I just got a new 20″ Intel iMac, and it’s a beautiful machine - 2.16Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 500GB hard drive, 2GB RAM, Superdrive, Front Row with the Apple remote, Mighty Mouse, etc. Now that I’ve got this amazing new machine, what do you think was the first thing I did to it? Put Windows on it, of course! After all, if I’m going to have to support this at CLC, I’d better know how it all works.
Actually, the first thing I did was install Final Cut Studio- a mere 3 hour process. Then I ran Software Update and installed all the necessary updates - another 2 hour process on my sad little DSL connection. Finally with everything installed and updated, I installed Bootcamp 1.1.1 beta.
Bootcamp is a 186MB free download, and it’s a piece of cake to install. Run the little installer, and it has you burn a Mac drivers CD for XP. Then it walks you through the process of creating a partition for Windows. I dedicated a 20GB partition on my 500GB drive. Finally, you insert your Windows XP SP2 disc and reboot the system.
When the system reboots, you walk through the typical setup process to install Windows. Everything was going fine until I got to the part where you choose the partition to install Windows on. I only saw one partition - it was labeled C and it was 130GB. That doesn’t make any sense - I created a 20GB partition, so where did 130 come from? I checked out the Bootcamp manual, and I read this:
Warning:
Do not create or delete a partition, or select any partition other than partition C:. Doing so may delete the entire contents of your Mac OS X startup disk.
I knew something wasn’t right, but it was already midnight and I really wanted to be done. So, despite the huge red flags, stupid me chose to install Windows XP on the only available partition that was showing up. It seemed to work, until it was time to boot into Windows. The machine rebooted and began the Windows installation setup process again. Uh oh - that’s not good. I tried to quit, but every time it rebooted it started installing Windows again. That’s when I realized I had completely erased my Mac partition and all the programs and updates that were on it. That’s the last time I read a manual.
Okay, no problem, I’ll just eject the XP disc and reinstall the Mac. Oh crap - the CD eject key doesn’t work unless you’re in OS X. Okay, where’s the emergency eject hole? I’ll just get a paper clip and . . . crap - no hole. Okay, reboot again. Crap - Windows setup again. I started freaking out, because I was sure I now had a $2,000 paperweight that was stuck in a vicious circle of Windows installing death. Okay, don’t panic. There’s got to be a way to get this thing out of here. Where’s my screwdriver?
Wait, let’s try something a little less drastic. Sure enough, a quick Google search revealed that if you hold down the left mouse button and reboot, the CD will eject. Oh thank you, thank you, thank you.
Crisis averted, and the Mac’s now reinstalled and happy once again. Now, why did this happen? It turns out that the Windows XP disc I used did not include service pack 2. Bootcamp requires Windows XP SP2, and I didn’t realize how old my disc was. I know there are lots of people out there who did the same thing, because I saw their desperate cries for help in forums and websites. At least I’m not the only one.
Since I didn’t have a SP2 disc, I decided to create my own. Thanks to Paul Thurrott’s instructions, I slipstreamed my own SP2 disc. I knew about slipstreaming, but I never had a reason to do it until now. It wasn’t hard, and Paul makes it dummy-proof. With my new SP2 disc, I reinstalled Bootcamp and successfully installed Windows XP on my iMac.
Sweet. Useful tip to avoid if I ever do this.
Recently, my Gateway laptop was stolen, so if my insurance agent comes through with the casholah, I’ll be in the market for a new laptop capable of editing video. Of course, it has to be an Intel Core Duo. But which strip? Mac, or Windows?
Part of me says stay with what you know, and for me that’s Windows. But everybody else in the world is telling me “Mac … get a Mac you fool!”
So, I’m seriously considering shedding my foolishness and buying a Mac and getting on board with Bootcamp. Or, better yet (according to reports) Parallels.
Problem is it seems I’d need a good sized hard drive if I wanted to do much with both OSs, and until vertical storage becomes mainstream and 1 terahertz disc drives fit in a notebook, it may not ultimately be practical.
I’d be interested in hearing how your experiences have gone in the last couple of months.
Rich
BlogRodent
I made exactly this mistake last night. Ugh. Worse, my remaining Windows machine, an ancient Inspiron 5000, doesn’t have a burner. I’m going to have to make the slipstream, then bring it over to my reinstalled Mac to burn.
yup i lost my mac partition by mistake, how you get the disk out if it won’t eject with the eject button is to reboot holding option and when you have the choice of system(s) to use then push the button… make sure you do back up EVERYTHING before attempting… as i luckily did, but could have lost everything. music, pics, bookmarks, mail accounts, files, apps. need i say more? just read a ton of forums before ever doing anything new to a mac or any computer for that matter, you never know what the results may yeild