2006 Mac Pro Major BootCamp Problems

[macnerd93]

Hello All,



So I recently got a 2006 Xeon based 2.66Ghz Mac Pro for the collection and it runs flawless with OS X 10.7.5 Installed and theres on issues on that side whatsoever. However, as soon as I attempt to install Windows on the Mac it acts crazy.

Firstly, I am using a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 Professional, as to my understanding this model Mac Pro cannot boot the 64-bit edition due to EFI limitations. When I get to the Windows install menu and select the partition where I want to install Windows, it sometimes comes up with an error code "Unable to install Windows in the Selected Location Error: 0x803000024" or then the "Windows Cannot be installed to this disk, the selected disk is of the GPT Partition style, Windows must be installed to a partition formatted in NTFS".

I have managed to actually some how get Windows to install twice, but on its second restart during the finalising of the installation it blue screens for a split second and then fails and my Mac switches off. (I've tried 3 brand new Western Digital hard drives too as well as my Intel SSD. I haven't a clue what could be wrong.

Has anyone heard anything like this? I can't imagine its a hardware issue as Lion is running flawless as are all my apps on the Mac side. I guess this Mac just really hates Windows

 

[Synchro3]

I recommend installing Windows on it's own drive, not using Boot Camp assistant. Let the Windows installer format the drive. Make sure that all other drives ar not connected during the installation.

 

[macnerd93]

I recommend installing Windows on it's own drive, not using Boot Camp assistant. Let the Windows installer format the drive. Make sure that all other drives ar not connected during the installation.

I tried that first.

"When I get to the install menu and select the partition where I want to install Windows, it sometimes comes up with an error code and says something along the lines off (error 004476576578 in the bottom left corner of the white install box) and you cannot proceed any further. One time it also said something like "you cannot install windows on this partition due to it being GPT".

This was when I used the Windows installer to format and create a new partition on the drive, but it didn't work. I'm wondering if its anything to do with the UEFI on these new hard drives?

 

[macnerd93]

UPDATE,

I managed to get a photo of the main issues I'm getting.

 

[AidenShaw]

UPDATE,

I managed to get a photo of the main issues I'm getting.

The message is very clear - install to an MSDOS partition table disk, or install a newer version of Windows - Windows 7 is six years old.

Leopard (OSX 10.5)) was the current Apple OS when Windows 7 released.

 

[Synchro3]

UPDATE,

I managed to get a photo of the main issues I'm getting.

Try 'load driver'.

You have to format it first with the Windows installer, before you can install.

However, I just remembered that Windows 7 32 Bit cannot install an EFI system. For EFI you have to install Windows 7 64 Bit. Maybe you need the Boot Camp assistant to preformat the entire disk.

 

[haralds]

Hello All,



So I recently got a 2006 Xeon based 2.66Ghz Mac Pro for the collection and it runs flawless with OS X 10.7.5 Installed and theres on issues on that side whatsoever. However, as soon as I attempt to install Windows on the Mac it acts crazy.

Firstly, I am using a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 Professional, as to my understanding this model Mac Pro cannot boot the 64-bit edition due to EFI limitations. When I get to the Windows install menu and select the partition where I want to install Windows, it sometimes comes up with an error code "Unable to install Windows in the Selected Location Error: 0x803000024" or then the "Windows Cannot be installed to this disk, the selected disk is of the GPT Partition style, Windows must be installed to a partition formatted in NTFS".

I have managed to actually some how get Windows to install twice, but on its second restart during the finalising of the installation it blue screens for a split second and then fails and my Mac switches off. (I've tried 3 brand new Western Digital hard drives too as well as my Intel SSD. I haven't a clue what could be wrong.

Has anyone heard anything like this? I can't imagine its a hardware issue as Lion is running flawless as are all my apps on the Mac side. I guess this Mac just really hates Windows

Use BootCamp assistant to guide you. Do not use the native EFI boot of the Windows installer. BootCamp on this model needs to run in BIOS mode.

 

[macnerd93]

The message is very clear - install to an MSDOS partition table disk, or install a newer version of Windows - Windows 7 is six years old.

Leopard (OSX 10.5)) was the current Apple OS when Windows 7 released.

I'm sorry, but I don't think this is right. You cannot natively install a new version of Windows above Windows 7 on the 2006 Mac Pro. In the end I settled for Windows XP Pro and this is now working like a charm. I only wanted it for Flight Simulator X anyway.

 

[chackett]

I'm sorry, but I don't think this is right. You cannot natively install a new version of Windows above Windows 7 on the 2006 Mac Pro. In the end I settled for Windows XP Pro and this is now working like a charm. I only wanted it for Flight Simulator X anyway.

Actually, that's not true; my 2006 Mac Pro has been running 64-bit Windows 7 Professional like a champ, and I recently upgraded to 64-bit Windows 10 with no problems. There are some tricks you need to do to get the 64-bit Windows 7 installer to work on the 2006 Mac Pro (something about slipstreaming the DVD installer, but I've forgotten the details - Google is your friend here) but after that it's been running perfectly. I highly recommend moving to more recent versions of Windows, although I haven't been using 10 long enough to form an opinion (but it looks good so far).

 

[IowaLynn]

That is what was meant by "You cannot natively install" - you used ImgBurn with Jolie's Guide to alter the installer ( that has since vanished), with our EFI-32 stopped working with Vista SP1 64-bit and above.

 

[chackett]

That is what was meant by "You cannot natively install" - you used ImgBurn with Jolie's Guide to alter the installer ( that has since vanished), with our EFI-32 stopped working with Vista SP1 64-bit and above.

Ah, got it. Sorry for the confusion. I was thinking more about how it installs and runs (once you get around the hardware restrictions that clearly have nothing to do with whether or not the machine can support the OS).

Edit: The Jowie guide is actually back up, it's just at a different URL:
http://www.jowie.com/select-cd-rom-boot-type

 

[Draeconis]

Try 'load driver'.

You have to format it first with the Windows installer, before you can install.View attachment 571230

However, I just remembered that Windows 7 32 Bit cannot install an EFI system. For EFI you have to install Windows 7 64 Bit. Maybe you need the Boot Camp assistant to preformat the entire disk.

Two things;

1) you aren't going to get an installation of Windows 7 in 11Gb. Make the Bootcamp partition larger.

2) you'll have reported hardware issues if your drive isn't in an ODD bay or Bay 1. Make sure any drive you're installing Windows to is in this area first.

 

[IowaLynn]

I never saw read or able to use ODD but any drive Bay worked as long as not moved unless used Paragon HDM

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

I have had these issues with Windows 8... even installing on a PC. What work for me on the PC and my 5,1 cMP is to remove every HDD except for the one I will be installing Windows onto, and the installer will let you proceed.

 

[Kaspin]

When I first installed windows on my 3,1 I used a regular old hard drive in bay 4 and it worked fine. When I upgraded my mac os ssd, I decided to do a fresh install of windows on my old ssd, but it simply refused to work in any drive bay but bay 1. In both cases I had to remove all other hard drives.

 

[CapnDavey]

I recommend installing Windows on it's own drive, not using Boot Camp assistant. Let the Windows installer format the drive. Make sure that all other drives ar not connected during the installation.

He has a good point this is how I did it last year when I first got my 06 Mac Pro works like a charm ( I had to figure it out the hard way by myself hehe)