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Windows instead of Mac OS

B

b01g

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 19, 2011
1
0
Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro.Tell me please anyone, it is possible to erase my Mac OS and install Windows or Linux on it, like any other laptop, let's say for example a Dell. I mean going to BIOS and formating Hard Drive then installing Windows or Linux from a CD/DVD or USB drive. Thanks in advance.
 
There is no BIOS. Apple uses EFI. You'll need drivers for the devices inside. Apple may make those available, but I don't know if they require bootcamp or not. If you can find out what parts are in the machine, you should be able to use 3rd-party drivers.
 
Just install Windows and then boot from the OS X install disc and erase the OS X partition with Disk Utility.
 
b01g said:
Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro.Tell me please anyone, it is possible to erase my Mac OS and install Windows or Linux on it, like any other laptop, let's say for example a Dell. I mean going to BIOS and formating Hard Drive then installing Windows or Linux from a CD/DVD or USB drive. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

You need the BootCamp drivers on your system DVD to run Windows. Linux is unsupported. You can use the Windows setup disk to wipe your drive, then install the BootCamp drivers off your system disk to let the MacBook pro work. it doenst need Mac OS X installed. Although why youd do that I have no idea as the whole point of a Mac is Mac OS X.
 
Yes, it's possible.

My wife gave her old whitebook to a friend of hers who was not a Mac person.

I wiped the hard drive and just made one big FAT32 partition.

You install Windows in the normal fashion and then install the bootcamp drivers from the OSX install CD. You don't need to use the Bootcamp Assistant.

Just make the partition yourself by booting off the OSX install disk and using Disk Utility up on in there. After it's done, just reboot, eject the disk, pop the other disk in there, and away you go. Hit the option key when you see the grey screen and select the windows install disk.
 
Windows Only installation possible with Camptune

b01g said:
Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro.Tell me please anyone, it is possible to erase my Mac OS and install Windows or Linux on it, like any other laptop, let's say for example a Dell. I mean going to BIOS and formating Hard Drive then installing Windows or Linux from a CD/DVD or USB drive. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

It is possible to install Windows as the only operating system on a Mac, just wipe partition. make a MBR partition instead and install windows. I recommend to shell out 20$ to buy Paragon Camptune
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/camptune/index.html

A Mac does not have a BIOS like a PC does.

Only question is why you want to give up on OS X to fully replace it with Windows. Why not keep both OS's? Camptune (like Apple Bootcamp) allows you to keep both in a dual boot configuration. With Camptune you can change the partition sizes, with Bootcamp that is not possible.
 
DO NOT do this, not from a political stand point (hey you do whatever you want with your box. The Macbook pro is a FINE windows box no matter what anyone says) but from a technical standpoint. Any firmware upgrades for your box will need to be done on the OS X side. It's only 8 GB; why worry about it?
 
Loops said:
There is no BIOS. Apple uses EFI. You'll need drivers for the devices inside. Apple may make those available, but I don't know if they require bootcamp or not. If you can find out what parts are in the machine, you should be able to use 3rd-party drivers.
Click to expand...

Windows 7 64bit supports EFI.
 
johnnj said:
Yes, it's possible.

My wife gave her old whitebook to a friend of hers who was not a Mac person.

I wiped the hard drive and just made one big FAT32 partition.

You install Windows in the normal fashion and then install the bootcamp drivers from the OSX install CD. You don't need to use the Bootcamp Assistant.

Just make the partition yourself by booting off the OSX install disk and using Disk Utility up on in there. After it's done, just reboot, eject the disk, pop the other disk in there, and away you go. Hit the option key when you see the grey screen and select the windows install disk.
Click to expand...

Why a Fat32 partition and not a NTFS partition?
 
Al Coholic said:
Ok, I'll bite.

Simply put, some folks just appreciate the build quality of macs. I could give a rat's ass about OSX. I only use it because it came with the machine. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Anyone who bought a Macbook Pro strictly for this reason got ripped off.
 
jonbravo77 said:
I'll be the jerk in the room.... Why did you spend that much money on an MBP just to have a windows machine?
Click to expand...

I don't know about O.P. but I'm interested in knowing how because you can run OSX on an expresscard SSD. This way I could run multiple versions of OSX nd Linux by simply loading the right disc on the SSD for backwards compatibility. I'd run Windows on the SSD but Microsoft doesn't even let it install on anything except the primary drive, which is fixed to the SATA III link in my 8,3. I'd really prefer to do this with Windows, so I could install multiple versions on the same computer without killing prior activations but Microsoft doesn't let you install it on removable media.

Having OSX on a separate disk would also allow me to take optimal advantage of the RunCore Pro IV (Assuming it's bootable) which suffers from speed degradation when both the SSD and USB 3.0 functions are in use. In OSX I'd only be making use of the SSD function since USB 3 isn't supported as of yet, while in Windows I'd scarcely need to access anything on the HTSF+ drive. It'd probably be cheaper than buying two separate expresscards while coming in a a fair bit smaller, more convenient package I won't have to always reload. I'd lose OSX TRIM support since it's not an apple drive but on the other hand, Windows 7 supports Trim on non-apple drives so I could make full use of the SATA III link if I upgrade later down the road.

Don't mind me, I'm just a quasi-techno-nerdish fellow who overspeculates on how to best utilize what I've got.

Also I think there were threads on this subject before but I don't recall them saying much of any ideal methodology to fully remove OSX. Having an 8GB OSX partition was suggested but that's a bit of a waste for some of my purposes, especially since my SSD is kinda, well, small. Can't afford to make that sorta sacrifice for nothing. Is there a difference in having OSX installed in an expresscard slot over having it on the internal drive?
 
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I have windows desktops that I build myself. However I have yet to see a Windows based laptop that comes close to the form and function of a MBP. The HP Envy comes the closest but still falls a bit short overall.

Now I happen to like OSX on my MBP better than Windows but OS diffrences aren't a big thing for me, rather it's the applications more than the OS.

Therefore, I can see how someone with mostly windows apps would want a MBP exclusively for running windows. Atleast until the Wintel box makers come up with a design that eqauls the MBP.


Al Coholic said:
Ok, I'll bite.

Simply put, some folks just appreciate the build quality of macs. I could give a rat's ass about OSX. I only use it because it came with the machine. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
 
jonbravo77 said:
I'll be the jerk in the room.... Why did you spend that much money on an MBP just to have a windows machine?
Click to expand...


Maybe he want's a high quality notebook?


Eddyisgreat said:
DO NOT do this, not from a political stand point (hey you do whatever you want with your box. The Macbook pro is a FINE windows box no matter what anyone says) but from a technical standpoint. Any firmware upgrades for your box will need to be done on the OS X side. It's only 8 GB; why worry about it?
Click to expand...

Very good advice.


Looon said:
Anyone who bought a Macbook Pro strictly for this reason got ripped off.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Al Coholic said:
So buying a macbook for the build quality is getting ripped off?

Dude, if OSX were god's gift to the world we'd all be using Hackintoshes.
Click to expand...

LOL.
 
Buy a lenovo: same build quality, comes pre-equipped with both BIOS and Win 7 in your desired flavour, easily Linux-able.

Buying a MBP strictly for windows or linux is kind of dumb, in my opinion.
 
On the note of overpaying, I'm actually going to agree. The build quality is worth a premium but if you're not going to use the bundled O.S. you're not getting the fullest value out of the purchase. Build quality might make up for most of the premium, however Apple figures their bundled software to be worth at least $169*, with the leopard boxed set. If you're buying an OSX computer and never plan to use OSX, you're spending at least that much more than you have to. I suppose you could say your time is worth more than doing the research to see what other brands are of equivalent build quality but most of us in trying to be helpful really couldn't be certain as to that unless you say so.

Besides, Bootcamp requires BIOS emulation because the EFI isn't up to date enough for Window's liking. Why would you want that when you can boot on either UEFI or BIOS directly?

*You can find the Leopard Boxed Set for lower prices than the listed value if you look hard enough but Apple has absolutely no concept of depreciated value. =P
 
Last edited:
b01g said:
Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro.Tell me please anyone, it is possible to erase my Mac OS and install Windows or Linux on it, like any other laptop, let's say for example a Dell. I mean going to BIOS and formating Hard Drive then installing Windows or Linux from a CD/DVD or USB drive. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

You'll still need the Boot Camp drivers, since they contain the video and sound adapter drivers, but it can be done.

However, boot process will take longer as the Mac is looking for an OS X partition before finding anything else to boot. If you hold down the ALT/option key during boot-up, then you'll see the boot drive option.

And, when all is said and done, OS X (IMHO) is better. Yes, I can think of one thing Windows does better (speed of games), but otherwise OS X is more polished, boots faster, and feels more well-rounded.
 
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