Problem installing Windows 8 in Boot Camp on new mac

[Kahuhipa]

I just bought the new 21.5" mac and want to install Windows 8. My old laptop died and I want to use that Windows XP license and install it in Boot Camp then immediately install an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro.

The problem I see (haven't tried it yet because I don't want to open the Windows 8 package if it can't be done) is that when I launch Boot Camp to setup it says you can only install Windows 7 or higher but it must be a full install disk and not an upgrade disk. Microsoft does not make a full install disk for Windows 8.

From the verbiage in Boot Camp it also sounds like I won't be able to use my full version of XP and then apply my Windows 8 upgrade. Please tell me I'm missing something or do I really have to pay for a full retail version of Windows 7 Pro for $300 THEN apply my Win8 Pro upgrade?

I also plan to install it onto Parallels afterward but need to resolve this in Boot Camp first. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Gelite55]

I just bought the new 21.5" mac and want to install Windows 8. My old laptop died and I want to use that Windows XP license and install it in Boot Camp then immediately install an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro.

The problem I see (haven't tried it yet because I don't want to open the Windows 8 package if it can't be done) is that when I launch Boot Camp to setup it says you can only install Windows 7 or higher but it must be a full install disk and not an upgrade disk. Microsoft does not make a full install disk for Windows 8.

From the verbiage in Boot Camp it also sounds like I won't be able to use my full version of XP and then apply my Windows 8 upgrade. Please tell me I'm missing something or do I really have to pay for a full retail version of Windows 7 Pro for $300 THEN apply my Win8 Pro upgrade?

I also plan to install it onto Parallels afterward but need to resolve this in Boot Camp first. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

The $60 Windows 8 Pro disc is the real deal. Just extract that to a USB drive or use it via external DVD drive.

Or you can try this to double make sure.
http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Syste...UTF8&qid=1357108154&sr=8-3&keywords=Windows+8

What might I ask you need Windows for?

 

[Kahuhipa]

The $60 Windows 8 Pro disc is the real deal. Just extract that to a USB drive or use it via external DVD drive.

Or you can try this to double make sure.
http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Syste...UTF8&qid=1357108154&sr=8-3&keywords=Windows+8

What might I ask you need Windows for?

The $60 Win8 disc you mentioned is what I have sitting unopened but that's only good for an upgrade and is not a full version of Windows which Boot Camp requires so it's of no use without a full version of Windows 7 already loaded to upgrade from.

I called Apple this morning and also found out that Boot Camp does not even support Windows 8 yet so it's a hopeless cause anyhow. The tech support guy didn't know this until I insisted that my version of Boot Camp will not take anything before Win7 so he started digging into it and found out that only certain Macs will support Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. However, on the new iMacs and a few others (tech guy was reading the list while talking to me) Boot Camp will only work with a full version of Windows 7 and nothing else. An upgrade disc even to Windows 7 is worthless too.

As to what I need it for? It's to run a proprietary cad design software from a manufacture my company buys from. It's not Mac compatible.

So here are my only two options...
1) Spend $200-300 for a full version of Win7 Pro from an online retailer and wait for the disc to arrive (Microsoft no longer sells it or allows downloads). I can then install it on Boot Camp and Parallels. Then take back my $69 Win8 upgrade disk to Costco.

2) Forget about using Boot Camp and load my full license WinXP into Parallels and then use my upgrade disk for Win8. If I find that Parallels doesn't give me enough power to run the design program while also running OS X in the background then I still have to go buy the Win7 full version and install it onto Boot Camp.

From what most people have been telling me about Win7 and Win8 I think I'm better off with Win7 anyways. I've read about a lot of people downgrading back to Win7 from Win8 after using it a little while. I think Option #1 is the route I'm going to take.

P.S. That link to Win8 System Builder software is not an option for me. If you install a System Builder full version you'll get zero support from Microsoft from what I understand.

 

[greengrinch]

one tip from the grinch

You can just install windows 8 directly to your mac using bootcamp. It's easily done and it only cost me $70! That's alot less than windows 7 which is $200-$300. It's straight forward just follow the direction it gives. Don't forget to format the partitioned space when it asks you.

 

[Claust]

The Win8 upgrade DVD contains a full version of Win 8.

According to MS livence you would have to install Win7 first then upgrade to Win8, but thats silly.

I have installed Win8 upgrade several times from scratch (full install), you need to do a singe registry fix afterwards so it will acecpt your upgrade license code. You can google for that, easy to find..