Trouble with Boot Camp (disc problem)

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I've been trying to run Boot Camp and get XP installed so I can play orange box, but it's not working. I have a XP disc with SP2 but everytime I get past choosing the partition to install on (I don't get to the formatting screen yet) it says Press any key to boot from disc and then slowly goes . . . . If I press a key during that it goes back and starts over the installation process but if I wait it says disk error and freezes up. Some people have said it may be a problem with the disc itself but I'm not really sure. Do they mean that it's scratched (I tried the toothpaste trick which usually works for that but it didn't change anything) I talked to everyone I know about borrowing their XP disc but none of them have the full upgrade with SP2.
Does anyone have ANY idea what I can do??
 

cwa107


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I've been trying to run Boot Camp and get XP installed so I can play orange box, but it's not working. I have a XP disc with SP2 but everytime I get past choosing the partition to install on (I don't get to the formatting screen yet) it says Press any key to boot from disc and then slowly goes . . . . If I press a key during that it goes back and starts over the installation process but if I wait it says disk error and freezes up. Some people have said it may be a problem with the disc itself but I'm not really sure. Do they mean that it's scratched (I tried the toothpaste trick which usually works for that but it didn't change anything) I talked to everyone I know about borrowing their XP disc but none of them have the full upgrade with SP2.
Does anyone have ANY idea what I can do??

Sounds like a bad disc to me too. You could always try a Skip Doctor. Otherwise, your options are pretty limited. Maybe try it in a different CD-ROM drive and see if you can make a copy. Some optical drives are more sensitive than others.
 

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I'm using one of the new 2.4 ghz iMacs if that changes anything.

Sorry to say it, but no, that really doesn't make a difference. If you can't get past the initial boot loader, there's not a whole lot you can do besides repair or replace the disc.
 
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Ahh ok, I thought maybe the optical drives they used in them were more or less sensitive than others, so that could help pinpoint the problem.
 

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Ahh ok, I thought maybe the optical drives they used in them were more or less sensitive than others, so that could help pinpoint the problem.

Well, the thing is that you need to get your iMac to boot off that disc in order to get Windows installed. Typically, the components used in Apple products are top shelf, but either way, if that drive can't read that disc, you're out of luck. Another option might be to try an external USB optical drive - but I'd be willing to bet that disc is too scratched up to read on any machine.
 
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I have a Standard XP disc w/o SP2. Is there anyway I can copy those files onto my comp and add something so that SP2 gets dled during the install process? I really don't know how boot camp works so this is a shot in the dark.
 
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you positively must have xp with sp2 on the installation disk. Or it will not install.
 
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Yeah I think so. I was just checking if anyone knew any way around that. hmmm
 

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Yeah I think so. I was just checking if anyone knew any way around that. hmmm

Yes, if you have access to a Windows machine with a CD burner, you can "slipstream" SP2 and create a new disc. Just remember that your Windows disc must meet the following criteria:

1. It must not have been installed on another computer that is in active use (because of product activation).

2. It must not be an OEM-branded disc (Dell, Gateway, HP/Compaq and other discs with an OEM logo on them are created specifically for their respective machines). A non-branded OEM disc should work, however.

3. If it's a retail disc, it must not be an "upgrade" edition - it has to be the full version.

So, if your other disc meets those criteria, see this site for instructions on how to create a new disc containing SP2, using that one.
 
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Yes, if you have access to a Windows machine with a CD burner, you can "slipstream" SP2 and create a new disc. Just remember that your Windows disc must meet the following criteria:

1. It must not have been installed on another computer that is in active use (because of product activation).

2. It must not be an OEM-branded disc (Dell, Gateway, HP/Compaq and other discs with an OEM logo on them are created specifically for their respective machines). A non-branded OEM disc should work, however.

3. If it's a retail disc, it must not be an "upgrade" edition - it has to be the full version.

So, if your other disc meets those criteria, see this site for instructions on how to create a new disc containing SP2, using that one.


In regards to step 1, it can be from a disk installed on another computer. The disk is not registered to that computer. Only the CD-Key is, and XP CD-Keys can be activated on 2 computers, 1 PC and 1 laptop (microsoft's logic of 1 person owning both).

In regards to step 2, it CAN be an OEM disk, there is a free program called nLite that will strip the "branded" files, ie all the stupid stuff dell etc put on their installs of XP, and will slipstream SP2 (downloaded for free from microsoft) and makes it all easy and user friendly to do.

If you would like help I can talk you through it. Just PM me here.
I've installed XP again on many computers, and for work had to make a CD for use on all our systems to insure compatability and uniformness across the board.

EDIT: Foot in mouth, didn't see the part about using that website. So if your CD does not match that criteria, you can still make an XP w/ SP2 disk.
 

cwa107


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In regards to step 1, it can be from a disk installed on another computer. The disk is not registered to that computer. Only the CD-Key is, and XP CD-Keys can be activated on 2 computers, 1 PC and 1 laptop (microsoft's logic of 1 person owning both).

Have you actually tried this? In my experience with product activation, it's one activation per key. Although you are correct in that the discs are not tied to one particular key (although some keys are specific to different disc revisions).

In regards to step 2, it CAN be an OEM disk, there is a free program called nLite that will strip the "branded" files, ie all the stupid stuff dell etc put on their installs of XP, and will slipstream SP2 (downloaded for free from microsoft) and makes it all easy and user friendly to do.

Interesting - I haven't seen that software before. However, it still won't work for restore discs, which many manufacturers are now packing. I'm trying to keep my instructions as simple as possible - of course there are always exceptions.

Also note that the EULA of branded OEM copies specify that the disc can only be used on the machine that it came with. Regardless of what you can actually do with the disc and available hacks, discussion of violation of product EULAs is prohibited on this forum (see forum rules in case you haven't read them already).

If you would like help I can talk you through it. Just PM me here.
I've installed XP again on many computers, and for work had to make a CD for use on all our systems to insure compatability and uniformness across the board.

Remember that corporate, volume licenses are different. Retail and OEM copies don't play by the same rules.
 
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Have you actually tried this? In my experience with product activation, it's one activation per key. Although you are correct in that the discs are not tied to one particular key (although some keys are specific to different disc revisions).

Yes I have, many times. My MBP is using the CD-Key from my old Dell computer. I have NOT tried it with any version of Vista, but I know it works with XP. I've done it in the past when I've wanted to do a clean install to lose all that clutter that a PC comes with, or when updating the MB or HD.


Interesting - I haven't seen that software before. However, it still won't work for restore discs, which many manufacturers are now packing. I'm trying to keep my instructions as simple as possible - of course there are always exceptions.

Also note that the EULA of branded OEM copies specify that the disc can only be used on the machine that it came with. Regardless of what you can actually do with the disc and available hacks, discussion of violation of product EULAs is prohibited on this forum (see forum rules in case you haven't read them already).



Remember that corporate, volume licenses are different. Retail and OEM copies don't play by the same rules.

I see that my comment about work may have lead you towards corporate/volume licensing, but corporate/volume licensing only applies to the key, yes the disk can be different but it still contains XP (whatever version) just the same.

I didn't want to have to go into super detail, but I will. If you have an OEM branded disk, chances are your Windows XP computer (which is required to make a slipstream disk), is the computer that your OEM disk came with. If you take that disk and then using nLite, or other programs if it suits you, take the Windows XP version from it and slipstream it with SP2, you are making your own disk. Since we are talking about Bootcamp and Macs here, you also need to remove those special updates that Dell (in my case) put on the OEM disk, which nLite does for you.

It is not against the EULA by any means.

On the subject of restore disks, if the restore disk has Windows XP on it, among the many other things, nLite can still isolate it.

If you think this breaks the EULA, then don't do it. I don't propose anyone breaks a EULA, there are hefty penalties for it.

I like keeping things simple, but having just moved to Colorado, I didn't know anyone from which I could borrow a disk. Hence after much searching I found nLite.
 

cwa107


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Yes I have, many times. My MBP is using the CD-Key from my old Dell computer. I have NOT tried it with any version of Vista, but I know it works with XP. I've done it in the past when I've wanted to do a clean install to lose all that clutter that a PC comes with, or when updating the MB or HD.




I see that my comment about work may have lead you towards corporate/volume licensing, but corporate/volume licensing only applies to the key, yes the disk can be different but it still contains XP (whatever version) just the same.

I didn't want to have to go into super detail, but I will. If you have an OEM branded disk, chances are your Windows XP computer (which is required to make a slipstream disk), is the computer that your OEM disk came with. If you take that disk and then using nLite, or other programs if it suits you, take the Windows XP version from it and slipstream it with SP2, you are making your own disk. Since we are talking about Bootcamp and Macs here, you also need to remove those special updates that Dell (in my case) put on the OEM disk, which nLite does for you.

It is not against the EULA by any means.

On the subject of restore disks, if the restore disk has Windows XP on it, among the many other things, nLite can still isolate it.

If you think this breaks the EULA, then don't do it. I don't propose anyone breaks a EULA, there are hefty penalties for it.

I like keeping things simple, but having just moved to Colorado, I didn't know anyone from which I could borrow a disk. Hence after much searching I found nLite.

I don't mean to pick nits here, but I don't think you're understanding me.

You're still only licensed to run a branded OEM copy on the PC you bought it with, regardless of whether it will technically work, it's still a EULA violation and in-turn illegal to use it on another machine (like your Mac).

If you're using a retail copy, unless you bought a multi-user package, you are only entitled to install it on a single machine, regardless of whether it will activate on another (which I have never seen happen).

As an MCSE and a Microsoft network admin (who happens to maintain my company's licensing), I can tell you with absolute certainty that OEM copies are intended to be installed on a single machine, that being the machine that they were sold with. You can make a copy and slipstream SP2 if you wish, but you may not legally use it with another machine. The same applies to non-branded OEM discs, however, vendors are technically only supposed to be selling those to system builders - and again, that disc is tied to the hardware you buy at the time of purchase.
 

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