Running XP on a mac

XP on the mac is pretty straight forward. However you need a copy of XP, a hack off the web will not work for long, the bootcamp software required to run XP needs a good clean copy with service pack 2.

I believe you can slipstream? service pack two into an older XP, but if you go to ebuyer.com you can get OEM copies of XP for 509 quid.

Once you have a copy of XP download the bootcamp software from apple.com Once downloaded it will launch. You can from here create the driver disk required for XP and create a partition on your harddrive, without having to wipe the disk.

Follow the instructions to instal XP.

When into XP, you will need to load the driver disk and install all the bits, to allow total intergration with the graphiocs etc.

As for safety, its XP a full and working XP so it will be suseptable to viruses and everything else out there. However this in a bad event would just screw up your XP partition, in which case Bootcamp can level it and start again it would not effect OSX.

I cannot think of any attachements that OSX cannot open except EXE files. When in an email these are probably humorous games or anecdotes you read on screen whilst in the back ground it installs spyware/keyloggers/viruses.

So in conclusion, get XP, get bootcamp, follow bootcamp instructions.

i will have a look, do you really mean £509 though?

haha, sorry no, 50 quid. www.ebuyer.com They are perfectly legit copies they just sell it without all the packaging etc.

Cheers garyi. Was it you that told me to get handbrake a while back? I will have a look for the thread.

No. I don't think.

If you need any more help I am garethnaim on iChat on AIM

An alternative that I have used on a MacBook Pro is Parallels Desktop for Mac

I have loaded XP in this way for work, I also have other Parallels windows that run Red Hat Linux and Amiga OS - please don't ask why?

I have also used Virtual PC on a PowerBook, which is similar, but not as good IMO. In fact pre-Microsoft versions of Virtual PC were easier to use that the version released when Microsoft bought Connectix.

This may be of interest.

Alan - For a start, XP will only run on your Intel MacBook, not your G4. If your Mini's one of the first generation ones, you're out of luck. Has to be Intel.

I agree with ROTF - Parallels is very good. The latest production release seems very stable, but the latest Beta has some great new features that make it worth the risk for me. For example, it seamlessly integrates XP apps into the OS X desktop, and it can run a Bootcamp installation of XP in a virtual machine. This means you can use an XP app like Word or Excel without rebooting, and then reboot into XP to play games or whatever (Parallels doesn't handle 3D graphics (yet?)).

I thought XP would work on non intel macs but to shift between XP and OSX required a shut down and restart? The intel macs being able to change without shutting down.

quote:

Originally posted by Alan Paterson:
I thought XP would work on non intel macs but to shift between XP and OSX required a shut down and restart? The intel macs being able to change without shutting down.

Alan, Windows is an Intel only system. Windows NT used to run on a PowerPC (and DEC Alpha and MIPS), but Microsoft dropped this version. Windows XP requires an Intel chip.

Virtual PC is a program that emulates an Intel x86 environment - you can run Windows within this environment. It was written by a company called Connectix who were swallowed by Microsoft. You don't need to reboot your PowerBook to use it and you can share files between OSX and Windoze.

I am running Virtual PC on the PowerMac G5 that I'm typing on at the moment. The version I have runs Windows 2000, but could run XP. I very rarely use it. I doubt it would be much good for games that used 3D graphics, but I've never tried that. It runs Visio and Project without problem.

See here for details

Its important to point out that on a G5 you would be emulating XP using Virtual PC.

This programme is not longer supported by Microsoft and the general concensus as with any emulation software is that it was cumbersome, slow and unreliable.

On the Intel macs XP is not being emulated. This is the important difference, its running right and proper. In th case of Parallels it kind of knocks a hole through the OSX layer to get at the intel goodness. Parallels is not superfast because you are still running to OSes at once, so will probably never be good for gaming. However if you use apple bootcamp to instal XP then you boot directly into XP or OSX. This I can confirm run perfectly like a normal PC, you even get the random crashes and blue screens of death. Its also excellent for gaming.

Virtual PC was no good at even solitare.

So Alan in conclusion before considering XP you need an Intel mac.

quote:

Originally posted by garyi:
Virtual PC was no good at even solitare.

Garyl - I've just started up Solitaire under Virtual PC on my PowerMac G5 Dual 2GHz - it currently has only 512 MB RAM (must add some RAM). Solitaire runs with no problem at all as does Freecell. I'm not trying to say VirtualPC (running 7.0.2 with default settings) is wonderful, but it does let me run basic Windoze applications.

The emulation it claims is x86 Family 6 Model 8 Stepping 4 AT Compatible with 128 MB RAM.

As I say no dispute with your comments and I only use the thing when needs must. I am not a computer game player, but doubt it would it work with Tomb Raider based on the emulation specification. I know a few lads at work who use it for Office and complain it is slow (not sure why they do that, as most have a PC as well as Mac).

Doesn't surprise me Microsoft has dropped the product - one my almost think they bought Connectix to kill off the product. I know not all Microsoft products are bad, I've just been unlucky and never found one that is any good.