Bootcamp Issues Installing Windows XP

[jrallen00]

Decided to try to install Windows XP on my macbook pro via the boot camp utility. Now it appears that I have lost my Mac OS X. Here's what I did step by step, hopefully someone who is more that minimally computer literate (like me) can identify if I screwed up somewhere and if my Mac OS (and everything else for that matter) is gone or just hiding.

1. Printed out the installation guide and backed up my documents folder, which was all i was really concerned about losing.

2. Opened up the Boot Camp utility and followed the instructions. When it came to the portion of the instructions that asked me to size the partition I increased the size of the Windows partition from 32 to 50. I intended to format in NTFS.

3. I continued on and selected start Windows installation. It prompted me to insert my disc, which I did. The computer then restarted and began installation from the Windows SP disc. I cannot swear to it 100% but I believe this XP disc had SP2 on it.

4. Windows installation comes to the point where it asks what partition I wanted to install windows on. This is where everything went nuts. It only gave me one partition option and it didn't match what the Boot Camp setup guide said it should say. The instructions also say that you shouldn't try to install in a partition any different than what it says in the guide. So I stopped right there.

5. I tried to reboot the computer, which failed. Then I tried to hold down the option key to select Mac OS, which I was under the impression would still be there, but instead I only got an option for windows.

Any thoughts on where things have gone wrong? Is my mac os and other mac content gone or just hiding on me? Any input appreciated.

 

[chscag]

I need to figure out what you did first.... Let's try to reboot the machine again, but this time from a cold boot.

Hold down the Option key after you hear the POST chime. A picture of your MacIntosh Hard Drive should appear. Select it and press enter. What happens?

Let us know - post back.

Regards.

 

[jrallen00]

No Macintosh Hard Drive selection appears. As stated in my original post, when I hold down the option key a hard drive icon appears labeled as "Windows". There is no other selection available.

If the windows xp disc I used didn't have SP2 on it, could this have wiped out my Mac OS?

 

[harmon712]

It's been a few days since this was posted...but is (or was) the Windows XP disc still in the computer? I tried installing XP from a disc that wasn't good and the computer wouldn't start up until I got the disc out. My mac works fine now.
You need a full install disc, an upgrade disc will not work...also has to be sp2 32-bit

I'm going to re-try in a few weeks when I get the right XP disc.

 

[SammySlim]

Using a non-SP2 disc would not have "wiped out" the Mac OS but not following the Boot Camp instructions to the letter might have resulted in that (on the installation guide which, if you read the sticky on this forum, you would have printed out before you started). There are a couple of non-intuitive steps in the process, including a step where if you do the wrong thing you write Windows XP over your Mac OS. Using an XP SP1 disc would typically just result in a failed install that didn't work right, gave error messages but doesn't affect the Mac partition at all.

I would get your Mac OSX disc, reinstall your Mac OS, get the correct Windows XP disc that you need, print the guide and start over. Unless you backed up your HD before you started ... which you surely did, right?

If the Mac partition doesn't show up then you wrote over it.

Good luck!