If I install Bootcamp will I lose apps I already have installed on my computer?

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Level 1

9 points

If I install Bootcamp will I lose apps I already have installed on my computer?

I've been using my mbkpro for over a year now, so if the process of trying to setup Bootcamp at this point means my drive gets wiped, it would take me forever to reinstall all my apps and files from scratch.

So my query is:

1. Can I install Bootcamp WITHOUT needing to reinstall 3rd party software and everything in my Home folder, and my OSX and iLife software?

2. If that is not possible, can the reinstalling be "softened" by "just" copying everything over from a bootable external hard drive back up?

3. If a bootable backup would work, will it also work for my 3rd party apps (eg: Adobe apps, camera software) not only photos and saved text files, or OSX?

4. And what is the best way for me to go about making a Bootable back up onto an external HD? I currently use Time Machine - would this work, or would I need something like Carbon Copy Cloner?

Leading from that 1 further thing:

If i were to install Windows, I need a min of Windows XP SP3 or higher for one of the things that i want to use it for (a game.) When I searched thro the discussions I found some threads that mentioned that you would need to install a copy of SP1 before even upgrading to SP2... is this true? I never use PC's and know very little about them or their OS...

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give! 🙂

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.7), 2.66Ghz intel core i7

Posted on Jan 13, 2013 10:25 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 13, 2013 10:28 AM in response to Ro Hui

Boot Camp creates a new partition for Windows. Nothing from OS X is lost.

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Jan 13, 2013 10:28 AM in response to Ro Hui

Boot Camp is for Windows. It doesn't do anything to your OS X system. Open Boot Camp Assistant in the Utilities folder, click on the large Print Documentation button. Read it carefully before proceeding.

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Answer 3

mende1

Level 10

93,624 points

Jan 13, 2013 10:29 AM in response to Ro Hui

See > http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp

Boot Camp allows you to install Windows on a second volume on your Mac so, if you do all the steps correctly, you won't lose anything.

Before installing Windows, you can create a second partition on the external disk and make a clone with Carbon Copy Cloner, so if you do something wrong, the restore will be easy.

On Snow Leopard, you can install Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista or Windows 7 with Boot Camp. If you can, I recommend you to install Windows 7, but any Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 works. Note that, after installing Windows, you have to install the Boot Camp drivers that the Mac OS X DVD contains

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Answer 4

steve359

Level 6

17,187 points

Jan 13, 2013 10:33 AM in response to Ro Hui

Not to sound too grumpy, but ...

BootCamp alters the boot sector of the disk to hold bootable Windows partition. As mende1 said ... make a clone. Things *can* go wrong, even if they normaly do not. As an aside ... you use BootCamp Assistant to remove this partition as well.

And as Kappy suggests, read the instructions first and understand them all.

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Answer 5

Ro Hui Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:23 PM in response to mende1

Thanks for replying, this sounds really useful.. I always thought when I partitioned a drive it erased anything I had on it already ( it's been a few years since I last did this so can't remember really ...) So, just to confirm that i understand correctly:

- when i partition my HD (internal) the process of partitoning will NOT wipe anything that's already there?

- and I should partition my external HD ( is the one i use for Time Tunnel back ups ok?) and make a bootable of my clone onto this before anything else?

Thanks again!

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Answer 6

Ro Hui Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:24 PM in response to steve359

thanks steve this helped as well.. sounds like it doesn't actually write to my HD.. even tho I need to partition it, which is where maybe I've been getting confused..

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Answer 7

Ro Hui Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:25 PM in response to stevejobsfan0123

Thanks! Ok things getting a bt clearer 🙂

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Answer 8

Jan 13, 2013 1:26 PM in response to Ro Hui

You got it.

Basically, partitioning a disk just splits it in half (not necessarily even halves). One is OS X, still with all of your data on it, the other is Windows or whatever else.

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Answer 9

mende1

Level 10

93,624 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:26 PM in response to Ro Hui

Ro Hui wrote:

Thanks for replying, this sounds really useful.. I always thought when I partitioned a drive it erased anything I had on it already ( it's been a few years since I last did this so can't remember really ...)

Partitioning doesn't delete anything from the hard disk. It just uses free space of one partition to create a new partition.

Ro Hui wrote:

- when i partition my HD (internal) the process of partitoning will NOT wipe anything that's already there?

You don't lose anything. However, you must be careful during Windows installation, because you have to format "BOOTCAMP" volume (if you are going to install Vista or 7), and you have to install Windows on that partition. If you don't do it, you will lose your files.

Ro Hui wrote:

- and I should partition my external HD ( is the one i use for Time Tunnel back ups ok?) and make a bootable of my clone onto this before anything else?

You are right

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Answer 10

Ro Hui Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:27 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks Kappy, relieved to hear that it "doesn't do anything to your OS X system" 🙂

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Answer 11

steve359

Level 6

17,187 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:27 PM in response to Ro Hui

BootCamp uses a "free block" part of the HD as a new partition. It does not need to alter the contents of the OSX partition, just the size of it. The base "partition mapping" sector will be changed, though.

You still need a full-install Windows disk to use Windows.

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Answer 12

Ro Hui Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:31 PM in response to mende1

Awesome thank you Mende1 🙂

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Answer 13

mende1

Level 10

93,624 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:31 PM in response to Ro Hui

You are welcome

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Answer 14

Ro Hui Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 13, 2013 1:34 PM in response to Ro Hui

Thanks guys for all the useful answers, they have all really been helpful! Ok, time to get myself a windows cd and start partitioning and cloning then... TY ev1 🙂

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