Loading Windows on iMac

As background, this is Day 5 with my new iMac, having been a pc guy for the last 20 years.

The last thing holding me back from switching was my requirement that my computer to run Microsoft Flight Simulator. Numerous posts in aviation forums assured me that running it on an iMac through Bootcamp was the way to go. That was the last straw, and now I'm a Mac user.

Fortunately the salesman at the Apple Store pointed out that I had to own a retail version of Windows XP or Vista to load on the iMac to run Windows programs, and that the OEM Windows disk that came with my PC wouldn't work, so now I have XP in the box ready to go. (This is also the first computer I didn't buy online; it was a nice change to ask questions to a person in front of me, and get helpful answers to questions I didn't know to ask.)

At any rate, here I am, ready to get started first loading Windows XP and then Flight Simulator, when I realize I have no idea how to do either. I just now realize that although the iMac was a piece of cake to unpack and start up, there was next to no paper documentation.

I guess I will poke around the files on the iMac and check online, but I like having the printed word in front of me before I do stuff like that.

Any ideas where I should go if I run into problems?


Sam

What you need to do is start the Boot Camp Assistant, which provides you with all of the documentation you need to get Windows up and running on your Mac.

Boot Camp Assistant is located in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder. You can also do a Spotlight search (the magnifying glass icon located in the top right of the menu bar).

May I ask how much you paid for that retail copy of Windows? If it was anything more than $90 than I would suggest returning it if you can and saving money with a System Builders copy

Builder's copy

Looking at the ad, that's XP Home , not the PRO version,just in case it matters .

If he just wants to play a single game, he doesn't need the Pro version.

If you ever have any questions you could try searching this part of the forum first:
Windows, Classic, Linux, and Other OS - Mac-Forums.com

If you can't find your answer after an exhausted search, then post your own thread there.

and that the OEM Windows disk that came with my PC wouldn't work

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It might well do. I'd try that, and if it works you could take your retail copy of XP back.

Kash said:

If he just wants to play a single game, he doesn't need the Pro version.

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To back up what Kash said... There is absolutely NO advantage to purchasing XP Pro unless you intend to use it to join a domain or need the ability to use its built in encryption. For most folks (I would guess 95%) buying Pro over Home is a waste of money. Using XP Pro doesn't make you a "Pro".

Regards.

chscag said:

There is absolutely NO advantage to purchasing XP Pro unless you intend to use it to join a domain or need the ability to use its built in encryption.

Click to expand...

OR you want to connect to your machine via Remote Desktop.

Khris said:

OR you want to connect to your machine via Remote Desktop.

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Or just install ultravnc (freeware for windows which works great)

Also chicken of the vnc for Mac (also free)