While installing Windows 7 (x64) on a white (late-2007) Macbook via Boot Camp 4.0 (Lion), I received the following error when running the setup.exe from the disc downloaded and created by Boot Camp Assistant:

Boot Camp x64 is unsupported on this computer model.

(But first before continuing, please ensure that Windows 7 64-bit edition is actually supported on your Mac before manually bypassing this error.)

After digging around on the net, I’ve found that this computer model check can be bypassed by running “Bootcamp64.msi” directly from the “Drivers/Apple/” folder, found in the Boot Camp support disk or drive.

However, another annoying error may popup:

This installation requires elevated privileges. Launch the installer through setup.exe

Back to square one. The option to run the .msi as a system administrator is blanked out within file properties. With right-click non-functional, there’s not much more prodding I could do.

After further digging all over the internet, I’ve found that the solution is to launch Bootcamp64.msi via msiexec through a cmd.exe that has elevated permissions.

Here’s how to go around doing it without right-clicking at all:

  1. Open the Start Menu.
  2. Type “cmd” into the search box.
  3. Cmd.exe should appear as the first result under “Programs”.
  4. Instead of hitting Enter to open it, hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter (⌃⇧↩) instead.
  5. Accept the UAC dialog and command line will now run.
  6. Assuming that the disc of your Boot Camp support drivers is “D:”, enter the following in to the prompt:

D:

cd Drivers\Apple

msiexec /i Bootcamp64.msi

The Boot Camp (x64) installer should now start normally.

As there I have yet to know any technical pitfalls of bypassing Apple’s check in the setup.exe so far, I suspect the reason is more legal and technical-support related than just purely technical.

Have fun!