OEM XP Installation on Boot Camp -- non system disc error???

[dtrimble]

I'm having problems with a Boot Camp partition and XP Professional SP2.

I setup a 20GB partition on my drive (I'm using a MacBook Pro, 3GB, 120GB hard drive). It's the only partition other than the one I use for OS X.

I didn't have full-install SP2 discs, only an upgrade. So I went to Fry's and bought a legal, new OEM disc and license for XP Professional SP2, full-install. I ran the installer and all went well...until I rebooted. At that point, Windows wouldn't load giving me a non-system disc error.

Any thoughts? This one is very perplexing...


Dan

[r.j.s]

Try reinstalling, maybe something got corrupted.

[CWallace]

You need to (quick) format the partition you wish to install Windows into from the Windows installer. The FAT32 partition Apple's Boot Camp creates evidently doesn't conform to what Windows expects so while it will install into it, it won't boot from it after the initial install.

It caught me out until I read the Boot Camp Installation guide which notes to do this. Once I formatted it as FAT32 from within Windows setup, it worked like a champ.

[dtrimble]

You need to (quick) format the partition you wish to install Windows into from the Windows installer. The FAT32 partition Apple's Boot Camp creates evidently doesn't conform to what Windows expects so while it will install into it, it won't boot from it after the initial install.

It caught me out until I read the Boot Camp Installation guide which notes to do this. Once I formatted it as FAT32 from within Windows setup, it worked like a champ.

That's awesome...thank you. I had reinstalled twice already hoping it was just a corrupted install. Reformatting did the trick and it's now working flawlessly.

Windows. Working flawlessly on my Mac. This is just beautiful! (Vista never ran very well on it. But this is XP and doing so much better.)


Thanks for the help; I very much appreciate it.

Dan

[mac.crack]

I didn't have full-install SP2 discs, only an upgrade. So I went to Fry's and bought a legal, new OEM disc and license for XP Professional SP2, full-install.

Too bad that also violates Microsofts License Agreement.

Retrieved in May, 2008, found on the OEM Partner Center website (requires a free account to view):
http://oem.microsoft.com/script/contentPage.aspx?pageid=563841

"Microsoft retail software licenses are the appropriate licenses for the do-it-yourself market. OEM System Builder software is not intended for this use, unless the PC that is assembled is being resold to another party."

"Use of OEM System Builder software is subject to the terms of the Microsoft OEM System Builder License. The software is intended for preinstallation on a new personal computer for resale."

Also, "OEM System Builder Software
Must be preinstalled on a PC and sold to another unrelated party ...
Cannot be transferred from the PC on which it is preinstalled ...
Must be preinstalled onto a new PC using the OPK."

"If you are distributing the PCs within your organization, you can't grant the end user license terms to yourself."

Emphasis is mine.