Problems Installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 With Boot Camp
Hi all. I am in the middle of trying to install Windows XP Home Edition using boot camp. At the moment, my computer is in the middle of installing windows and has the progress bar for "Installing Devices" showing 33 minutes remaining for setup to complete. I have been dutifully following the "Boot Camp Setup and Installation Guide," and have carefullyl followed each step. I realize that once windows is installed, I will need to install boot camp drivers from the Mac OS X disk. However, the machine has been sitting on the 33 minutes left mark for about 1/2 hour now. I even tried shutting down the machine and restarting, but the install picks up right at the same spot. Any ideas? Thanks!!!
fter trying to swap out the original Windows XP installation disk for a brand new, tested out, disk and still running into the same hang problem, I gave the good folks at Apple Support a call. It turns out that there has been an update to Boot Camp (which, surprisingly) does not automatically update when other software updates are pushed out to users. The link for this update can be found at:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/BootCamp_Update_2_1_for_WindowsXP Apparently, this update to Boot Camp is required when trying to install a Service Pack 3 version of Windows XP. It is a large update (216 MB), and I will report back on whether this helps my issue or not.
Turns out that the 2.1 update of Boot Camp is meant to be installed after one has had a successful installation of Windows XP (the download is a Windows exe file). Currently, we are downloading the MacOSXUpdCombo10.5.6.dmg in the hopes that this will solve the rather circular problem between Boot Camp needing Windows and Windows needing Boot Camp 2.1.
Installation of the 10.5.6 combo update did not seem to help with my problem. At this point, we are still locking up installation of Windows XP at 34 minutes remaining for setup. I would be very curious if anyone else has successfully installed XP on a Mac Pro using Boot Camp. From my end, it does appear to be doable. Apple Tech Support is pretty much out of options at this point, and I am out $120 for a now-useless XP installation disk. Crud.
It turns out that I was trying to install an OEM version of Windows XP. Boot Camp will only work with retail versions of the software. At this point, I am giving up and sticking with what I have and not trying to install windows on my Mac.
HuI Bob,
Apple are wrong on two counts. Firstly you can install X SP3 with an OEM disc. Secondly you do not need Bootcamp 2.1 to do so. If you are still "in communication" with this thread come back and I will elaborate.
LOL...this has been a quite interesting exercise! The 2.1 update to Boot Camp that I downloaded (which Apple states is required to install Service Pack 3 of Windows XP) turns out to be a Windows executable file (which, of course, is a bit useless until you are able to fully install windows within the partition created by Boot Camp). However, and I would be keen to learn more, Apple is stating that no version of Boot Camp will work with an OEM version of Windows XP. Rooting through the various forums, I do know that others have encountered this odd lockup, so any help would be awesome! Thanks ahead of time!!
You probably know a lot of this but I will run through it anyway. There are two types of OEM discs, the first type is brand specific (e.g Dell), as stated on the disc, and will obviously not work on an Apple. The one I purchased from Amazon UK ("Windows XP Home Edition Includes SP3") is described as "Licensed for distribution only with a new PC" and should work on any computer including Apple. It comes with a product key. However it is different to the Retail disc in three ways: It is cheaper. It can only be used on one computer, not one computer at a time, but one computer only. It is my understanding you can install/uninstall on that one computer as many times as you want but I have not tried it. Lastly you will not get any support from Microsoft.
You of course have now realised you cannot install the BC 2.1 update because you have to have a Windows XP version already installed to read BC 2.1 in the first place!! This confusion has arisen I believe because the BC Set Up Guide, BC 2.0 and update BC 2.1 were written before a "full install" of XP SP3 came out. By "full install" I mean the XP and SP3 are all on the same disc and it is not just an UPDATE disc to add to a previously installed XP SP1 or SP 2. With me so far!
If you were using an XP SP3 full install you do not need BC 2.1 since that was only required if you used an "SP3 update" disc which in your case you were not.
Now all the above certainly applies to my iMac 8.1 because I have installed XP SP3 without BC 2.1.
I see no reason why it should not work on your Pro.
If you are with me so far come back and I will move on and talk about the lock up!!
Cheers! The XP disk that I am trying to install is indeed an OEM non-brand specific disk similar to the one you mentioned from Amazon UK, so should work as it did on your Mac. I am keen to hear about the cause (or better yet, the fix) for the lockup! So would my dogs, as my constant grumbling is making them nervous. Thanks much for the help!
I did not record and cannot recollect the exact sequence of events as it was about 6 weeks ago but broadly speaking it went like this.
1. Bootcamp 2.0 successfully partitioned disc to 60GB NTFS. I chose this rather than FAT not because I wanted more than 32GB (FAT limit) but because various Posts had said NFTS was more stable.
2. I started the installation and everything appeared to be going well and as I would have expected. Windows is not as good as OS X in keeping you informed as to the progress of the installation
or how long it is going to take buty I reckoned half hour or maybe less.
3. I did not sit by the computer but did other things and looked in every 5 minutes or so.
4. After about 20 minutes I sat by the computer to watch. I thought that I had already seen a part of the installation go through before when I looked in. I waited and watched and then I was certain. It eventually came to a point (and I am sorry I cannot remember the exact words or point in the process) where I was asked where I wanted to install my XP SP3. I clicked on NTFS partition (or some similar choice) and I was told that partition already has some stuff on it and if you install this it will mess up what you already have (or words to that effect!). There was an option to Quit which I took and then restarted the computer and lo and behold XP SP3 was already installed. I spoke to Apple who had heard of this problem before and called it "looping".
I have had no problems with the Window partition. I have used Explorer and Hotmail. Had a big problem pairing wireless mouse and keyboard - now sorted. Still have a big problem playing games but I have identified that as being caused by outdated Apple drivers - still to be sorted.
@ dealbata:
You seem very knowledgeable about the whole process! If (by some miracle) you are still looking in on this thread, I have a question:
The instructions from Apple say to finish installing XP and then immediately load the Leopard dvd to install drivers for the XP. Now, if I was installing XP Home SP3 as a fresh first time install, would I still need to do this, or would I need to update BootCamp to 2.1 (which seems to be problematic from what I gather)?
Has anyone come up with a better response to Bob's problem? I have the same problem. A new XP/SP3 disk for Distribution with New PC. Installation proceeds through partition and selection of Format (in my case FAT32. There is all manner of whirring and such with a screen coming up telling me how fantastic life will be with Windows in just 39 minutes. Things continue this way until the comment says it will be only 33 minutes to my new life with Windows. It never changes and life does not get better even after an hor it says 33 minutes remaining. When I restart a Windows screen appears and asks for the install disk and the whole process starts over at the 39 minute mark.
I would like to either get XP/SP3 running or conclude that I wasted $90 and try to crank up my ancient PC laptop to download some PC only tax software
Here is a partial solution that may work for some. If you are using an OEM system build disk good for any computer as I was and it hangs up or freezes during the load process, you can download a trial version of Parallels. With Parallels loaded follow the Parallels installation wizard directions to load XP/SP3. This worked for me and I have Windows loaded. The downside is that I have not been able to start up Windows from Boot Camp. When you start up the Mac with the option key depressed you do not even see the Windows system. You can use it as a virtual system with the Parallels app.
When loading with Parallels it did not request the Leopard disk to install drivers. I do not know if this will be a problem yet. I also have not tried to load Windows with Boot Camp now that I have it somewhere on the Mac with Parallels. So there remain yet unsolved mysteries and no doubt a lot more of time.
