Bootcamp, NTFS and Fusion

[siren77]

So I'm thinking of installing XP through Bootcamp just for games. I also plan to use Fusion (which will use the bootcamp partition) to run some small applications while in OS X. I just have 2 questions:

1. If I format the XP partition in NTFS (since it's more stable than FAT32), can I use Fusion's sharing features to share files between the 2 partitions, or does it still have to formatted as FAT32 to be able to share both ways?

2. Am I going to run into any activation issues in Fusion if it's reading from the bootcamp partition?

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

 

[siren77]

anyone at all?

 

[webgoat]

yes you can transfer all files between the two os while running fusion regardless of format

yes you will run into activation issue... follow these steps
1. install windows in boot camp and activate
2. install fusion 1.1
3. open boot camp partition in fusion
4. install vmware tools
5. reboot virtual machine
6. activate within virtual machine

 

[siren77]

thanks webgoat. I followed those EXACT steps to make sure I didn't run into any activation problems. Atleast I thought I did, because the activation didn't work. XP in Fusion refuses the activation. It still works fine through Boot camp though. Is there any way I can go through the whole process again to ensure the activation works? I'm pretty sure I installed VM Tools within the VM before I activated XP, but I don't think it installed properly. So when I tried to authenticate after the restart, it didn't work
What's the best thing to do in this scenario?

 

[webgoat]

I used a copy of Windows XP Pro SP2 OEM that I bought off of newegg.com. I installed my boot camp partition and activated there via the internet method, then booted into leopard. I installed VMware Fusion, launched it and opened the detected boot camp partition and received the message that windows had detected my hardware had changed. I installed VMware Tools, and then rebooted fusion without activating. Then I went to activate windows within fusion by trying the internet method again and was told that my license had exceeded its limit of activations, so I chose the phone method. I called the toll free number and got the automated voice, read off the long reference number, and told it I was having activation issues. It asked me a series of questions, how many computers has the software been installed on, has it been installed more than once, did you upgrade the hard drive or some other component (can't remember), did you upgrade the motherboard or some other component (can't remember). I answered respectively, one, yes, yes, no and the automated voice rambled off a new long activation number to type in the box. I then booted back into boot camp and it asked me to activate again and I did the simple activate by internet method. After that I have had no activation issues. Since I used an OEM version I had to call Microsoft, I'm not sure if that is necessary for a full retail version. Anyway, I hope this helped you some.

 

[siren77]

webgoat, you've been tremendous. It seems I did exactly the same things you did...up to the point of calling them, which I shall do very soon. Hope that works out for me too. Thanks again.

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

Does this "activation" issue still exist if:

• XP Pro SP2 OEM with NTFS
• VMware Fusion 1.1.1
• Bootcamp under Leopard (10.5.2)

(newer versions likely since original posting) Anyone?

-jim

 

[Neil321]

Does this "activation" issue still exist if:

• XP Pro SP2 OEM with NTFS
• VMware Fusion 1.1.1
• Bootcamp under Leopard (10.5.2)

(newer versions likely since original posting) Anyone?

-jim

Not for me it didn't

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

Thanks, neil321.

Cheers

-jim