06-05-2009, 09:00 AM

Hi,

I have one partition that is EFI, one partition that is OS 10.4 (with /efi for reFit), one partition that is Ubuntu 9.04 (with grub).

I recently created a fourth partition and installed Windows 7 from the CD. It seemed to work fine. However, reFit does not recognize it upon startup. I can boot into it by leaving the Windows 7 CD in the drive. What do I need to twiddle to make refit see Windows 7 on the fourth partition?

Also, notice that my GPT and MBR tables are not in sync. But it's the MBR one that is correct. Refit offers a facility (gptsync) to fix the MBR, but it's the GPT that I want changed. I don't intend to have a linux swap partition. I initially created my Windows partition by converting my linux swap partition into an NTFS partition.

I don't have Boot Camp, so I'm doing this the hard way.

Richard


*** Report for internal hard disk ***

Current GPT partition table:
# Start LBA End LBA Type
1 40 409639 EFI System (FAT)
2 409640 55713419 Mac OS X HFS+
3 55713420 72115784 Basic Data
4 72115785 88502084 Linux Swap

Current MBR partition table:
# A Start LBA End LBA Type
1 1 409639 ee EFI Protective
2 409640 55713419 af Mac OS X HFS+
3 * 55713420 72115784 83 Linux
4 72116224 117207039 07 NTFS/HPFS

MBR contents:
Boot Code: Unknown, but bootable

Partition at LBA 40:
Boot Code: None (Non-system disk message)
File System: FAT32
Listed in GPT as partition 1, type EFI System (FAT)

Partition at LBA 409640:
Boot Code: None
File System: HFS Extended (HFS+)
Listed in GPT as partition 2, type Mac OS X HFS+
Listed in MBR as partition 2, type af Mac OS X HFS+

Partition at LBA 55713420:
Boot Code: GRUB
File System: ext3
Listed in GPT as partition 3, type Basic Data
Listed in MBR as partition 3, type 83 Linux, active

Partition at LBA 72115785:
Boot Code: None
File System: Unknown
Listed in GPT as partition 4, type Linux Swap

Partition at LBA 72116224:
Boot Code: Windows BOOTMGR (Vista)
File System: NTFS
Listed in MBR as partition 4, type 07 NTFS/HPFS

06-05-2009, 09:14 AM

I guess my question is why aren't you running these OSes in a virtual machine? Seems like you're creating a great deal of complexity that really shouldn't be necessary.

Which model Mac is this?

06-05-2009, 11:49 AM

You are running 10.4? Then how did you use Boot Camp to install Windows? Or did you?

06-05-2009, 11:52 AM

You are running 10.4? Then how did you use Boot Camp to install Windows? Or did you?

By the way, "lifeisabeach," you can use boot camp on tiger, just as long as you've downloaded the Boot Camp Beta (from a long time ago) on your Mac.
It used to be on the Apple Website.

06-05-2009, 12:07 PM

That beta has long expired - to do that, you are obviously setting your clock back and keeping it there. Also not sure that is consistent with the beta's EULA either.

But CWA's question about whether this would be more efficient as VM's is a good one. The more you partition the drive, you can start to run into some issues and complexities. Unless you absolutely, positively need to access native graphics hardware, it's usually not worth it.

Cheers

06-05-2009, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by SammySlim

That beta has long expired - to do that, you are obviously setting your clock back and keeping it there. Also not sure that is consistent with the beta's EULA either.

But CWA's question about whether this would be more efficient as VM's is a good one. The more you partition the drive, you can start to run into some issues and complexities. Unless you absolutely, positively need to access native graphics hardware, it's usually not worth it.

Cheers

I said, in my previous post that the Beta USED to be on the Apple website.

06-05-2009, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by Mr Macintosh

I said, in my previous post that the Beta USED to be on the Apple website.

You neglected to point it that it is expired also (nevermind the hoops you can jump through). Regardless, my question to the OP still stands. It appears to me he didn't use BC. And if he didn't, then small wonder that Windows isn't working.

06-05-2009, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Mr Macintosh

I said, in my previous post that the Beta USED to be on the Apple website.

Try "I'm sorry, you're right", instead of being so argumentative. In the context under which you brought it up, you were CLEARLY implying that it is still a viable option.

06-05-2009, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by richardcavell

<snip>

I don't have Boot Camp, so I'm doing this the hard way.

*smacks head* I just now noticed you said you didn't have Boot Camp. Well that's the problem. Doing things the "hard way" isn't going to cut it. Unless you actually read some tutorial that is known and proven to get Windows installed and working properly on a Mac the way you did it, then the way you did it certainly is the problem. Boot Camp is REQUIRED to set up a partition in a manner that will allow Windows to install properly onto Intel Macs... largely because Windows hasn't been written to be used on machines using EFI in lieu of BIOS. There may be 3rd-party solutions aside from Boot Camp, but shooting from the hips and hoping for the best isn't one of them.

06-05-2009, 07:34 PM

Hi,

I don't have Boot Camp. My installation is 10.4. I never downloaded the Beta of Boot Camp. If I find someone with a 10.5 disc, will that work on my 10.4? I don't want to upgrade to 10.5.

I've tried VMs but I want the Windows installation to play games and do some coding. Also, I have 1 Gig of RAM (and my graphics hardware steals some of that) and it's difficult to get both OS X and Windows to play nicely with half a gig each and a virtual machine stealing about 25% of my CPU.

I can boot into Windows just fine as long as I have the CD in the drive. It's a workaround that I can live with, but it would be nice to let the hard disk do it.

I'm using a Macbook2,1. Intel Core2 Duo 1.83 GHz. 60 Gig hard disk, which is kind of small by today's standard but all three operating systems are coping just fine in their own partitions.

Richard

06-05-2009, 10:02 PM

Unfortunately, Boot Camp is a feature of 10.5. It was introduced as a beta for 10.4, but was never intended to be added permanently as a feature of that version. If you want to continue to use Boot Camp and retain its functionality, you're going to have to upgrade.

06-05-2009, 11:40 PM

Aha! I finally found it. Before Apple announced Boot Camp, there was a contest with a reward to whoever could figure out a way to get Windows to install and run on an Intel Mac. Someone figured it out finally and it became an open-source project. A week after this, Apple announced Boot Camp and since then, most people have forgotten about it completely. But it is still alive and well. I finally dug it up. Be sure to read through the site's forum and other pages to be certain that there's nothing unstable about this.
OnMac.net: Windows XP on Intel Macs

06-06-2009, 11:02 AM

Thanks for the link. I just completely bollocked my computer by trying to use it to triple-boot Windows 7. It literally wouldn't boot at all, and I had to boot from external hard disk and engage in some gymnastic bash-fu in order to get my computer to behave.

So if you're thinking of using OnMac to boot Windows 7... don't.

Richard