Computer: 2006, intel, Mac Mini core 2 single (the cheap one)
ATTN: I have an XP home reg. code (from old emachine) but no disc, and an XP pro disc but no reg. code😕
After upgrading from tiger to snow leopard (clean install) yesterday, I decided to install windows xp with boot camp so I could play some old games. I was able to create a 10gb partition (it wouldn't let me make a partition any bigger???) and when it told me to insert a windows disc, I inserted a system restore disc (1 of 2) from an old (now broken) emachine. Then I clicked the button to install, at which time it restarted, then it brought up something that read like "EMachine Restore Setup: press 1 to start restore, press 2 to open command line". The keyboard (usb) wouldn't allow me to select 1 or 2, but after a minute it would select 2 and bring up a command line.
After a few restarts I finally got the disc to eject by holding down the left mouse button (magic mouse - bluetooth).
Then, all I got when I booted was a minute of your typical grey boot screen (no apple icon) then the screen would go black.
A few restarts later, I decided: It is probably booting off of the windows partition I made and won't exit until windows is installed.
The plan: Install with XP pro disc, then shut down. Maybe OS X will realize xp is installed and allow me to boot in Snow Leopard, at which point I can use disc utility to delete the windows partition hence restoring the drive to full OS X capacity, then I will never ever attempt to install windows on a mac.
So, I get xp to format the partition, but when it goes to install, it says that repeatedly says that a file can't be installed (usually something like iexplorer.dll). Figuring these to be just for the internet explorer application, I tell it to keep installing. but after that happens 20 times, I decide to ditch that plan.
The plan (part deux): I will boot from the snow leopard disc (hold down "c") and under the utilities menu I will delete the windows partition, hence saving the day. And if necessary, wipe the hard drive and reinstall Snow leopard again (I did it yesterday, so I still have the backup on my external hard drive (firewire)).
but no dice: all that it will do when I boot is say "ntldr missing: press ctrl-alt-del to restart"
I've tried holding down option to select boot disc: nothing
I've tried that ctrl-optn-o-f thing: zippo
I've tried rebooting the thing so many times, that I can't count how many: 0
Help! I can't use my computer until this is fixed.
At this point I don't care if there is windows on my computer or not.
Thanks for your help (or at least reading this very long post).
ATTN: I have an XP home reg. code (from old emachine) but no disc, and an XP pro disc but no reg. code😕
After upgrading from tiger to snow leopard (clean install) yesterday, I decided to install windows xp with boot camp so I could play some old games. I was able to create a 10gb partition (it wouldn't let me make a partition any bigger???) and when it told me to insert a windows disc, I inserted a system restore disc (1 of 2) from an old (now broken) emachine. Then I clicked the button to install, at which time it restarted, then it brought up something that read like "EMachine Restore Setup: press 1 to start restore, press 2 to open command line". The keyboard (usb) wouldn't allow me to select 1 or 2, but after a minute it would select 2 and bring up a command line.
After a few restarts I finally got the disc to eject by holding down the left mouse button (magic mouse - bluetooth).
Then, all I got when I booted was a minute of your typical grey boot screen (no apple icon) then the screen would go black.
A few restarts later, I decided: It is probably booting off of the windows partition I made and won't exit until windows is installed.
The plan: Install with XP pro disc, then shut down. Maybe OS X will realize xp is installed and allow me to boot in Snow Leopard, at which point I can use disc utility to delete the windows partition hence restoring the drive to full OS X capacity, then I will never ever attempt to install windows on a mac.
So, I get xp to format the partition, but when it goes to install, it says that repeatedly says that a file can't be installed (usually something like iexplorer.dll). Figuring these to be just for the internet explorer application, I tell it to keep installing. but after that happens 20 times, I decide to ditch that plan.
The plan (part deux): I will boot from the snow leopard disc (hold down "c") and under the utilities menu I will delete the windows partition, hence saving the day. And if necessary, wipe the hard drive and reinstall Snow leopard again (I did it yesterday, so I still have the backup on my external hard drive (firewire)).
but no dice: all that it will do when I boot is say "ntldr missing: press ctrl-alt-del to restart"
I've tried holding down option to select boot disc: nothing
I've tried that ctrl-optn-o-f thing: zippo
I've tried rebooting the thing so many times, that I can't count how many: 0
Help! I can't use my computer until this is fixed.
At this point I don't care if there is windows on my computer or not.
Thanks for your help (or at least reading this very long post).
