Need lots of easy-to-understand help with installing Windows 7 on my iMac

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I am looking to install Windows 7 on my iMac. I have lots of questions about the whole process (I am quite tech-advanced for a 13 year old, but take it easy on me). I'll start off with the specs of my computer.

Processor Name: Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 3.4 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 4
Memory: 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Hard Drive Space: 999.35 GB (51.18 utilized)
Software: Mac OS X Lion 10.7.4
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB


Not bad, huh? ;)
So, my questions are...

1) What version of Windows 7 exactly do I have to purchase to install?
2) Should I install 32 or 64 bit?
3) Will the RAM be split 8 and 8 between the two operating systems, or will they each have 16?
4) What do I do about backing up my files and partitioning my hard drive? (Whatever that means...does it mean splitting it?)
5) Once I have all this figured out and I have all the materials I need, how do I do it? (All I know is that Boot Camp is used.)

In other words, I just need a complete, very easy-to-understand guide on installing Windows 7 on my iMac. I don't just want a guide that is used for everyone else, but one that best fits my case and will help me the most.

Thanks in advance!
 
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G'day and welcome ton the forums.

1. Whatever version of Windows 7 suits your needs. Personally use Windows 7 Ultimate.

2. 64bit.

3. Memory will be as Bootcamp sees fit. 64bit will access more memory. For instance I run Windows on an upgraded Mac Pro 2.1 which is 32bit. Windows sees 1.9GB of the 16GB installed.

4. Do not do anything Bootcamp will handle that. Open Bootcamp in Utilities, print and read the Guidelines, download drivers and burn to a CD and proceed with installation. Bootcamp will ask you what size partition you want, and make it during the install. Suggest making partition 100GB.

5. Again print and read the Bootcamp Guidelines.
 
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Hi, I have pretty much the same iMac & specs as ErikJS, and was thinking of installing W7, I just had a couple of questions:

1. I know why it is better to install 64bit W7, but some of the games I want to run will only run on 32bit, will it be OK to install 32bit W7?

2. when I looked at Apple's support page for Bootcamp, the first requirement it mentions is "An Intel-based Mac with a built-in or USB keyboard and a built-in trackpad or USB mouse", does this mean that, as I have no intention of paying for a USB mouse and keyboard just to run a few games, there is little point in installing W7 on my already really expensive iMac? I currently have a perfectly adequate Magic Trackpad and Wireless Keyboard, and don't want to give every penny I have to the money hoarders in Cupertino, disturbing as that may seem to many fanboys.

Thanks :D

Edit: Someone just showed me how to use Cider for the games and they now seem to run OK, worth noting if you are a gamer ;)
 
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G'day and welcome ton the forums.

1. Whatever version of Windows 7 suits your needs. Personally use Windows 7 Ultimate.

2. 64bit.

3. Memory will be as Bootcamp sees fit. 64bit will access more memory. For instance I run Windows on an upgraded Mac Pro 2.1 which is 32bit. Windows sees 1.9GB of the 16GB installed.

4. Do not do anything Bootcamp will handle that. Open Bootcamp in Utilities, print and read the Guidelines, download drivers and burn to a CD and proceed with installation. Bootcamp will ask you what size partition you want, and make it during the install. Suggest making partition 100GB.

5. Again print and read the Bootcamp Guidelines.

Thank you for the reply! There's a few things I'd like to know...

For #1, I didn't mean it that way. There are different versions of Windows 7 such as OEM, retail, upgrade-only, w/SP1, etc., so I was hoping you could kind of explain the differences between those and say which one I need to purchase.
For #2, okay! Why, though?
For #3, so would it be at all possible to choose how much RAM I want to give each system? Like 6 GB for Windows and 10 GB for Mac?
For #4, does partition mean to split the hard disk drive space between the operating systems? So if I partitioned 400 GB for Windows, I would have about 600 GB left for Mac?
 
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1. OEM will work but not an upgrade or a brand specific disc such as for a Dell or HP.

2. Why? Because it is faster and recognises more memory.

3. No the computer will handle that with Windows accessing what the system wants. With 16GB you may get 2GB with 32bit and 4GB with 64bit.

4. Bootcamp will make the partition and it is important you not do this in Disk Utility. If it is a 1TB drive, 400GB for Windows will leave about 550GB for OS X after formatting. And installing Bootcamp, necessary to have the hard drive in one single partition.
 
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1. OEM will work but not an upgrade or a brand specific disc such as for a Dell or HP.

2. Why? Because it is faster and recognises more memory.

3. No the computer will handle that with Windows accessing what the system wants. With 16GB you may get 2GB with 32bit and 4GB with 64bit.

4. Bootcamp will make the partition and it is important you not do this in Disk Utility. If it is a 1TB drive, 400GB for Windows will leave about 550GB for OS X after formatting. And installing Bootcamp, necessary to have the hard drive in one single partition.

Thanks! So is the best choice Windows 7 Retail (full) or OEM version? Okay, I will install 64 bit. I don't understand what you mean in #4 with that last sentence.
 

cwa107


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Thanks! So is the best choice Windows 7 Retail (full) or OEM version? Okay, I will install 64 bit. I don't understand what you mean in #4 with that last sentence.

You can actually use an "upgrade" edition, but it's not in keeping with Microsoft's EULA, so it's technically in violation of that EULA and not something we necessarily endorse.
 

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Hi, I have pretty much the same iMac & specs as ErikJS, and was thinking of installing W7, I just had a couple of questions:

1. I know why it is better to install 64bit W7, but some of the games I want to run will only run on 32bit, will it be OK to install 32bit W7?

Install 64-bit Windows 7. The games will still run in 32-bit. This is important, because if you go with 32-bit, only 3GB or so of your memory will be addressable by Windows.

2. when I looked at Apple's support page for Bootcamp, the first requirement it mentions is "An Intel-based Mac with a built-in or USB keyboard and a built-in trackpad or USB mouse", does this mean that, as I have no intention of paying for a USB mouse and keyboard just to run a few games, there is little point in installing W7 on my already really expensive iMac? I currently have a perfectly adequate Magic Trackpad and Wireless Keyboard, and don't want to give every penny I have to the money hoarders in Cupertino, disturbing as that may seem to many fanboys.

They recommend using wired input devices, because for a time, your bluetooth devices won't work before the BT drivers are installed, running and the devices are paired.

With that said, you can pick up a $10 USB keyboard and mouse and that will work fine for the install process. You certainly don't need any Apple-branded hardware.


Thanks :D

Edit: Someone just showed me how to use Cider for the games and they now seem to run OK, worth noting if you are a gamer ;)

Cider is more of a developer suite for porting games than it is for end-users to run them. If you really want to use WINE, check out CrossOver Games. Far more user-friendly and compatible.
 

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Another thing worth noting... when you run through the Boot Camp Assistant program, you'll be prompted to PRINT the manual. Even if you're not a fan of manuals, it's extremely important that you actually do this.

Why? There is very specific advice that guides you through the process. If you don't have it handy, you'll be at a loss.

I'd say about %99.999 of the problems people have with the whole Boot Camp installation process are related to not following the instructions.
 
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Just in case you haven't heard, there are alternatives to Bootcamp. Bootcamp is great, but if you need rapid switching and file cross referencing it's a PIA. For example I regular use my MAC to prepare reports on a Windows based Oracle DB. Logging in & out is just not an option.

My solution was VMWare Fusion (which I prefer over Parallels, but that's another discussion). My machine specs match yours, and my bad boy can run a few VMs AND reporting/PM software without a glitch. Of course I'm not gaming, but you get the idea.

If you do go that route, my only suggestion is to think carefully before choosing the option to share files seamlessly btwn the real and virtual machines. It's SO easy to forget where you are when flicking back and forth. I'm afraid I'll accidentally download a Windows 'nasty' or screw up my filing system that way.

Here's the VMWare site if you want to check it out: VMware Fusion: Run Windows on Mac for Desktop Virtualization
 
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VM requirements

I have never attempted to do this for ear of messing my best computer since my Quadra 800(;)), but I am willing to try just to run one single program called (DeepSkyStacker); nothing else. I do not want to turn on one of my never used PCs to run this.

For this purpose I would like to use the cheapest Windows version I can buy that works and probably use Fusion or whatever is cheapest to install a VM.
mac.png

These are my Imac's basics.


Any recommendations?


Thanks!

I am looking to install Windows 7 on my iMac. I have lots of questions about the whole process (I am quite tech-advanced for a 13 year old, but take it easy on me). I'll start off with the specs of my computer.

Processor Name: Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 3.4 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 4
Memory: 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Hard Drive Space: 999.35 GB (51.18 utilized)
Software: Mac OS X Lion 10.7.4
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB


Not bad, huh? ;)
So, my questions are...

1) What version of Windows 7 exactly do I have to purchase to install?
2) Should I install 32 or 64 bit?
3) Will the RAM be split 8 and 8 between the two operating systems, or will they each have 16?
4) What do I do about backing up my files and partitioning my hard drive? (Whatever that means...does it mean splitting it?)
5) Once I have all this figured out and I have all the materials I need, how do I do it? (All I know is that Boot Camp is used.)

In other words, I just need a complete, very easy-to-understand guide on installing Windows 7 on my iMac. I don't just want a guide that is used for everyone else, but one that best fits my case and will help me the most.

Thanks in advance!
 
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For a virtual machine, the cheapest option is to use Sun's VirtualBox instead of Fusion or Parallels. It is freeware and does a good job, although lacks some features.

Given your desire to use DeepSkyStacker, which appears to be a photo maniupulation package, you might be better served to install Windows in a Boot Camp partition. But I'd go ahead and try it under VirtualBox first - won't cost you anything.

As far as cheapest versions of Windows, I would go with Windows 7 -- you will need to use either a full retail verion or a "system builder OEM" version, the latter of which is around $100 US at various online retailers. A manufacturer's OEM disk that comes with a Windows PC will not work.

Good luck!
 
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Ok, I see.Thank you for th einformation.

I wanted to make it error free, so I chose Fusion (or brand name that automates the process +/-) for that reason, but I like the idea of spending less money. I don't know difficult and quasi error free these freeware can turn out, they usually are not as user friendly for installation as the brand names. I love my Mac and it almost original except for some OS upgrades (Snow Leopard) and I would hate to make an installation error and mess her up.

DeepSkywather is for "stacking" many photos (of same subject, under low light condition, like the sky) into one making it look better. Photos are usually on the hundreds if one has been patient* so I guess it needs a lot of processing power. It only comes in Windows version.,
 
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Can I have my thread back? Haha, just kidding. Sorry, I was at my other house (no access to the computer I need for this).

So, from what I learned, this is what I should be doing;
Buy the Windows 7 RETAIL version (full version). Print the manual to Boot Camp. Install Windows 64 bit. Follow the steps in the printed guide exactly...?

Correct? Anything else I need to know?
 
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Correct making sure Eric you download the drivers and burn to a CD as set out in the guidelines. It is a breeze my lad! You were asking about the size of the partition. 100GB should be ample unless you want to run a lot of games. etc.

You can always change the size of the partition using a $20 program called CampTune.
 
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What have I not told you?
 
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Oh, whoops! I didn't see the second page of this thread, so I thought nobody was replying. That's why I bumped. Sorry about that :p
I think that's all the info I need! Thank you so much to everybody that replied.
Just one more question, I guess; for that CampTune program, can I do that after I've gone through the whole Boot Camp process? And for RAM, there is no way I can choose to allot a certain amount of RAM to Windows? It choose for me?
 

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