BootCamp/Parallels Windows 7 64bit upgrade

[whitenoise]

I apologies if this has been covered here, I am typing this JUST before rushing out to work and was wanting to get windows running when I get home tonight......(I will be searching the forums later )


I have a new MBP 15" i7 I have the family pack windows 7 upgrade discs, (has 32 and 64 bit versions), and I have Parallels somewhere in the postal system.

I am mainly wanting to bootcamp, (for gaming), but do have some software that I would like to use without having to restart - so Parallels will be handy.

I believe there is a work around when doing a fresh install of windows 7 upgrade - Install without entering serial, reinstall using serial. I didn't have to do it with my gaming desktop, so cant be sure it will work.

I am tempted to install 64bit, but am still somewhat confused whether some of my software will work - I will probably be installing 8GB ram at some point so this is the way to go.

Blah, blah, blah.......


Since I have no idea what I'm doing could you please point me to some relevant topics or guides so I can get this done. Are there any problems I may have? , etc, etc.

Anyway, you can stop saying "**C*IN' Windows users, coming here and filling our forums full of stupid posts, crying for help".

Thanks for any help, btw.

 

[balamw]

Read the forum, no topic is taboo except for piracy (see the sticky).

Here's the canonical guide to doing a clean install with upgrade media. http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp

Compatibility with W764 is very high, as compared with previous 64 bit Windows. Any particular software you are concerned about?

Yadda, yadda, yadda

B

 

[whitenoise]

Thanks

I was just concerned that I was gonna get back from work and find that I had questions. I was hoping it would be a kinda easy thing to do, and everything would be covered here, (or if there specific problems someone would inform me before I started).


Before I go looking through this forum, I have the family pack with two remaining licenses, I saw somewhere here that single license holders have had to contact Microsoft to get the second instance accepted. This could mean that Bootcamp will take one and Parallels the other and I'll end up having problems when I come to install the third license on my main desktop?

Oh and thanks for reminding me to look at Mr. Thurrots site, before I start.

Looks like I have a little reading to do.

 

[balamw]

Before I go looking through this forum, I have the family pack with two remaining licenses, I saw somewhere here that single license holders have had to contact Microsoft to get the second instance accepted. This could mean that Bootcamp will take one and Parallels the other and I'll end up having problems when I come to install the third license on my main desktop?

Did the Family pack come with one product key or three?

Contacting MS about activation should not change anything if you have three separate keys. If it is one key with three activations you might well be in trouble.

B

 

[whitenoise]

One key to rule them all unfortunately. I may forget about Parallels for the time being, especially since restarting and swapping into windows takes so little time.

I ended up following the steps on winsupersite, (i.e. not entering code during installation). When I went to activate it told me was for upgrade only, so I followed step 2 - Registry Hack, and it took the code no problem. Saved me the hassle of using a xp/vista disc.

Now all I have to do is install a basic set of progs for 7, hoping that they are all 64bit compatible.

Apart from the Upgrade media hassle, everything was simple. Win 7 seems to be working without problems. Now I need a way to read the NTFS partition in OS X - its here somewhere I can remember reading it......

 

[balamw]

Now I need a way to read the NTFS partition in OS X - its here somewhere I can remember reading it......

NTFS read is enabled by default in both OS X 10.5 Leopard and OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard at least. I seem to recall it working in 1.04 as well. Do you mean NTFS write?

B

 

[whitenoise]

lol, I guess yeah.... I'm new here you know! I'm trying to find my feet.


I have a Drobo, (NTFS), on my network - used with windows machines, so this would be one of the reasons for NTFS read/write. (Basic Backup).

I also have a lacie 250GB rugged (USB) HD, that I might use on Windows and OSX.

Basically I need to spend more time reading these forums.

 

[balamw]

I have a Drobo, (NTFS), on my network - used with windows machines, so this would be one of the reasons for NTFS read/write. (Basic Backup).

Since the drobo is on the network it doesn't matter that it's NTFS. It will be seen as a Windows share via SMB/CIFS. And it will be read/write natively.

IMHO this is the best way to access NTFS drives, connect them to a PC or other device and share them.

I'm not a fan of the third party HFS+ or NTFS drivers. Too much risk of FS corruption.

B

 

[whitenoise]

That's interesting.

I had a spring clean recently and stripped everything. I need to get my finger out and connect the drobo, I could have seen that for myself.....and I could get stuff backed up, before the inevitable happens.

Thanks