BootCamp Question

[gt94]

I am going to be getting my first mac and I am going to be installing a copy of Windows 8 on it. And I have a few questions before I do.

Can you change the amount of space that the each partition has later?

Can you triple boot with Windows 8 and Linux? I thought I read somewhere that bootcamp only allows you to install one other operating system.

If you use a program like parallels or VM ware, everything you do in Windows is saved, correct?

Is there any way to run it so it doesn't save or change anything? For example, if you mess around with it and accidentally brick your computer.

When you upgrade to a new mac, can you use the same copy of windows or do you have to buy a new one?

Thanks in advance.

 

[yusukeaoki]

I am going to be getting my first mac and I am going to be installing a copy of Windows 8 on it. And I have a few questions before I do.

Can you change the amount of space that the each partition has later?

Can you triple boot with Windows 8 and Linux? I thought I read somewhere that bootcamp only allows you to install one other operating system.

If you use a program like parallels or VM ware, everything you do in Windows is saved, correct?

Is there any way to run it so it doesn't save or change anything? For example, if you mess around with it and accidentally brick your computer.

When you upgrade to a new mac, can you use the same copy of windows or do you have to buy a new one?

Thanks in advance.

First, no you cant change the amount later.
What you partition is what you get and if you want to get more space,
you have to delete the whole partition and make a larger one.

No, bootcamp only allows Windows and can only have 1 boot.

Yes, if you use either of the program, you can go into your bootcamp without rebooting.
Of course in this case, you cant optimize the full CPU/GPU power since its sharing with OSX.

Just keep back ups and dont mess with things you dont know.

Do you mean put the data of old Windows to your new Mac or make a completely new Windows into your new Mac?
If all new, its has nothing to do with Mac but Windows licensing.
And so far Windows 8 offers 1 license per computer meaning you can only have 1 windows per computer.

 

[gt94]

First, no you cant change the amount later.
What you partition is what you get and if you want to get more space,
you have to delete the whole partition and make a larger one.

No, bootcamp only allows Windows and can only have 1 boot.

Yes, if you use either of the program, you can go into your bootcamp without rebooting.
Of course in this case, you cant optimize the full CPU/GPU power since its sharing with OSX.

Just keep back ups and dont mess with things you dont know.

Do you mean put the data of old Windows to your new Mac or make a completely new Windows into your new Mac?
If all new, its has nothing to do with Mac but Windows licensing.
And so far Windows 8 offers 1 license per computer meaning you can only have 1 windows per computer.

So there is no way to run Windows or Linux so that anything you do is not saved? Kind of like a new copy is created and deleted when you are finished with it?

And I meant like if I upgrade to a new Mac, would I have to buy a new copy of Windows or can I transfer the existing one?

 

[theluggage]

Can you triple boot with Windows 8 and Linux? I thought I read somewhere that bootcamp only allows you to install one other operating system.

If you want a techie challenge, you might be able to sort it out manually, using a boot manager like ReFit/ReFind (http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/). Good luck.

Unless you're wanting to do 3D gaming or run pro graphics applications on Windows or Linux I'd go with Parallels or VMWare - they are far more flexible.

Also - if you haven't specced your Mac yet, go for plenty of disc space and at least 8G of RAM.

If you use a program like parallels or VM ware, everything you do in Windows is saved, correct?

By default

Is there any way to run it so it doesn't save or change anything? For example, if you mess around with it and accidentally brick your computer.

Yes - Parallels has the (confusingly named) Safe Mode and Undo Discs features (http://kb.parallels.com/en/115990). Perhaps more usefully, you can make "snapshots" of good configurations and revert to them at any time. I'm pretty sure that VMWare has similar features.

You can also make a backup copy of the virtual machine files!

However you can only use those if you've used Parallels to install Windows, to a virtual hard drive (i.e. the drive is just a set of data files on your Mac HD partition). Parallels also lets you "virtually" run a copy of Windows you've installed via. Boot Camp - although that sounds like the best of both worlds (run Windows without rebooting alongside OS X - or reboot into Windows alone when you need performance) you loose many of the advantages of virtualization.

When you upgrade to a new mac, can you use the same copy of windows or do you have to buy a new one?

I think its OK if you've bought the "full retail" version of Windows and not an upgrade or cheap OEM version. But check - it may depend on which version of Windows, where you live, the phase of the moon...

At one stage, you weren't supposed to use the cheaper "basic" editions of windows on virtual machines at all.

Using cheap OEM/System Builder versions of Windows for this is questionable, as well.

 

[yusukeaoki]

So there is no way to run Windows or Linux so that anything you do is not saved? Kind of like a new copy is created and deleted when you are finished with it?

And I meant like if I upgrade to a new Mac, would I have to buy a new copy of Windows or can I transfer the existing one?

No, I just wouldn't touch anything that you don't know.
Just keep back ups of the whole thing so when you mess it up, just reinstall the whole thing.

Then you can by using transfer softwares or TM back up.