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Want to partition IMAC with Windows

A

anolderfan

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 6, 2010
21
0
Let me start again by saying I am not very computer savvy. I have a new IMAC running MAC OS X 10.6.1. I am using a 250 GB external hard drive as back-up with Time Machine. The external drive is formatted with MAC OS Extended (case-sensitive, journaled). I have been told that I will be able to read and write on this external drive with both my Mac hard drive and the Windows partition. Is this true?

My plan is to install a Windows partition because I have 2 programs that do not run on MAC. The first takes 5 to 15 MB hard drive space and runs in Windows and can be uninstalled from my old PC and re-installed onto the Windows partition on my IMAC, hopefully. The second is a DOS-based program and takes 896 KB hard drive space. Will a DOS-based program somehow run in the Windows partition? Is there anything special I have to do with this program? It is currently on my PC, and I think I would move the unzipped version of this program to the MAC? I have no disk for this program.

To create the Windows partition, I plan to download Windows XP Professional SP3 (32 bit) from the Quality Software website. Good idea? I plan on using Boot Camp to do this-- looks scary as all get-out!

Thanks in advance for any help, anolderfan
 
Windows can't read HFS+ formatted HDs so your ext HD doesn't work without 3rd party app.

Do you have license for Windows XP? I would just buy Windows 7 OEM for 99$
 
So does this mean I should back up Windows and both applications on a flashdrive? I s that the only down side? Why Windows 7 rather than XP?

Thanks,
anolderfan

Let me start again by saying I am not very computer savvy. I have a new IMAC running MAC OS X 10.6.1.

My plan is to install a Windows partition because I have 2 programs that do not run on MAC. The first takes 5 to 15 MB hard drive space and runs in Windows and can be uninstalled from my old PC and re-installed onto the Windows partition on my IMAC, hopefully. The second is a DOS-based program and takes 896 KB hard drive space. Will a DOS-based program somehow run in the Windows partition? Is there anything special I have to do with this program? It is currently on my PC, and I think I would move the unzipped version of this program to the MAC? I have no disk for this program.

Thanks in advance for any help, anolderfan
 
anolderfan said:
My plan is to install a Windows partition because I have 2 programs that do not run on MAC. The first takes 5 to 15 MB hard drive space and runs in Windows and can be uninstalled from my old PC and re-installed onto the Windows partition on my IMAC, hopefully. The second is a DOS-based program and takes 896 KB hard drive space. Will a DOS-based program somehow run in the Windows partition? Is there anything special I have to do with this program? It is currently on my PC, and I think I would move the unzipped version of this program to the MAC? I have no disk for this program.
Click to expand...

The programs you mention will only run when you boot into Windows via Bootcamp. If you're wanting to have Windows and Mac OS X running "side by side" then you need Parallels or VMWare Fusion, not necessarily Bootcamp. If that doesn't matter to you, and you don't mind shutting down and rebooting, then Bootcamp is the logical choice.

That said, the DOS program will only run reliably under XP. Vista and 7 have little to no support for legacy DOS apps, and your DOS app will most likely not be able to see HFS-formatted disks.

As for your external drive: Use FAT32, not HFS+, if you want both Windows and Mac OS X to read and write.
 
Thanks Winni,

When I partition my hard drive for Windows, will I be asked if I need those drivers?
 
Winni said:
Yes, it can - the required drivers for that are a part of Boot Camp.
Click to expand...

There is no native support in XP for the HFS filesystem, regardless of what Bootcamp drivers might be available. That would still have to be done via third-party utility.
Later OSes (Vista, 7) may not be able to support the DOS-only program the OP needs to run.
 
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