Boot Camp & Windows XP Pro

SP2 introduced a completely different software to XP - which made Boot Camp workable. SP1 is inadequate for Boot Camp.

That said - someone here figured out a way to install SP1. This was a technological miracle - and it seems to be as fun as do-it-yourself dentistry.

Your real answer is to:

a.) download a free SP2 update and slipstream it with your own XP-SP1 into a fresh install disk (LOTS of work) http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxpsp2slipstream.asp

or

b.) purchase an OEM XP-SP2 disk. This is a disk MUCH cheaper than the usual MS boxed product. It has no package, it has no phone support, it is "tied" permanently to the machine it is first installed to.

EDIT - don't try the SP1 even as an experiment, it tends to "get stuck" and freeze your Mac rendering it totally useless

Message was edited by: NA Smith

"....Thanks. So much for Leopard upgrade for BC, as I am also unable to install Vista given 1 GB RAM on my MB Pro....."

You can make Vista work with 1GB RAM no problem. It will be faster with 2GB.

"....Do you know where I can purchase the OEM XP-SP2 product?..."

I purchased both of my copies from a local PC parts vendor. OEM software is for people who put together their own machine. The product must stay with the machine and not be transferred. It is assumed purchasers will be knowledgeable and not need tech support. Tiger Direct , New Egg, might be sources for purchase online....

Hmph - you got me there. Must be the video demands or something.

On a MacBook, Boot Camp XP takes up say 300 MB just idling (antivirus included). If you were to open a number of applications and say a very large Adobe file it might zoom up to 700 MB. If you only had 512 MB of RAM, XP would move to virtual RAM (the page file or swap file). It would definitely slow down - and if really overloaded it could possibly close the operating system down (crash). My MacBook had 1GB RAM (two 512 chips) when I switched from XP to Vista. Vista sucked up 500 MB just idling. It regularly used 750 MB just surfing the web. Kind of outrageous compared to XP! Still - I had no problems because I didn't open a lot of RAM intensive stuff all at once. So thats' all I know - you can run XP on a minimum of 512 and Vista on a minimum of 1 gig. I am not technically versant enough to know why a MB Pro needs 2 gigs, but I'd stick to Apple's guidebook.

Rather than purchasing XP why not get some cheap RAM and go with Vista?

(I went back to XP btw - I don't like Vista much! Just an FYI)

Er, "yes"?

Short question / long answer:

First off - install Windows as NTFS rather than FAT (a simple choice during the install.) NTFS is more stable and can be as large as you like. FAT has to be a certain size and has the "advantage" that you can access it from the Apple side. This is also the disadvantage of Windows FAT format to Apple security - no barrier. Bugs can potentially travel to your Apple side with FAT. Not so with NTFS.

With an NTFS format, a $40 hardware router between your machine and the internet modem, and a VERY light antivirus (free AVG, free AVAST! or free Antivir) and you can be totally safe, plus really responsive (fast PC).

Of course most malware is actually opened unwittingly by the computer user. We all have the option of NOT opening suspect files and emails. Also what sites we surf to counts as well. I never file share. If you trade files with LimeWire or whatever, Windows will get bugs from other peoples machines (adware and spyware being the mildest problems.) In this case free AV is not a good idea.

For heavy plowing online a person should get Norton/Symantec of McAfee or similar. You'll need the whole package. This is costly and uses loads of RAM etc but it is serious, effective security for the surfer who goes everywhere without fear.

Should you ever actually get a bug then do not try to "clean" it out of the system - that can never completely be done. Just load all your Windows valuables onto a storage stick or DVD disk and wipe the drive with a fresh install. In fact everyday or every week store your valuables externally (hard drive failure!)

Cheers - NAS

You are welcome! You know my first computer was going to be a Mac (ten years ago) because I worked next to the most knowledgeable computer enthusiast imaginable and he LOVED Apple. I was divided for months on which way to go - Mac or PC. I chose PC because I wanted to know why MS software was always so buggy at work. Slowly I learned, and I became popular as a 'work-around' resource around our office. Slowly over time I watched MS solve a LOT of their own mistakes, and I really came to appreciate how incredibly difficult it must be to make technology work perfectly. Now that I finally have a (Intel) Mac it is real fun to switch from one system to the other to compare. XP and Vista can be tailored and tweaked in hundreds of ways more than OS X. (Not that that is better or worse). MS operating systems need a lot of attention, but when you know a few tricks they can really fly. My XP setup surfs SO much faster on my MacBook than Tiger, but it is more fun to surf with the Apple side because so many sites drop "junk" in your cookie file and your registry on the MS side. Over time the junk slows you down and causes trouble. MS surfs faster but only if you re-install every couple of months (to repair the registry to pristine condition). With Apple you never have to - so you would be wise to surf conservatively on the MS side and save 'reckless' surfing on the Apple side. With Norton Internet Security (or something like it) on the MS side you can really reduce the spyware, adware, viruses and so on. It is costly and there are a LOT of 'permissions' to OK after the install, but later on you'll hardly know it is there in the background. The NICEST thing about NIS is the firewall adblock function. I miss it. All your internet pages open without (most) ads, and you can barely even notice where the ad was supposed to be! It is seamless & real nice. People recommend Firefox adblock or Opera adblock but they do not compare. BTW: it if MUCH safer to surf MS using FF or Opera (rather than ie6 or ie7). FYI. Good luck with your choices.

NAS