Bootcamp critical step, don't forget this!

[Wrathwitch]

Wow! Ok so I bought the ultra 13 MBA. I used the guide from the apple site on how to successfully install and prepare bootcamp and windows 7.

However, since I am new to this and still learning, I DID update the drivers and save the disk (the one you use to install the apple drivers to work when it is in Windows) before I started the process. What I DIDN'T do (when I finally had Win 7 up and running) was update the Apple updates (Mac). I thought that since it was Windows it didn't apply. Well after enduring my machine failing to start (having to restore) every time I tried to update the bazillion windows updates, or after plugging in a USB cable, I was ready to tear my hair out.

I finally clicked under the Apple updates in the start menu and updated a critical update.

Problem solved. Had I ran the Apple updates while in Windows, I would have avoided at least 5 hours of lost time.

I know this sounds stupid, but if it helps one person then trust me it is worth it.

And before I get posts saying why use Windows at all etc, I have my own reasons. If there wasn't the need or desire by people to use the bootcamp feature, it wouldn't be there. Although I admit that 98% of the time I use it in Apple mode

cheers!

WW

 

[gwsat]

Wrathwitch -- That's good advice. The first thing any new Mac owner should do when first setting up his new machine is to go to the menu and click Software Update. Only after the new machine has been updated should you start to configure the new Mac.

 

[Wrathwitch]

Ok I have a question. I did go into the little apple menu and updated the Mac portion, but I don't think it updates the Windows/Mac portion?

I know I had updated the Apple drivers when it was in its native OS, but it was when I went to Windows and hit Start menu there was an Apple update (similar to what you find for windows updater). It was in Windows that I had to install that update.

Apple updates in Unix mode don't translate across the partitions do they?

So much to learn....

WW

 

[neteng101]

No - you have to update the Apple software in Windows separately. Its the one thing I didn't do immediately after installing the Bootcamp drivers that I should have done... do it to update Bootcamp, before you try to do any Windows Update for Windows 7 fixes. Saves a lot of wasted time and reboots.

 

[wirelessness]

Not sure about the MBA but there is a pretty recent Bootcamp/Windows software update for the iMac out now.

 

[gwsat]

No - you have to update the Apple software in Windows separately. Its the one thing I didn't do immediately after installing the Bootcamp drivers that I should have done... do it to update Bootcamp, before you try to do any Windows Update for Windows 7 fixes. Saves a lot of wasted time and reboots.

I run my Windows 7 setup in a VMware Fusion virtual machine, so I have had virtually no experience with Bootcamp. I do, however, remember seeing in another thread somewhere that if you run Windows in Bootcamp, your setup will run better if you install Microsoft's own drivers for Windows, rather than the Apple version.

 

[Wrathwitch]

No - you have to update the Apple software in Windows separately. Its the one thing I didn't do immediately after installing the Bootcamp drivers that I should have done... do it to update Bootcamp, before you try to do any Windows Update for Windows 7 fixes. Saves a lot of wasted time and reboots.

Amen to that.. I think I had to "restore" my Windows side at least 6-7x because I never knew that one critical update worked for Windows. I thought it just applied to Unix for some reason. Kinda makes me wonder if I haven't corrupted my OS 3 ways to sunday cuz when I used a Microsoft Registry cleaner tool, you know the one that tells you that you have 9 million errors with your registry but it will only clean 15 and to do the rest you can buy the full version. Well it told me that I had like 60 errors that could be repaired. Still not sure if it's a cash grab or whether I really did fudge it up when restoring it all those times. However, it could also be saying that because I hadn't done all of my Windows critical updates successfully at that time /shrug.

 

[neteng101]

I run my Windows 7 setup in a VMware Fusion virtual machine, so I have had virtually no experience with Bootcamp.

Its a compatibility issue between Apple's Bootcamp drivers (specifically for the multitouch trackpad) and something in one of the Windows updates that breaks it, causing endless grief, unless you update to the latest Bootcamp drivers first which as the fix in place.