2007 Mac Pros are not on the 64x Boot Camp compatibility list

[mason.kramer]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846

Question is why not? And does it really not work?

Without getting into an argument of the merits of 64 bit mode in Mac OS X, I think most agree that Windows 7 x64 is much faster than Windows 7 x32. I'm disappointed by this, especially since the computer was advertised as a 64 bit product. I think a reasonable person would interpret that to mean that it runs 64 bit OSes, but maybe not.

[chas0001]

I have a 2006 Mac Pro (MacPro1,1) and I am running Windows 7 64Bit via Bootcamp. I even managed to install the 64 bit drivers from the Snow Leopard DVD (after a bit of investigating the install directories on the DVD).

[ildondeigiocchi]

Windows 7 64-bit will work fine on your Mac Pro ... don't worry. Even though doesn't grant official support it still works, the forums are filled with users who have successfully installed 64-bit versions of Vista and XP on their 2006-7 Mac Pros.

[KeriJane]

Originally Posted by mason.kramer

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846

Question is why not? And does it really not work?

Without getting into an argument of the merits of 64 bit mode in Mac OS X, I think most agree that Windows 7 x64 is much faster than Windows 7 x32. I'm disappointed by this, especially since the computer was advertised as a 64 bit product. I think a reasonable person would interpret that to mean that it runs 64 bit OSes, but maybe not.

The "Why" appears to be the 32-bit EFI that was required to run Tiger. (remember the MP1.1 came out before Leopard)


This causes a problem with Windows x64 install disks. There is a utility for converting a disk image to something that EFI32 can use.
Once the installation disk has been modified, Windows x64 installs and runs fine on the 1.1 but the Boot Camp drivers will refuse to install unless you kind of force them to. After all that, x64 runs fine on the MP1.1 (2006-2007 model)

Here's some advice on how-to:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=811024

I've tried this and it works OK with Win7 x64.

I'm not going to keep 7 on this machine though. It's going back to XP for my old XP programs.

Just as a note: Don't get the Windows 7 Home Premium. It does NOT support multiple CPUs. If you install it, Windows will only use both cores of CPU1 and completely ignore CPU2. I verified this in another thread.

If you want to use your Mac Pro effectively with Windows 7, you will need either the Professional or Ultimate version.

Have Fun,
Keri

[gugucom]

Originally Posted by mason.kramer

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846

Question is why not? And does it really not work?

Without getting into an argument of the merits of 64 bit mode in Mac OS X, I think most agree that Windows 7 x64 is much faster than Windows 7 x32. I'm disappointed by this, especially since the computer was advertised as a 64 bit product. I think a reasonable person would interpret that to mean that it runs 64 bit OSes, but maybe not.

The 2006 and the 2007 Mac Pros are running a 32-bit version of the EFI firmware. The 2008 and 2009 got EFI-64. This has two practical implications for 64-bit software:

• As you have noticed Apple refuses to run Kernel64 on those machines. This will have consequences in the future when K64 only OS X versions will appear.
• Many DVD based Windows versions (anytime upgrade) cannot be installed in original form because they have incompatible ISO versions. A work around exists to re burn those DVDs in order to use an ISO format EFI32 can utilize.

[Mackilroy]

To share my own experience, I downloaded Windows 7 x64 (student license for $30 ), burnt it to a DVD, and I'm making this post with it. It runs wonderfully.

[akadmon]

Originally Posted by chas0001

I have a 2006 Mac Pro (MacPro1,1) and I am running Windows 7 64Bit via Bootcamp. I even managed to install the 64 bit drivers from the Snow Leopard DVD (after a bit of investigating the install directories on the DVD).

Ditto. With the exception of iSight (the external one), everything works.

[akadmon]

Originally Posted by KeriJane

The "Why" appears to be the 32-bit EFI that was required to run Tiger. (remember the MP1.1 came out before Leopard)


This causes a problem with Windows x64 install disks. There is a utility for converting a disk image to something that EFI32 can use.
Once the installation disk has been modified, Windows x64 installs and runs fine on the 1.1

I question this. I did not have to do anything to install an iso of Win 7 Pro 64, created from files downloaded as part of the student upgrade. I'm 100% certain I'm 100% 64-bits, because (besides Windows recognizing all my RAM) I can't install any 32-bit drivers

[Tesselator]

I haven't tried W7 yet but I had Vista64 working perfectly on a 2006 2.66 with an 8-core upgrade. Everything I tried worked.

[vance09]

vista 64 runs fine on the mac pro(i run it on my mac pro) but windows 7 will not according to the senior tech at apple.

[akadmon]

Trust me, it does. And if you can't trust me, trust the Tesselator: there is nobody more tech or more senior than the Tesselator around here

[bozz2006]

It works.

[KeriJane]

Originally Posted by akadmon

I question this. I did not have to do anything to install an iso of Win 7 Pro 64, created from files downloaded as part of the student upgrade. I'm 100% certain I'm 100% 64-bits, because (besides Windows recognizing all my RAM) I can't install any 32-bit drivers

Cool!

I'm wondering if yours is a later production 1.1. In particular, did it come with Tiger or Leopard originally?

Maybe Apple made some undocumented changes in 2007?

This could be important to us MP1.1 users with the original Tiger-equipped Mac Pros. Maybe there's some way to retrofit or cause the same effect for those of us not so lucky.

Or maybe it has to do with your downloaded .iso or the way it was burned.
It's a lot to ask, but if you get the chance could you try an install with a store-bought Win7 DVD?

Somewhere someone stated that Snow Leopard runs a 32-bit kernel on our old MP1.1s. How do we check which one is running?

And would you mind checking to see which SL kernel yours is running?

Thanks for a possible ray of hope,

Keri

[akadmon]

Originally Posted by KeriJane

Cool!

I'm wondering if yours is a later production 1.1. In particular, did it come with Tiger or Leopard originally?

Keri

Tiger.

While I bought my Mac Pro in November '06, it was actually made in August '06, so it's probably from the first production batch (I remember how upset I was by this at the time, thinking I got sold some reject, 'cos "why else did it sit unsold for 3 months!"). It's been a love affair ever since. Zero (and I mean ZERO) problems from day one.

[Mackilroy]

KeriJane, my MP also came with Tiger and is a 1.1 model. As I said earlier, I also downloaded Win7 Professional through the student link. Same .iso and such.

[gugucom]

The EFI32 issue isn't related to a particular version of Windows but to the way the ISO is written. The problem is versioned file names with a semi colon in it. Microsoft uses these distributions when they burn multiple versions on a DVD. They call it "any time upgrade". Essentially it looks for certain type of COA to activate different levels of the operating system. With Vista you had Home, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate on one DVD. What you got was determined by the type of COA that you used on that DVD. With Win7 Retail and System Builder MS will again start pumping out these "any time upgrade" DVDs for Home, Professional and Ultimate. At the moment the online distributions are using dedicated ISOs for each version and so the problem does not arise for some users. When the thing settles they will be back to the problem I think. The only way to go round this is modding the ISO by re-burning it then.

[akadmon]

Originally Posted by gugucom

At the moment the online distributions are using dedicated ISOs for each version and so the problem does not arise for some users. When the thing settles they will be back to the problem I think. The only way to go round this is modding the ISO by re-burning it then.

Why would that affect those of us who already have Win7-64 running on our 2006/2007 MPs? MSFT can't do anything to my existing ISO, can they?

[gugucom]

Originally Posted by akadmon

Why would that affect those of us who already have Win7-64 running on our 2006/2007 MPs? MSFT can't do anything to my existing ISO, can they?

Well, my comment was about the model and not your individual machine. Sure you can keep your Win7 forever.

[Tesselator]

Originally Posted by akadmon

Trust me, it does. And if you can't trust me, trust the Tesselator: there is nobody more tech or more senior than the Tesselator around here

I dunno whether to be flattered or embarrassed. I know some stuff I guess, but mostly I think we're all here just contributing what we know and what we discover to be the case or what works for us. I blow chunks occasionally too.

[gugucom]

Originally Posted by Tesselator

I think we're all here just contributing what we know and what we discover to be the case or what works for us.

I like that spirit a lot. This must be the best Mac Pro forum I have ever been to. Very active discussions.

[ClassicII]

Cool so they can boot W7 64bit but can they run SL 64 Kernal?

[gugucom]

Originally Posted by ClassicII

Cool so they can boot W7 64bit but can they run SL 64 Kernal?

Apple have decided they should not. They have the EFI locked up so there is little that can be done if they want to stop it.

[mfka]

Ok, so i am just curious. Isn’t it possible (in theory) to replace EFI on 6/7 MPs
with EFI 64 bit found on 8/9 MPs ?

[gugucom]

The 2008 has substantially different hardware. The Xeon 5400 die shrink, different 5400 chipset, different memory hub, different memory spec to name just a few. So apart from the problem that EFI exchange is a propriatary procedure and would violate EULAs the different versions would not be compatible.