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Questions about using Boot Camp

W

WannaApple?

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 9, 2008
629
70
With SEVERE regret, I have a need to install Windows on my beautiful Mac for work purposes. Some websites and programs I need to use for work will just not work with anything other than IE 6 (not even Firefox!) and the IE 6 I downloaded for Mac is too buggy and freezes constantly to use. Ok, so I have resorted to needing to use Bootcamp, but had a few quick questions.

1. Once I install Boot camp, does it also install Windows for me, or do I have to have my own copy? I need XP which is not available anymore as well, so what do I have to do to get XP installed, and how?

2. In order to use any peripherals with Windows such as my printer, scanner, access to programs like Word, Excel, etc. do I have to install a SECOND copy of all of this software for the Windows side?

3. I had a genius tell me that installing Windows on my Mac will open up all kinds of problems for Windows viruses, worms, etc. to my Mac, virtually making my Mac much more susceptible to problems that are not experienced with just Mac OSX. Can anyone confirm this? What problems, if any, will I experience, or can I experience by installing Windows? And if so, will I have to also resort to having to re-install spyware programs and anti-virus programs on either Windows or Mac OSX side?

4. The last minor question...if I am in the middle of something on Mac OSX and need to reference something in a program from Windows, do I have to completely shut down the computer and restart, thus losing access to what I was working on, or can I seamlessly change over to Windows and then back to Mac easily? Will I be able to access my documents and photos and such saved in Mac OSX when I am using Windows?

Thanks all!
 
WannaApple? said:
1. Once I install Boot camp, does it also install Windows for me, or do I have to have my own copy? I need XP which is not available anymore as well, so what do I have to do to get XP installed, and how?
Click to expand...

Yes, you need your own copy of Windows, and XP is still available commercially or even on eBay.
An OEM version will work but you will need at least SP2.

2. In order to use any peripherals with Windows such as my printer, scanner, access to programs like Word, Excel, etc. do I have to install a SECOND copy of all of this software for the Windows side?
Click to expand...

If you want to use MS Office or other software in the Windows environment, yes, you will need a Windows copy. The Mac version will not work on Windows. However, the drivers are on your Leopard DVD, so all your peripherals (printer, scanner) should work.

3. I had a genius tell me that installing Windows on my Mac will open up all kinds of problems for Windows viruses, worms, etc. to my Mac, virtually making my Mac much more susceptible to problems that are not experienced with just Mac OSX. Can anyone confirm this? What problems, if any, will I experience, or can I experience by installing Windows? And if so, will I have to also resort to having to re-install spyware programs and anti-virus programs on either Windows or Mac OSX side?
Click to expand...

There are no known viruses for the Mac, so you are safe there. However, your Windows partition will function just like a Windows machine, because it is. It will require the same diligence as any Windows machine does... AntiVirus, etc. but it will not affect your Mac OS. I would suggest AVG since it is free.

4. The last minor question...if I am in the middle of something on Mac OSX and need to reference something in a program from Windows, do I have to completely shut down the computer and restart, thus losing access to what I was working on, or can I seamlessly change over to Windows and then back to Mac easily? Will I be able to access my documents and photos and such saved in Mac OSX when I am using Windows?
Click to expand...

You can run your BootCamp partition with virtualization software such as Parallels or VMWare Fusion or even Virtual Box (free). This allows you to run your Windows in a virtual machine in the Mac OS. Or, you can run natively by booting directly into Windows.

Look here for more information: Booting Windows on a Mac


Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
NewMacbookPlz said:
Does it really NEED IE6, or does it just want to see the brower identify itself as such?

If it's the latter, or even just for kicks, give this a try: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59

It allows you to have FireFox identify itself as another browser, maybe that'll do the trick.
Click to expand...

Thats a REALLY cool feature! I never knew that existed. HOWEVER, I get this message when trying to access the website I need to:

"In order to access this website, you are required to have Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 installed which also includes version 3 of the Microsoft XML parser (MSXML3). You arrived at this page because the application has detected that the required version has not been installed.

To update to the latest version of MSXML3 please follow the steps below. "

I then went to the link provided, however I cant download that MSXML plug in because you need Windows!

Anyone else have a possible work-around, or am I doomed to begrudgingly install Windows? :(
 
WannaApple? said:
Thats a REALLY cool feature! I never knew that existed. HOWEVER, I get this message when trying to access the website I need to:

"In order to access this website, you are required to have Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 installed which also includes version 3 of the Microsoft XML parser (MSXML3). You arrived at this page because the application has detected that the required version has not been installed.

To update to the latest version of MSXML3 please follow the steps below. "

I then went to the link provided, however I cant download that MSXML plug in because you need Windows!

Anyone else have a possible work-around, or am I doomed to begrudgingly install Windows? :(
Click to expand...

After a quick read around, it looks like MSXML 3 is not only quite old (6.0 is the current), but it's made for running Windows Native apps within IE. Looks like you have to run IE, or Windows to get it to work =\
 
Actually you can actually get viruses on a mac. Look it up macs arent immune to viruses they are rare but you can get they them.
 
Just wanted to say thanks for your help NewMacbookPlz.
I did finally have to resort to installing VM Fusion and installing Windows onto that, so its not too much of an inconvenience, but at least now I can work with what I need :) Thanks again!
 
WannaApple? said:
Just wanted to say thanks for your help NewMacbookPlz.
I did finally have to resort to installing VM Fusion and installing Windows onto that, so its not too much of an inconvenience, but at least now I can work with what I need :) Thanks again!
Click to expand...
That's what I'm here for :)
 
Well they are still viruses. It's not like people can't write code for them and make them different.
 
Mistar P said:
Well they are still viruses. It's not like people can't write code for them and make them different.
Click to expand...

Actually, I think that's the benefit of being on a Unix based OS, it's a fair bit harder to do than in a Windows environment.
 
Yes, It's defiantly an advantage but give it time there will be alot more since alot more people are buying macs.
 
VMware Fusion

Hi All, I have been searching high and low for an answer to a question/problem I have.

Playing any "good" game on WinXP Pro under VMware Fusion is slow for all the reasons we know. So I want to try-out WinXP Pro under/via boot camp. Is it possiable to "Boot Camp" my current installation of WinXP Pro in VMware Fusion?

Simply put move vmware fusions copy to boot camp? As I have other installed apps and things, I don't want to loose/reinstall.

I know you can make VMware Fusion control a Boot Camp installation, can it work the other way?
 
spankeyDBN said:
Hi All, I have been searching high and low for an answer to a question/problem I have.

Playing any "good" game on WinXP Pro under VMware Fusion is slow for all the reasons we know. So I want to try-out WinXP Pro under/via boot camp. Is it possiable to "Boot Camp" my current installation of WinXP Pro in VMware Fusion?

Simply put move vmware fusions copy to boot camp? As I have other installed apps and things, I don't want to loose/reinstall.

I know you can make VMware Fusion control a Boot Camp installation, can it work the other way?
Click to expand...

You can try backing up most of your apps, files, etc....from your VMware thing to some drive and then after installing windows on boot camp just put the files back. I'm not exactly sure how difficult it would be to do this since it isn't like a mac where you can transfer in a click but hey it's better then nothing..
 
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