Can I run Windows 10 on a Quad Core 3.33 (2009) + GTX 285 for Mac

[content]

I am so confused about Windows 10 and boot camp support for my MP. Apple seems to say I can run the latest OS X El Capitan, but not Windows 10... Is that right? Why not Win 10? Geeze, I'm so confused by the whole thing... I have been so out of the loop, I don't even know if my MP is still worth using with today's applications. My MP was actually born as a 2.66 quad, and I changed the cpu a week after getting it with a 3.33 quad, and I installed the GTX 285 for Mac. I am still running leopard (not snow) and I dual boot into Vista 32 bit... Truthfully, I'm kind of afraid of installing a 64bit OS, thinking that any type of firmware update by Apple will render my leopard install and apps useless? Don't know. All of my work is in leopard and I don't want to break anything, but then again I also don't like using the old stuff... Confused, ugh!

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[h9826790]

The 2009 Mac Pro can install and run flawlessly with Windows 10. I am using it now.

Install OS won't upgrade your firmware. And AFAIK, the 4,1 already has 64bit firmware.

Anyway, there are plenty HDD bay in your Mac Pro, just get a blank HDD and try bootcamp. I don't know if it's possible to install Windows via Leopard, but as long as you use a separate HDD, it won't do anything to your 10.5 partition.

If you really worry about that. Then you better pull your work HDD out, and boot from a backup HDD to install Windows.

 

[pastrychef]

Windows 10 runs fine on 4,1s.

The 4,1 is a 64 bit computer. There's no reason to be afraid of installing a 64 bit OS on it. I highly doubt there will ever be anymore firmware updates from Apple for these models.

 

[JoSch]

I had Windows 7 64 bit running even on an 1,1.
What Apple really is saying is: We don't support you with running Win10 64bit on the older machines.
But MS has nothing built in to prevent you to do just that.

 

[cw48494]

Windows 10 64bit works even on a 1,1.

 

[flyinmac]

Windows 10 64bit works even on a 1,1.

Yep, have 64-BIT Windows 10 installed on my 2006 Mac Pro 2.66 GHz with no problems. Runs great. Performance is pretty decent. Even compared to some newer computers.

 

[mcnallym]

Where are you seeing that Apple appear to be saying that Bootcamp doesn't support Win 10.

Bootcamp support page clearly states Win8 or later. However that is for the current Bootcamp version. You have said still on Leopard.

However if you ask about Bootcamp whilst still running Leopard.

Bootcamp 4.0 dropped support for 10.5/Leopard, Only Win7 or later though
Bootcamp 5.0 dropped support for 10.6 and 10.7 Adds Win 8 and drops Win7 32bit
Bootcamp 6.0 is required for Win 10 support but requires 10.8.3 or later

As such if you look for will a machine running Leopard, support Win10 in Bootcamp then the answer is NO.

Are you asking

1.) Win 10 support in Bootcamp whilst on OSX 10.5 = No Win10 support in Bootcamp that runs on 10.5
2.) Win 10 support in Bootcamp after upgrading OS X and Bootcamp to current software = Yes Win 8 or later

They are different questions

 

[flyinmac]

Boot camp is not a requirement to install Windows 10. Just a minor convenience if you need to repartition hard drives.

Windows 10 has the necessary drivers built-in. Any that aren't built in can be obtained if needed from the manufacturers website (such as video drivers).

 

[content]

But will Boot Camp even install the necessary drivers for Windows 10 if my Mac Pro is not supported? Or will Boot Camp bring up an error message?

Scroll to the bottom of Apple's Windows 10 Boot Camp page. My Mac Pro 2009 4,1 is not listed by them... I'm almost afraid Apple's Boot Camp application will read my computer model and stop the install or not allow me to proceed...

I hope I'm wrong.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204990

 

[h9826790]

I say again, I am running Windows 10 via bootcamp flawlessly on my 4,1. This is not any 2nd hand info. Or rough guess, but my real experience now.

If you want to follow that table and don't want to run Windows 10 on your unsupported Mac Pro, it's your choice, but Windows won't care if your Mac Pro is 4,1 or not, the 4,1 is just a PC that specifically build to run OSX. It can run Win 7,8,10... like a normal PC does. You can even install Windows directly without bootcamp.

My understanding is that support table is for bootcamp 6, which is not available for 4,1. 4,1 still using bootcamp 5, so a installation disk is required. Since Windows 10 is selling via USB stick but not disk, so you can't install Windows 10 via bootcamp 5.

However, if you install Windows 7 / 8 via bootcamp, and then further upgrade to Windows 10, it will work flawlessly. It if you get the digital version, and burn a disk, you can also install Windiws 10 via bootcamp 5.

Anyway, Apple is trying their best to get rid of the cMP. According to their web page, the cMP is a piece of shxt, nothing suported. If you want to do everything as per the official info. You should throw your 4,1 away and buy the nMP to run Windows 10 via bootcamp 6.

To sum up, can you run Windows 10 on a 4,1 Quad 3.33 with GTX285? Yes. (But how to do it is another problem)