Installing vista x64 on 20" 2.66ghz core 2 duo iMac

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I have been trying and failing for a long time to figure out how to solve my current problem and even the best walkthroughs seem to explain every problem except the one i am suffering with.

I successfully partition the hdd to give the windows partition 100gb (mac still has about 160gb free space) then i insert the vistax64 disc and click start installation. the imac fails to recognise the disc, stops and nothing happens so i remove the disc and reinsert it. then the system restarts without offering me the chance to format the partition. it boot up for windows, first showing the ms dos progress bar stating windows is installing files, lasting only a couple of minutes. then after this it moves on to the microsoft corporation progress bar which flashes green as it loads something. then the screen goes black and after a minute a mouse pointer appears. this can be moved about. nothing else whatsoever happens. I have left it for 10 minutes with no sound being made by the mac except the obvious noise of it simply being on. It is a genuine copy. Is there anything simple that i am missing?
 
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I've just discovered that i need to install boot camp 2.0.1 no idea why it didn't updates automatically with the systems updates, will post is it works. but first have to find the file. doesn't seem to be on the apple site.

I would still like to hear any other possibilties for my problems if you know of anything.

thanks again.
 

chscag

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Which version of OS X do you have? Leopard or Snow Leopard? The problem you're experiencing is a video driver problem, that's why you can only see the mouse cursor. Vista 64 has been troublesome to install, if possible install the 32 bit version instead unless you need Vista 64. Or better yet, install Windows 7 x 64.
 
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Ooops thought i'd written it. 10.5.8
also i have finished locating and downloading bc 2.0.1 and 2.1
Was just about to install 2.2 but the download says vista mst have sp2 not sure if the disc i have comes with it already it doesn't say so. so i'm going to give loading vista one last go this afternoon. yes i do need x64. only have vista atm.
 
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Tried again. partitioned 100gb for windows. leaving 200 for mac(total).
Created partition. went slower than usual. and took longer to show up boot camp disc image(appeared after insert disc/begin installation screen had opened) i inserted vista and pressed begin before the disc image had shown on desktop. bca than proceed to give me the following message:

INSTALL DISC COULD NOT BE FOUND
insert your windows disc and wait a few secs for it to be recognised.
(i heard the disc try to run so it knew there was a disc there.)

It has shown this message every time i've used it.

At that point i stopped and exited bca. I went back to it to try to continue(possibly 3rd time doing this). put in the vista disc and as usual it doesn't give a message at this point. press "continue installation" then system restarts. then boots as decribed in my first post. disc made one breif loading noise after balck screen(don't remember this previously) then silence and nothing else happens. restarted and booted back to mac HD.

I hope all this info is helpful. i am at the end of my rope. the only other thig i can think of is the method descussed using a usb memory stick with the drivers for windows 7, but this is vista. Does that make a difference?
 
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What would happen if i copy/pasted all the bootcamp drivers into the bootcamp partition disc image? would it make any difference whatsoever?
 
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What will make the biggest difference is upgrading to Snow Leopard for $29. That will update your Boot Camp and your drivers, including for Vista. That would be your best bet at present. Once you get SL installed (which has BC 3.0 on it) you can update BC to 3.2. Things will go much more smoothly.

Cheers
 
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i've heard contradictory things about the support offered by SL and BC to different windows OS does SL and BC3.2 definitely support Vistax64 and before i shell out on the upgrade will vistax64 work on my imac? There is a list of graphics cards and mac types that support certain OS and i have an iMac with an ATI radeon HD 2600 pro.
 

chscag

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Vista anything is troublesome whether you run it on a PC or a Mac. Having said that (and previously advising you to go with Win 7 64 bit) Snow Leopard does provide better support for Vista. The SL install DVD has better driver support and as Sammy advised, it includes BC 3.0. Once 3.0 is installed you can update to 3.1 and 3.2.
 
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O.k. cheers. But does anyone know definitively that the hardware in my mac is sufficient for 64-bit windows. i've found no lists or discussions that say definitely not. so i'm assuming it's a probably. I'm not gonna buy SL in an attempt to install vista64 if my mac simply isn't good enough in the first place.
 

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I can understand that no one can of will give me a gaurantee. I'd just like to hear a more experienced user tell me that there is nothing in my system that would definitely stop it working.
I checked that like and my mac is not on either of the first 2 lists but is on the third this for both 32 and 64 bit vista and 7 provided i have the appropriate drivers. which leads to the next inevitable question what are the appropriate drivers and where can i find them?
 

bobtomay

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Sorry, but the answer has already been provided by both Sammy and chscag - get Snow Leopard.
 

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