Help With Older MacPro Installing Windows

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Level 1

8 points

Help With Older MacPro Installing Windows

I have an older MacPro 1,1 that I need to upgrade the Windows Software on the Boot Camp side.

I am currently running Mac OS 10.6.8 on the Mac side and Windows XP on the Boot Camp side and that XP software has run it's course and is not supported anymore by nearly anything. I need to upgrade the Windows side to install different newer virus software. I am currently running BitDefender software and I HAVE to change to a different provider. The 2019 BitDefender crashes my newer iMac so it had to go on both machines.I am going to switch to McAfee for both platforms on the PC side.

The minimum for McAfee is Windows 7. I have 64 bit Windows 8.1 Pro installed on my iMac and both 'retail' disks including the 32 bit 8.1. I know I will need to buy a new key (I assume I need to) for the 32 bit 8.1 disk if it will work on the MacPro 1,1 (I realize the MacPro 1,1 will NOT work with the 64 bit software).

The questions are.... Will 32 bit Windows 8.1 work on the older MacPro 1,1? The MacPro is running Boot Camp version 3.2

Would there be any problem upgrading the Windows XP on the MacPro as it's configured? I am just about maxxed out as far as upgrade on the Mac side OS but can still use my machine on the PC side.

I don't want to buy an new key for the 8.1 if it will not work on the MacPro I have.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all in advance,

Posted on Oct 29, 2018 6:51 AM

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Answer 1

Geotrax

Level 3

568 points

Oct 29, 2018 8:27 AM in response to clark6

Hi clark6! I believe the latest version the Mac Pro 1,1 can run is 32-bit Windows 7, not 8.1. If you want, you can learn how to install that here. There isn't much third party info on Windows 8.1 on the 1,1 online, but there is an article (that I followed and had success with when my 1,1 still worked) to install 64-bit Windows 7. That article can be found here. Keep in mind this is a third party guide.

Hope it helps!

-Geotrax

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Answer 2

Oct 29, 2018 9:02 AM in response to clark6

According to everymac.com the oldest Windows supported via Boot Camp on the MacPro1,1 is Windows XP and the newest is Windows 7 32-bit. Unofficially Windows 8 might be possible although difficult, the Boot Camp Assistant does not support Windows 8 on your Mac but Windows 8 itself should. The difficulty is getting a boot disk to work so you can then install it, you will then probably need to manually install drivers but that would be easier.

See - https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_pro/specs/mac-pro-quad-3.0-specs.html

The conclusion is that Windows 8 of any type is not supported.

You would potentially be able to get round this by running Windows in VirtualBox as a virtual machine. Alteranatively consider replacing the MacPro1,1 with a newer but still secondhand Mac Pro that can run newer versions of Windows. The Mac Pro 2009 and later can run Windows 10 (unofficially).

I am running Windows 10 on a MacPro5,1 although since I achieved this Apple made it much harder to do by changing newer versions of Boot Camp to block this. Either an El Capitan or Yosemite copy might be best to install Windows 10. Obviously once you have installed Windows 10 you can update the Mac partition.

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Answer 3

clark6 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 30, 2018 5:54 AM in response to John Lockwood

Ok thanks. Looks like I will have to go with Windows 7 then.

Thanks everyone for the help,

Clark

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Answer 4

clark6 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 29, 2018 8:52 AM in response to Geotrax

Thanks Geotrax,

So, just to double check... you say that the Mac Pro 1,1 can't install or use Windows 8.1 from the 32 bit install disk. That the highest upgrade is the Windows 7 OS. Correct?

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