Installing Boot Camp and Windows XP SP3 on iMac Core 2 Duo 2.8 GHz

Mac OS X Core 2 Duo 2.8 GHz 24 inch icon






In 1996 and following years, software developer Insignia Solutions sold SoftWindows. It was one of the first major emulation software titles that enabled Mac users to run Windows. I think it wasn’t so popular. As I remember, it cost around US$145 those days. Then there was Virtual PC, which was developed by Connectix. Connectix’s introduction of PC emulation was an instant hint due to its easy usage. You can swap files between Mac OS and Windows with ‘drag and drop.’ I bought Virtual PC with Windows 98 along with iMac 333 MHz about 9 years ago.

Things have changed around Mac emulation software business for the past several years. Connectix sold its Virtual PC division to Microsoft. Apple abandoned PowerPC chips and adopted to Intel processors. Subsequently, Microsoft discontinued this popular software title. Now, thanks to Boot Camp, Intel Mac users can run Windows OS in native speeds. In the meantime, there are a few new emulation software titles like VMware Fusion from VMware, Inc. and Parallels Desktop for Mac from Parallels.

We’ve been playing with our first Intel Mac computer for the past several days. Now, we want to install Boot Camp on our iMac Core 2 Duo 2.8 GB. So if you are a little behind other Mac users just like we are, you can ride the same boat and install Windows XP or Vista.

There are a few facts that you should be aware of when you first got your Intel Mac machine.





  1. You can only run Windows OS under an internal hard disk drive, not under an external hard disk drive
  2. You cannot create partitions on the internal hard disk drive under which you install Boot Camp and Windows OS.
  3. You cannot install Windows OS through a disk image. You must have a physical Windows installation disk.






Soon after we got our iMac Core 2 Duo, we created a partition on the internal hard disk drive to install Adobe applications and other software titles. So we were forced to remove this partition.

If you have an Intel Mac model, there isn’t anything that you have to download from Apple’s website as far as Boot Camp is concerned. Find Boot Camp Assistant inside Applications > Utilities. (See Screenshot 01.) If you launch Boot Camp Assistant, you will see an introduction screen. Click on Continue. (See Screenshot 02.) Then you will be given two options – Create or remove a Windows partition and Start the Windows installer. (See Screenshot 03.) If you haven’t, you need to make a partition for Windows installation. If you already have multiple Mac partitions on the internal hard disk drive, you need to merge them into the one where Mac OS is installed.





iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 01 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 02 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 03 – Source: MacHouse






Okay. Let’s create a Windows partition. All you have to do is to slide the divider between Mac OS X and Window. (See Screenshot 04.) If you click on Partition, resizing will commence. Presumably, Boot Camp will also install the CD/DVD driver at this stage. This task can take some time, depending on how much data you already have on your internal hard disk drive. 

If you have finished installing a Windows partition, you need to go back to Boot Camp Assistant again. This time, choose ‘Start the Windows installer.’ The next screen says “Start Windows Installation.” (See Screenshot 05.) Boot Camp Assistant really means it. If you click on Start Installation, you will switch to Windows’ command prompt screen. That means you cannot use a disk image to install Windows OS. And you need to have a physical installation disk inserted to the internal CD/DVD drive. If you have accidentally clicked on Start Installation for any reason, you need to hold down the Option key after re-booting your Mac with the power button at the back.





iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 04 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 05 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 06 – Source: Apple, Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide, p.36






The most important stage in installing Windows through Boot Camp is partition’s format. You need to choose NTFS if your partition size is greater than 32 GB or FAT if it’s 32 GB or smaller. (See Screenshot 06.) If you choose Leave the current file system intact, you will get stuck because Windows OS will be able to read and write data under the Mac format.





iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 07 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 08 – Source: MacHouse






Installing Window XP can take another 30 minutes or so after formating the Windows partition. After installation is complete, you won’t be able to use the Internet or connect other Mac devices like modem, AirPort, FireWire HDs yet. You need to subsequently install drivers for Mac devices. So click on start at the bottom left and choose My Computer. (See Screenshot 07.) Then eject the installation disk. (See Screenshot 08.) Instead, insert Mac OS X Install Disk 1, which comes with your Mac. Then setup.exe will kick in and let you install Mac drivers. (See Screenshot 09.) After a while, you should see a window that says Boot Camp installer completed. (See Screenshot 10.) Now, you should be able to connect the Internet.





iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 09 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 10 – Source: MacHouse






Actually… If you go back to Mac OS, you will realize that the name of the Windows partition is Untitled. (See Screenshot 11.) The partition itself is locked. So you cannot rename it. You cannot paste an icon of your own, either. If you want to rename the partition, you need to switch to Windows OS again.





iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 11 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 12 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 13 – Source: MacHouse






Again, click on start at the bottom left and choose My Computer. Then select Local Disk (C:). (See Screenshot 12.) And right-button-click on it and choose Properties. (See Screenshot 13.) Now, you can name it in any way you want. You can even use spaces. (See Screenshot 14.) If you switch back to Mac OS… The name change should be reflected here as well. (See Screenshot 15.)





iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 14 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 15 – Source: MacHouse
  iMac Core 2 Duo installing Boot Camp Windows XP SP3 tutorial
Screenshot 16 – Source: MacHouse






How about the icon of the Windows partition? We’ll get to that in a few days, hopefully.

By the way, how do we switch between Mac OS and Windows? After restarting your Mac, you need to hold down the option key. Then you will be asked to choose Mac or Windows to start up with. (See Screenshot 16.) So make a choice, using the right or left arrow key, and then press Enter.

Boot Camp is a product of Apple, Inc.
Windows XP is a product of Microsoft Corporation.






References:

Tutorial: Customizing the Icon of the Windows Partition

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