Bootcamp and SP1

Hey,

I have an intel macbook and i want to install windows so i can run fruityloops on my mac. My question is that I only have a windows xp install disk with service pack 1 and it says i need service pack 2. What can i do to make this installation work?

Thanks

If you're using such a disk you didn't buy it fresh. Windows cannot be installed on more than one computer unless you have that kind of license, like a corporate license.
That's illegal.

yogi said:

If you're using such a disk you didn't buy it fresh. Windows cannot be installed on more than one computer unless you have that kind of license, like a corporate license.
That's illegal.

Click to expand...

Apart from the fact you didn't answer his question, you made a rather unfair assumption. I have a retail version of WindowsXP, which predates even SP1, let alone SP2. You can install a retail version on any machine you like, assuming you uninstalled it from the previous. I have my original WinXP retail version installed on my Parallels VM - there is nothing wrong with this at all.

To the OP, you need to create a SP2 bootdisc, which is very possible.

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

Unfortunately you need a PC to do this...

But doesn't Windows XP keep a file of the computer's hardware and send it to microsoft? I never managed to install Windows twice due to product activation.

Is there any other way to do this because i have been following the instructions on that website, but everytime I try to copy all of the files from the xp installation cd to my computer some of the files will not copy and it gives me an error message.

yogi said:

But doesn't Windows XP keep a file of the computer's hardware and send it to microsoft? I never managed to install Windows twice due to product activation.

Click to expand...

I believe that when you install the OS it is logged in some kind of activation directory at MS and for the next 120 days you will be unable to install it on another machine UNLESS you have removed the old version from the 1st PC. Obviously the 'directory' does not know if you have or have not removed the installation from the original PC (in first 120 days) and in this case the activation will require a phone call to MS and a brief explanation of what you are doing - They will then give you a second activation code.

The number 120 and the above info was provided by a university lecturer - of course I can't say for sure if the 120 day thing is accurate however I do know for certain that retail copies of XP Home and Pro will happily allow you to reinstall on other hardware as I have done this for friends and family - all legit - they have bought the licence at some point then I've been asked to build a new machine (Or whatever) for them at a later date in most cases at least a year after the XP purchase and their installation has gone through no problem at all.

alexschieber said:

Is there any other way to do this because i have been following the instructions on that website, but everytime I try to copy all of the files from the xp installation cd to my computer some of the files will not copy and it gives me an error message.

Click to expand...

If you have not done the following, they will not copy -
Before copying the XP CD make sure that the system is set to display all hidden and system files to ensure a complete copy of all files on the CD. The settings to control what files are visible are located in Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > View tab. Make sure [Show hidden files and folders] radio button is selected and [Hide protected operating system files] is unchecked.

If you have done the above - what is the error message?

yogi said:

But doesn't Windows XP keep a file of the computer's hardware and send it to microsoft? I never managed to install Windows twice due to product activation.

Click to expand...

Actually if you wait six months, it allows you to do it online. Even if it doesn't, just call them and they'll give you a key if you explain.

Even if you upgrade the CPU on a PC, you have to reactivate and as long as its a 6 month gap from the previous upgrade, it can be done online.

REGARDLESS of this technicality, if you own a retail version of XP, you can install it on any number of machines you like, one at a time, and this is legal provided you uninstall one version before installing the other. Of course, MS plans to change all this with Vista...

Interesting. Thanks a lot.

I changed the folder options to view all files and it will copy files for like 3 minutes and then it will stop with an error message and it says that some specific file cannot be copied.

I used to have a dell with xp on it, and i have the xp installation disk but it only has sp1 on it. So i called dell and they are sending me an installation disk for xp with sp2 instead of 1.

So once i get this new disk, what do I have to do to get the xp off of my old computer and onto my mac? Do i have to call windows and explain my situation and get a new key, or is there some way i could use my old key from the dell computer?

Thanks.

If you are using a Dell restore disk with XP on it, it is not going to work.
If this is a Dell branded version of XP even with SP2, it probably will not install.

If the new disk will work, there will be a key with the new disk.

If they are indeed sending you a new XP disk, you probably will not need to remove XP from the old machine, since you will now have a copy of XP for each machine.

Can branded XP sp2 disks install on a partition? I have a windows XP disc from my HP tower but have yet to seek it out. Will it work?

I'm no expert Mayor, but i'm led to believe that the Restore disks bundled with some PC's are merely that and that a disk image of the OS for installation is tucked away on a partition in the PC, not on the disks.

A plea to the knowledgable; In keeping with the earlier posts in this thread i streamlined my XP disk to form an XPsp2 disk, which functions as a boot disk on my PC, however my MBP refuses to recognise it. In examining this issue i have successfully installed XP (no sp) on the MBP , and now understand why this isn't viable as an OS (can't accept the Mac drivers) and on advice i saw in another forum i tried renaming the installer disk to XP_Pro_SP2, (as opposed to the MVPCCP_etc moniker) but it still won't mount.

Any ideas as to why my disk is acceptable to a PC, but the MBP can't even see it?
(i gave up at 3.30am )

Zoolook said:

Actually if you wait six months, it allows you to do it online. Even if it doesn't, just call them and they'll give you a key if you explain.

Even if you upgrade the CPU on a PC, you have to reactivate and as long as its a 6 month gap from the previous upgrade, it can be done online.

REGARDLESS of this technicality, if you own a retail version of XP, you can install it on any number of machines you like, one at a time, and this is legal provided you uninstall one version before installing the other. Of course, MS plans to change all this with Vista...

Click to expand...

Obviously it's 'illegal' (and quite frankly ridiculous) to have windows installed on mulitple machines (my version is on my sisters, mine, my brothers, my office and various other computers from over the years, all in the same house), but ms will quite happilly give you as many activation codes as you want. There is no online 'tracking' or anything like that, unless they're being incredibly cunning and waiting 5 years before getting me.

hehe good on ya Cam

eh just do what I did a few years ago, sign up to be an MSDN Developer subscriber....well worth it if you have multiple machines because not only do you get the latest OS in the pipe long before it's out to the public....in most cases....one disc, one licence key can go onto up to 10 machines simultaniously. It wasn't a cheap decision on my part, however the costs to buy that many licences seperately would be evne greater.