone and Exchange Sever tips and problem reports
• Outlook for Mac and Exchange tips and problem reports
• A list of third-party cross-platform networking solutions

---