Will my disk work with BootCamp/VMWare?

Hi,

I am soon to be buying my first Mac. One of the new MacBooks.

I have a copy of Windows XP and need to know how to find out if it will work on my new Mac?

I believe the XP must have service pack 2 included. How do i check if the disk that I have contains service pack 2? If i try and install it on my Mac and it doesn't have SP2, will it mess up my system in any way or will it simply not allow the installation?

I have read a post about slipstreaming SP2 onto the disk and that doesn't seem like too great a task... Just need to know if my disk already has it or not!

Another thing, I will initially be using Boot Camp to run Windows, however down the line i plan to upgrade to VMWare Fusion... I have read in other posts that it is possible to use the same partition that I will have originally created for boot camp, is this so?
If it is, how easy is it to change the size of the partition at a later date? Also, does this mean that any files created/stored on the Boot Camp Windows will be accessible though VMWare as soon as it is installed? And any changes made in VMware will be exactly the same if i decided to boot up in Windows using Boot Camp?

Sorry if these questions sound a bit obvious to you guys but I have never owned a Mac before and I'm hardly an expert on Windows!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated

mattwoods01 said:

Hi,

I am soon to be buying my first Mac. One of the new MacBooks.

I have a copy of Windows XP and need to know how to find out if it will work on my new Mac?

Click to expand...

Firstly, welcome to the forums.

The Boot Camp documentation specifically states that you must use a retail version of Windows XP with Service Pack 2 integrated. It can be Home or Professional Edition, but can NOT be an "upgrade" version.

Also, due to Windows Product Activation, you may not use a copy that is being actively used on another machine.

Computer manufacturer-supplied "restore discs" will not work. It must be a retail copy or an "OEM for System Builders" copy. That is to say, if it has a Dell, HP, Compaq, Acer or other manufacturer's logo on it, it won't work for both legal and technical reasons.

I believe the XP must have service pack 2 included. How do i check if the disk that I have contains service pack 2? If i try and install it on my Mac and it doesn't have SP2, will it mess up my system in any way or will it simply not allow the installation?

Click to expand...

It should say "SP2" right on the disc. If you try to install a non-SP2 disc, they keyboard and mouse won't work, so you won't be able to continue installation.

I have read a post about slipstreaming SP2 onto the disk and that doesn't seem like too great a task... Just need to know if my disk already has it or not!

Click to expand...

It really is pretty easy. If you need a good guide, check out this one.

Another thing, I will initially be using Boot Camp to run Windows, however down the line i plan to upgrade to VMWare Fusion... I have read in other posts that it is possible to use the same partition that I will have originally created for boot camp, is this so?

Click to expand...

Yes, but it does have some downsides. See this FAQ for more information.

If it is, how easy is it to change the size of the partition at a later date?

Click to expand...

It can be challenging, although Paragon Software now has a free (for now) utility to assist in the process.

Also, does this mean that any files created/stored on the Boot Camp Windows will be accessible though VMWare as soon as it is installed?

Click to expand...

Yes, while the VM is running, you can trade files back and forth between the Mac and Windows desktops.

And any changes made in VMware will be exactly the same if i decided to boot up in Windows using Boot Camp?

Click to expand...

Yes. Boot Camp is really just a utility for setting up your Mac to dual-boot Windows and Mac OS X. When you boot into Windows, it's just like running Windows on any old PC. When you access your Boot Camp partition through VMWare, VMWare simply starts a Virtual Machine using your Boot Camp partition as its hard disk.

Sorry if these questions sound a bit obvious to you guys but I have never owned a Mac before and I'm hardly an expert on Windows!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Click to expand...

Hope this helps.

Look at the root of the disk and look for this file: WIN51IP.SP2, if it exists, then it has SP2 included. The Readme.htm file should also mention it has SP2 included.

Thanks for the replies, they were really helpful.

My CD only has SP1, so I decided to try out the slipstreaming. It was all going fine until I got to the point where I have to use IsoBuster...

When I open up IsoBuster, I do not see the "Bootable CD" node on the left hand side.

here is a screenshot of what i see...



I'm stuck on where to go from here... any ideas?

Thanks again for the help

Tell us a little more about the disc you're using. Where did it come from? That looks like an OEM disc.

to be honest i have no idea, it is a copy of a windows disk that i found in one of my drawers. I will have a look around the house to see if i can find the original somewhere.

Does it not look like I will be able to use this disk to get XP on my machine?

mattwoods01 said:

to be honest i have no idea, it is a copy of a windows disk that i found in one of my drawers. I will have a look around the house to see if i can find the original somewhere.

Does it not look like I will be able to use this disk to get XP on my machine?

Click to expand...

Probably not. If you check the Boot Camp documentation, it specifies that you need a retail version of Windows XP with Service Pack 2 integrated. It can not be an upgrade edition, nor can it be a manufacturer's restore disc (like a Dell or HP restore disc). You can use an OEM for System Builders edition, but that's the only OEM type that will work.

is this the same if i decided not to use boot camp and only use VMWare?

mattwoods01 said:

is this the same if i decided not to use boot camp and only use VMWare?

Click to expand...

VMWare is not as picky about installation media.

It should work without a problem in VMWare Fusion and is probably a better options as you can run multiple operating systems side by side.

oh great so VMWare doesn't need to have SP2 installed then? I'm downloading a free trial of VMWare now, hopefully will work thanks a lot for all of your help...

and if it does work...will it possible to install SP2 from within VMWare?

ok so i have just tried to install windows using VMWare and it would not install the OS, it said something along the lines of it wasn's a bootable disk so could not find the operating system?

Is there any way for me to get around this with this disk as i really don''t like the idea of buying another copy of XP to be used on very few occasions...