Bootcamp windows 7 for mac mini

[Apetk]

Hello, I was planning to use bootcamp 4.0 for my os x lion. My model is a late 2009 (2.53 Intel Core 2 Duo/4 GB DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500)/320 GB HD/SuperDrive/GeForce 9400M/AirPort & Bluetooth Built-in).

But the earliest model "supported is mac mini mid 2010 according to: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846

I really would like to have my windows 64 bit so games will run better. So I researched a bit around and apparently I can still install windows 7 64 bit. Can someone confirm this and if this is true, are there any major disadvantages? And how do you install it if apple gives you an installation error?

 

[Grannyville7989]

As far as I understand, games should run well on Windows regardless if it's 32-bit or 64-bit.

 

[Apetk]

I only have a 64-bit version tough, and paying around three hundred for a windows 7 32 bit key isn't something I can do right now.

 

[Grannyville7989]

The product keys only distinguishes by what edition you're using, i.e. Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. It doesn't distinguish between 32-bit and 64-bit. So you can use your 64-bit key with a 32-bit Windows, and vice versa.

 

[techguy20]

64-bit should run just fine.

 

[murphychris]

64-bit should run just fine.

I don't think it will. I think the Mac Mini 2009 has a firmware bug that will prevent it from using 64-bit Windows, hence the Technote which doesn't list it as hardware that supports 64-bit Windows. This blog entry, footnote 5, mentions the bug.

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So I researched a bit around and apparently I can still install windows 7 64 bit.

You believe this why, based on what research?

Can someone confirm this and if this is true, are there any major disadvantages? And how do you install it if apple gives you an installation error?

Can you boot Windows 64-bit install media? Insert media, reboot and hold down the option key, you should get a "Windows" labeled CD/DVD disk icon. Choose it. If it boots, you can navigate menus by keyboard and mouse, you have confirmation. If any part in the sequence fails, then you have confirmation.

If it works, the trick is how to resize your JHFS+ volume without Bootcamp Assistant. I've read this is possible with Disk Utility but I don't see the option. I do it from command line using 'diskutil resizevolume <device> <size>' per the man page.

 

[Apetk]

http://www.123macmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29077&sid=65663feca327ed34c1a7cf7b871493b3
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/863074/

Of course no one had a clear step-by-step answer but according to several threads, as long as your mac is 64 bit you can run windows also at 64 bit, there just seems to be unsupported drivers or something like that.
And I don't know much about computers right now so I couldn't understand anything in that blog post lol

And about they product key topic that previous posters have brought up, the 32-bit keys and 64-bit keys are separate. They are from Microsoft's Dreamspark program for schools subscribed to them, and they limit students to one 32 bit key and 64 bit. I used the 32 bit key with great regret, but apparently there's no product deactivation so this 64 bit key is my only hope. I was hoping to trade it for a 32 bit key with someone else but that doesn't seem likely.