HT201456: Boot Camp 5.1: Frequently asked questions

Learn about Boot Camp 5.1: Frequently asked questions
What TheHeck

Q: Boot Camp 5 and WinXP - will they marry on my MacMini?

I am in the process of migrating from Windows to OSx. I have a late 2012 mini and Windows XP Pro. The Boot Camp compatibility table indicates a "-" for my mini/XP Pro compatibility. If I go ahead and install Boot Camp 5 (which the copatibility table says it is is compativle with post-XP versions of Windows), would I be able to install and run my WinXP on my mini? I just want to open my MS WinXP-created Word/Excel, pdf and mp4 files on my Mac and I do not mind that WinXP might not provide support for USB3, and some other periferal hardware.

 

Any constructive input will be appreciated.

W TH.

Mac mini, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Dec 25, 2013 5:48 PM

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Q: Boot Camp 5 and WinXP - will they marry on my MacMini?

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  • by Number88,

    Number88 Number88 Dec 25, 2013 5:57 PM in response to What TheHeck
    Level 3 (750 points)
    Dec 25, 2013 5:57 PM in response to What TheHeck

    I suspect that your problem will be getting XP drivers for your hardware.

  • by BobTheFisherman,

    BobTheFisherman BobTheFisherman Dec 26, 2013 8:37 AM in response to What TheHeck
    Level 6 (15,371 points)
    Dec 26, 2013 8:37 AM in response to What TheHeck

    Programs running in Windows 7 will open Word, Excel, PDF files created with ealier versions of Word, Excel, etc. Operating system, XP or newer Windows versions, has nothing to do with opening files. It is the version of the program that created the files that is of issue but newer programs can open older Excel, Word, PDF, etc. data files.

     

    You can not install XP using Boot Camp Assistant in newer OSx operating systems.