My MBA has a 80 GB HDD. I would like to install the Bootcamp running Windows 7. I have no idea how to start. Can someone give me the step-to-step guidance to install it on my MBA. Thanks!
iPad 2, iOS 5.1.1
Mende1, many thanks for your excellent docs. Today I have learnt that Windows 8 is coming very soon. Does Bootcamp 4 supports Windows 8 or not? Can I install the preview version now and buy the license once launched.
Boot Camp 4.0 doesn't support Windows 8, and Apple doesn't support Windows 8 Release Preview in the Mac. Macs will get Windows 8 compatibility when it will released to public
Ray Li1 wrote:
Mende1, many thanks for your excellent docs. Today I have learnt that Windows 8 is coming very soon. Does Bootcamp 4 supports Windows 8 or not? Can I install the preview version now and buy the license once launched.
Windows 8 is not in final release and is not officially supported as a Boot Camp installed OS. But, search and read the posts in this forum. Many people have installed Windows 8 and it is working fine in a Boot Camp partition.
80GB is too small. Period. End of wondering.
Why? while Windows 8 is "20GB" it needs room to install, to hold the install image, apply updates, cache, page, hibernation. applications and drivers.
After it is installed you can run Disk Cleanup and CCleaner (and do clean registry) and get it down some.
An SSD need space for TRIM and Background Garbage.
And you need room for OS X and Lion Recovery still.
My rule for how small a partition is 48GB for Windows 7 or 8.
When I updated from 8 CP to RP it leaves "Windows.old" of CP in there in case it fails (20GB) plus the installer temp files so it was using 60GB when I first finished the update.
There were Crucial 256GB m4 on sale last weekend for $179. then put the old SSD in an external case and run Lion off external or use for backup and run OS X. 256GB is also nice size and fast - andthat is darn cheap price (is now back to $200 which is still excellent).
OWC www.Macsales.com sells SSD upgrade kits for MacBook Air and all other models too.
120GB Crucial m4 $109 @ Amazon, and I am sure there are other deals out there today, check Newegg deals secvtion - if you really want to, that is almost the price of Windows 7 System Builder would have been.
Hi The hatter,
It is a good advice about size of hDD. As I have the 1st gen of MBA, the hdd is relative small. I am happy to upgrade the hdd if it really works for my MBA without too much trouble. Is it really easy to do it?
I would like to install Windows 7 on a new partition of 35 GB on existing hdd that has 59 GB left and prove it working. Does the Bootcamp has the partition change ultility to reduce the existing partition and create a new partition for me? Then I will upgrade the hdd to 128 or 256 GB at a later date.
No no no.... why no?
How much will you leave for mac OS? 20GB or 20% or more.
How well does Windows run on 35GB? not very.
Buy Paragon CampTuneX or WinClone to resize - after backing up both systems.
Hi The hatter,
Thanks a million for your good advice and I will take it seriouly consideration for my upgrade.
That is a tight fit. for both. cutting it close.
A VM is smaller and you don't have to partition.
And SSDs need 8-15% free for their own use.
@ $200 for 256GB m4 from Crucial I wish I could justify one!
Install Bootcamp
