Running Windows on a Mac: A Switcher's Guide

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Brand new to Macs. 15.4" MBP with XP running in VMWare.

Two questions/issues:
1) I have a Mac program that creates Jpegs. I have a Windows version of Photoshop that can then read the jpegs, but I can't save them back to the Mac folder. Ideas?

2) I know unity mode is so that the program appears to be running on it's own, but how do I open a program in unity mode? I can open windows, then the program, then unity mode...but then how do I open a second program? Make sense?
 
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cwa107

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Brand new to Macs. 15.4" MBP with XP running in VMWare.

Two questions/issues:
1) I have a Mac program that creates Jpegs. I have a Windows version of Photoshop that can then read the jpegs, but I can't save them back to the Mac folder. Ideas?

Go into the VM Settings (turn the virtual machine off, select it from the list, then click the Settings button. Click on the Sharing button and make sure the Mac folder is set to read/write.

Alternatively, you can just drag and drop files back and forth with the Windows desktop in windowed mode. In that way, it's pretty seamless.

2) I know unity mode is so that the program appears to be running on it's own, but how do I open a program in unity mode? I can open windows, then the program, then unity mode...but then how do I open a second program? Make sense?

Your Windows Start Bar hierarchy can be made available via the VMWare menu bar, alternatively, you can have the Start bar appear behind your dock. Again, this is configurable via settings.
 
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Go into the VM Settings (turn the virtual machine off, select it from the list, then click the Settings button. Click on the Sharing button and make sure the Mac folder is set to read/write.
Select "it" from what list?
Alternatively, you can just drag and drop files back and forth with the Windows desktop in windowed mode. In that way, it's pretty seamless.
Not the preferred solution as I'll have to move a whole stack of pictures, run a Photoshop batch file,, then move them all back again. Would prefer to be able to work with them in place.
Your Windows Start Bar hierarchy can be made available via the VMWare menu bar, alternatively, you can have the Start bar appear behind your dock. Again, this is configurable via settings.
I can't visualize what your saying. I'll go back and play with some settings and see if I can figure it out.

Thanks!
 
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cwa107

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Select "it" from what list?

Open VMWare Fusion, but don't start the Virtual Machine. You should see a list of virtual machines (of which there may be only one). Select your virtual machine in the left window pane. In the right window pane, choose the settings button. Then click the Sharing icon. When the Sharing preferences open, you should see a list of shared folders in the list (or you may have to create shared folders). To the right of each shared folder, there should be a setting for "Permissions". Choose read/write and you should be all set.

Not the preferred solution as I'll have to move a whole stack of pictures, run a Photoshop batch file,, then move them all back again. Would prefer to be able to work with them in place.

Understandable.

I can't visualize what your saying. I'll go back and play with some settings and see if I can figure it out.

Thanks!

When in Unity mode, click on the VMWare icon in your dock. That will change the menu bar at the top of the screen to show the VMWare menu bar. Click the Applications menu. That will show basically a synopsis of your Windows Start menu, from which you can launch applications.

Alternatively, you can click the View menu and click "Show Taskbar in Unity", which will show the complete Start menu at the bottom of the screen, without showing the Windows desktop.
 
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Thanks cwa107 for starting this thread.
good info...I was about to ask this in forum.
 
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Open VMWare Fusion, but don't start the Virtual Machine. You should see a list of virtual machines (of which there may be only one). Select your virtual machine in the left window pane. In the right window pane, choose the settings button. Then click the Sharing icon. When the Sharing preferences open, you should see a list of shared folders in the list (or you may have to create shared folders). To the right of each shared folder, there should be a setting for "Permissions". Choose read/write and you should be all set.



Understandable.



When in Unity mode, click on the VMWare icon in your dock. That will change the menu bar at the top of the screen to show the VMWare menu bar. Click the Applications menu. That will show basically a synopsis of your Windows Start menu, from which you can launch applications.

Alternatively, you can click the View menu and click "Show Taskbar in Unity", which will show the complete Start menu at the bottom of the screen, without showing the Windows desktop.

All worked great...thanks!
 
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How do I see a USB drive in VM/XP? OS X can see it but XP cannot...

edit: Never mind. I learned that I have to have the VM window in focus when I insert the stick. At least, that's how it appears.
 
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Very good summary - but with one piece of advice missing.
If you install XP in Bootcamp and virtualise via, in my case, Fusion, under which environment should you activate XP?
Using a retail version of XP, I guess it doesn't matter, because I believe you can activate a number of times??? But with a legal OEM version, only one activation is allowed.
I think I made the mistake of activating in Fusion. Now I can't run XP in Bootcamp. If I had activated in Bootcamp, I guess I wouldn't be able to run in Fusion?
Does anyone know of a workaround for this, or is the only solution to buy the retail version?
I have read a lot about contacting MS via phone to get a new activation code for my Bootcamp issue but then what? Will I still have problems using XP in Fusion?
All I wanted was the choice of running in either environment and now I am just plain confused.

N

Actually, Fusion can read Boot Camp partitions. So can Parallels.
 
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Hi, I've just started trying to install windows on my iMac. I've got snow leopard, backed up the hard-drive in Time Machine, installed all of the latest Software Updates etc...

Anyway, I was reading through the Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide, and i saw that Windows XP Media Center was not supported. I was planning on using Boot Camp as I'm going to do video editing with Sony Vegas, and maybe play some full screen FPS.

What would you suggest I do? Could I contact sony and ask for a Windows XP Home edition, because thats basically what Media Center is, just without the Media Center feature.

Thanks,
Mark.
 
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You can't use a reinstallation disc from another computer for both legal and technical reasons, period. You'll need to purchase a copy of Windows.
 
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Oh, ok. By technical reasons do you mean you can only install one copy of Windows XP period, or that you can re-install several times, but only on one computer?

I'm thinking of getting Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2. This also gives me 50% off 'Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 3-Desktop 1 year Subscription' (PC) or 'McAfee Internet Security 2009 - 3 User (PC)'

Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2: Amazon.co.uk: Software

Do I need Service Pack 3, I think my laptop is running on SP2 and I am perfectly happy with it. Also which Anti-Virus software would you recommend out of these two?
 
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cwa107

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Oh, ok. By technical reasons do you mean you can only install one copy of Windows XP period, or that you can re-install several times, but only on one computer?

No, Vendor-supplied Windows discs are only to be installed on the computer they're sold with. They are typically tailored specifically for those machines.

I'm thinking of getting Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2. This also gives me 50% off 'Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 3-Desktop 1 year Subscription' (PC) or 'McAfee Internet Security 2009 - 3 User (PC)'

Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2: Amazon.co.uk: Software

Check on NewEgg.com. Both McAfee and Kaspersky are junk. Avira Anti Virus Free Edition bests both suites in performance and detection and costs nothing.

Do I need Service Pack 3, I think my laptop is running on SP2 and I am perfectly happy with it. Also which Anti-Virus software would you recommend out of these two?

You don't need SP3.
 
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Hey all. I just bought Vista Home Basic sp1 OEM last week. I partioned 40G on my HD via bootcamp and then installed Vista. Vista installed perfectly. I then put in the OSX install CD to get the drivers on vista. The drivers didnt work so i downloaded the bootcamp 2.1 update burnt it on a cd then installed them on the vista side. Drivers still didnt work.

Here are the problems im having.

1.) Cant detect any wireless networks. Everytime i try and connect to the internet vista tries to connect me via a PPPOE connection. I tried to connect the DSL cable from the wall into the computer didnt change anything. I cant connect to the Internet at all.

2.) Apple trackpad doesnt work properly. Right click wont work. I tried using 2 fingers and clicking, i also tried hitting option + click didnt work.

3.) No audio. I cant hear anything at all on vista.

I went into device manager and it shows that my ethernet, coprocessor, network drivers with a (!) next to it. I look at the details of each driver and each one states that there is no driver installed. I then went to Uninstall and Change programmes and it shows all the mac drivers for windows installed such as Marvell Net, Broadcom Net and Atheros Net installed.

So at this point im stuck. Im not sure which drivers i need for my mac keyboard, trackpad and networks.

I have a macbookpro 2.66 ghz.

Thanks for the future help will really appreciate it.

Andrew
 
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cwa107

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What do you mean when you say the drivers "didn't work". Did you get an error message during install?
 
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no they installed successfully but when i went to device manager they are still flagged with the yellow ! and i still cant connect to the internet, right click and there is no sound etc. So add/remove shows the drivers as installed but device manager flags them as not installed. So basically they didnt installed but the bootcamp software did.

Andrew
 
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cwa107

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Then they didn't install. During the installation, you will be warned about using "unsigned" drivers. Make sure you answer those prompts in the affirmative, no matter how dire they sound.
 
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No warning came up. It said installation was successful but it wasnt lol.
 
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