I have a MacBook Pro 17-inch (Late 2011) with an Intel quad-core i7 @ 2.5 GHz, Intel HD 3000, and AMD Radeon HD 6770M, which has never given me any problems under macOS. The system is equipped with 16 GB of DDR3 1600 MHz RAM. I also have two SSDs installed: a 1 TB SSD with various macOS systems, and a 2 TB SSD dedicated to Windows 11.
Like many others, I managed to install Windows 11 on the 2 TB drive without using Boot Camp, and so far everything runs smoothly—except for the AMD GPU, which I cannot seem to get working properly with the rest of the system.
I managed to install driver version 31.0.21923.11000, issued on 01/07/2025. Device Manager shows no exclamation mark, but upon reboot, the system hangs on the Windows logo with the loading circle. I can hear the login “ding,” which tells me the system has reached the login screen, but the display never progresses beyond that point.
Normally, Windows Update installs driver version 15.201.1151.1008, which I believe dates back to November 2015.
There is a “how-to” guide/answer on the Apple SE site where David Anderson demonstrates the process, although his setup is on a 2011 iMac.
That section includes the following steps:
diskpart
list volume
select volume c
format fs=ntfs label=BOOTCAMP quick
active
exit
dism /get-imageinfo /imagefile:d:\sources\install.wim
dism /apply-image /imagefile:d:\sources\install.wim /index:6 /applydir:c:\
dism /image:c:\ /add-driver /driver:d:\$WinPEDriver$ /recurse /forceunsigned
bcdboot c:\windows /s c: /f bios
bootsect /nt60 c: /mbr
exit
However, this method does not work for me, as it always ends with a blue screen. I feel that I may be missing something, and I would really appreciate some guidance.
The only method that works reliably for me is the one toward the end of the guide:
diskpart
list disk
select disk
clean
convert gpt
create partition efi size=300
format quick fs=fat32 label="System"
assign letter=S
create partition msr size=100
create partition primary size=
format quick fs=ntfs label="Windows"
assign letter=W
create partition primary <--- the remaining partition for apple --->
list volume <--- view your volume letter --->
exit
dism /get-imageinfo /imagefile:d:\sources\install.wim
dism /apply-image /imagefile:d:\sources\install.wim /index:6 /applydir:w:\
dism /image:w:\ /add-driver /driver:d:\$WinPEDriver$ /recurse /forceunsigned
bcdboot w:\Windows /s s:
exit
That said, I do not have any other operating system installed on this drive—it contains only Windows.
My understanding is that the AMD driver may be encountering a signature or compatibility issue because the system is running in UEFI/GPT rather than MBR/NTFS mode. I have searched extensively, but reliable resources are very limited. The only reference that truly stands out is David’s post, where he succeeded in getting the Radeon HD 6750M working. My system uses the HD 6770M, which is very close architecturally to the GPU used in the iMac.
I managed to obtain the latest driver that installs without errors, and the exclamation mark in Device Manager disappears. However, the GPU still does not appear to be fully recognized, and upon reboot, the system hangs at the loading screen.
What am I doing wrong here?
I am unsure whether David had Windows 10 installed first before creating the Windows 11 installation media, as that detail is unclear to me. I also wonder whether there is:
- A specific installation or update sequence?
- A required AMD Catalyst Control Center version in that case which one would that be.
- A need to delay updates or disconnect Ethernet during setup?
If anyone can assist or shed some light on this, I would greatly appreciate it. I would really love to have the AMD GPU fully recognized and functional. Aside from this issue, everything else works perfectly: audio has never been a problem, Bluetooth works, and the ambient light sensor functions correctly after updates.
Despite its age, this has been a fantastic and surprisingly powerful machine, which is why I continue to use it in 2026.
