I'm going to install Vista very soon. Boot Camp + Fusion (which I just bought tonight) is my plan. I can see myself using mostly Fusion, but I think I would like the option to boot directly into Windows. I have an HFS+ formatted external HD connected to the Mac. I am also going to connect the NTFS formatted external HD from my old Windows computer. The way this all works when running with only Boot Camp pretty much makes sense to me.
Let's say you are not using Boot Camp, just strictly Fusion. I understand that you are easily able to transfer files between the Mac and virtual Windows because they're all just files on the Mac anyway.
Now, what happens if you're using a Boot Camp partition with Fusion? If I save a file in My Documents in Windows, where does it go? Is it saved in the actual separate physical hard drive partition created by Boot Camp, or is it in a shared folder on the Mac partition? If I install a program in Windows or a Windows update, does it go onto the Windows partition, or into this shard folder on the Mac partition? Likewise, when I am booted into Windows and save a file, install a program, etc., does it later show up when I am running my virtual Fusion Windows?
Is there any downside to a Boot Camp + Fusion set up vs. a pure Fusion installation? Is going back and forth between "real" Windows and virtual Windows a problem? Like, it knows to use different drivers when I'm booted into Windows vs. using Fusion? Can you tell I'm nervous about this? 😀
Also, how does this work with the external HDs? Can my virtual Windows read/write to an NTFS drive? Can it read/write to an HFS+ hard drive? I would imagine that it would have to be able to use HFS+, or else a pure Fusion/non-Boot Camp installation wouldn't work.
Maybe this will all become a lot clearer once I actually start doing it. But I usually like to worry, worry, worry beforehand. Thank you for taking the time to read all this and maybe answering a couple of the questions 😱
Let's say you are not using Boot Camp, just strictly Fusion. I understand that you are easily able to transfer files between the Mac and virtual Windows because they're all just files on the Mac anyway.
Now, what happens if you're using a Boot Camp partition with Fusion? If I save a file in My Documents in Windows, where does it go? Is it saved in the actual separate physical hard drive partition created by Boot Camp, or is it in a shared folder on the Mac partition? If I install a program in Windows or a Windows update, does it go onto the Windows partition, or into this shard folder on the Mac partition? Likewise, when I am booted into Windows and save a file, install a program, etc., does it later show up when I am running my virtual Fusion Windows?
Is there any downside to a Boot Camp + Fusion set up vs. a pure Fusion installation? Is going back and forth between "real" Windows and virtual Windows a problem? Like, it knows to use different drivers when I'm booted into Windows vs. using Fusion? Can you tell I'm nervous about this? 😀
Also, how does this work with the external HDs? Can my virtual Windows read/write to an NTFS drive? Can it read/write to an HFS+ hard drive? I would imagine that it would have to be able to use HFS+, or else a pure Fusion/non-Boot Camp installation wouldn't work.
Maybe this will all become a lot clearer once I actually start doing it. But I usually like to worry, worry, worry beforehand. Thank you for taking the time to read all this and maybe answering a couple of the questions 😱