Lion's bootcamp with XP

[pavelbure]

Will bootcamp in lion support windows xp ? I thought I read somewhere that apple was dropping support for xp in bootcamp.

My plan is to clean install lion leaving my windows partition intact.

 

[vistadude]

It might not have the xp drivers but your snow leopard disc will. So it should work if you only wipe the mac os partition.

 

[balamw]

Apple is phasing out support for XP on new model Macs.

I've only tried Lion on an external, so it hasn't interacted with my Boot Camp (yet), but Boot Camp consists of three separate things:

• Firmware: A BIOS compatibility layer for the Mac's EFI
• A non-destructive partitioning tool (Boot Camp Assistant)
• Drivers: Hardware support typically on your OS X install disc

If your hardware already runs XP, Lion shouldn't do anything to change that. Even if it doesn't have the XP drivers, you already have what you need.

(EDIT: basically what vistadude said)

B

 

[kenford1]

I just got the new air 13"- i7 preinstalled with lion and tried to load via bootcamp windows XP -- no go all of the prompts are for Win7 - would not recognize the install disk - we love this new air however

 

[KPOM]

I just got the new air 13"- i7 preinstalled with lion and tried to load via bootcamp windows XP -- no go all of the prompts are for Win7 - would not recognize the install disk - we love this new air however

Yes, since the 2010 Air, Boot Camp has officially only supported Windows 7. XP's a decade old and even Microsoft is abandoning it, so I'd take the plunge if I were you and needed Windows. An upgrade DVD is about $99, but be aware that with an upgrade DVD, you need to install Windows 7 once as a clean install, and then again on top of itself as an "upgrade." Otherwise it won't activate, since MS assumes that you are using an upgrade DVD to install on top of another version of Windows.

 

[balamw]

The unequivocally proper license for installing on a Mac is a full retail package for $199.

If you have a (preferably full retail) license of XP that you would otherwise have transferred to your MBA that you are not using, you are a bit closer to compliance... Ultimately it's between you and Microsoft, but there are many solutions towards making it work.

B

 

[KPOM]

The unequivocally proper license for installing on a Mac is a full retail package for $199.

If you have a (preferably full retail) license of XP that you would otherwise have transferred to your MBA that you are not using, you are a bit closer to compliance... Ultimately it's between you and Microsoft, but there are many solutions towards making it work.

B

True, though lots of us have full retail XP or Vista licenses from way back when. I'd like to find the person who has an unbroken chain of upgrade licenses going back to Windows 3.1/DOS. 🙂

 

[balamw]

True, though lots of us have full retail XP or Vista licenses from way back when. I'd like to find the person who has an unbroken chain of upgrade licenses going back to Windows 3.1/DOS. 🙂

The XP Home upgrade on my iMac is an upgrade, which was upgraded from 95 upgrade, from Windows 3.1 upgrade and MS-DOS 5.0. I can't remember if that was an upgrade or full retail or even if there was a difference in licensing back then.

Before 5.0 things get really fuzzy. I had a Tandy NEC V20 PC clone (not even a '286) that was my first DOS box. It ran some version of 3.x, but ran my 5.0 and Win 3.1 licenses at one point before I replaced it with a '386.

I have a W7 Home Upgrade license for it sitting New In Box that I would probably use if I upgraded the hardware.

This is what I mean, as long as you're satisfied by the validity of your license there really isn't anything Microsoft is doing to prevent you from using an upgrade version even if you have never owned a Microsoft product before...

B

 

[weeag]

I had XP running fine on my 2011 Macbook Pro - updated to Lion and Fusion stopped working and when I tried to bootcamp into XP I was prompted to activate windows. When I tried I couldn't get an internet connection (through wireless or direct ethernet) and now cannot access my XP install. The windows partition still lists in Finder so I can (hopefully) access the files I need, but it seems Lion has done something bad. I'm thinking if I can activate XP I should be ok, but I can't get internet access...

Anyone know of a work around?