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VMware/Bootcamp W/ MacPro

B

bumzo1

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 31, 2009
550
0
Dallas, TX
ok Im pondering buying a mac pro once they release the updates and I am wondering if I can take a 3.5" SATA drive out of my current desktop running XP :( and transplant it into the mac pro then use it with either VMware or bootcamp. So will this work or will I have to partition my hard drive and buy another copy of XP?
 
If the computer your wanting to transplant the drive from is a Manufactured OEM (dell, hp, etc) then that copy of windows will not work on the Macpro.
since its tied to the hardware it was originally installed with.

However you can use the drive in the macpro, just format it and reinstall windows that way with a OEM/Retail copy (OEM retail is just the disc and not the huge overside/overpriced box for it)
 
awwww I was hoping I wouldnt have to go out and spend more $ after spending over $2800 for a new computer
Where do you get OEM copies?
 
anyways Im sure You'll be able to find it for less at a reseller for example you can get a base model mac pro at macmall for $2500 give or take a few dollars
 
You might be able use one of the VM migration tools out there to turn your current Windows machine into a XEN/VMware/VirtualBox/whatever image and run that.

Not actually sure how it handles OEM licenses.
 
bumzo1 said:
ok Im pondering buying a mac pro once they release the updates and I am wondering if I can take a 3.5" SATA drive out of my current desktop running XP :( and transplant it into the mac pro then use it with either VMware or bootcamp. So will this work or will I have to partition my hard drive and buy another copy of XP?
Click to expand...

You might run into issues with your license, but that depends on the country you live in. In Germany, the law allows you to transfer a license from one machine to another - and it doesn't matter whether it's an OEM, SystemBuilder or Retail license.

Technically, it could be possible that the installation medium for your operating system won't work on the Apple hardware. Some (but not all) OEM versions actually verify the hardware before the installation. Once the system is installed, however, they no longer care.

In any case, what definitely will happen when you transfer the drive to the Mac Pro is that Windows will scream for tons of new drivers (install Boot Camp in Windows and you're good to go) AND the operating system will demand a re-activation.

You won't have to do anything on the OS X side of things to get this to work. Press Option/Alt after the Mac's system "dong" and you will have the option of either booting into Windows or OS X. Chances are, however, that the system will -always- boot into Windows, no matter what Startup disk you defined in OS X or Windows. On my Mac, for example, I always have to use the boot menu when I want to start my machine with OS X. Don't ask me why, I've given up on it.

I'm not sure if VMWare (or Parallels) will recognize that hard disk as a "Boot Camp partition". It hasn't been partitioned with Apple's Disk Utility (or Boot Camp, which both use the same tools in the background), so maybe a Boot Camp partition is marked with a specific flag, I don't know. But even if the partition is recognized and VMWare or Parallels accept and use it, Windows will probably once again require a re-activation and it will also require the respective virtual machine drivers.

I have two Windows installations on my Mac Pro to solve this issue: One natively on a physical hard disk, and one in a VMWare image. (For Windows XP, you would need two licenses to do this. The Vista Business/Ultimate/Enterprise licenses explicitly allow this kind of dual installation on the same computer.)

Good luck! :)
 
dukebound85 said:
my point is when apple actually releses the mac pro, the chips will be lower than they are today which in turn will lower the release point of the mac pro

granted, the prices wont change once released because its apple
Click to expand...

The only thing is, they're not out today, are they? Intel's official release is March, and the release prices are what I've said in the first post.

Are you saying they'll drop those prices before the chips are even released, or are you saying that they'll drop them in the time between the official announcement and the release of the Mac Pro?

Because if it's the latter, Apple will have bought chips at the beginning price and would sell them at the beginning (end-user) price...

Maybe I don't get it... :p
 
rylin said:
You might be able use one of the VM migration tools out there to turn your current Windows machine into a XEN/VMware/VirtualBox/whatever image and run that.

Not actually sure how it handles OEM licenses.
Click to expand...

Migration tool works on OEM to make the image run on MP. It does ask for original win serials (mine has the sticker on the case) along with every other app serial.

To keep things "free" this could work:

PC Hard Drive -> VM Migration Tool -> Copy image to MP
Install PC Drive -> Reformat PC Drive as Boot Camp Partition ->
Get Free VM eval -> Convert VM Image to BC part. ->
Boot from BC part.
 
justit said:
Migration tool works on OEM to make the image run on MP. It does ask for original win serials (mine has the sticker on the case) along with every other app serial.

To keep things "free" this could work:

PC Hard Drive -> VM Migration Tool -> Copy image to MP
Install PC Drive -> Reformat PC Drive as Boot Camp Partition ->
Get Free VM eval -> Convert VM Image to BC part. ->
Boot from BC part.
Click to expand...

Thanks but is there some other thread that may explain this more clearly
 
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