Installing XP on MacPro with Parallels

[rsilber]

I'm trying to install an old OEM copy of XP on the MacPro with Parallels, and the install process just doesn't go smoothly. The install process gets interrupted, and once it actually completed, but I could not update to SP2. This OEM disc is from an old Dell I had about 5 years ago.

I'm reading in some forums about "slipping" SP1 and SP2 into the install DVD somehow, then doing an install. I'm not really sure what that means. I'm guessing perhaps it means to make a disc image of the install disc, but how would I get that to SP2? I have gone to the Windows page and downloaded and saved SP2 and SP3 along with an update for SP2.

Any ideas on how I should proceed? This original OEM XP disc is mine and I have the License Key, but since it's pre-SP2 I suspect that may be the problem.

Thanks for any suggestions...

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

I had an issue with my XP install on the first pass - turns out it was the particular build I had. Some of the older Dell XP discs will not install on ANYTHING except for the particular model it was sold with. I heard something about a lawsuit over this a while back. (not sure the validity to that claim, though)

I ended up using someone else's XP installation disc, and put my own product key in - which ended up working for me.

But you most definitely DO need SP2 for a successful installation.

There was a "how-to" on here for slipstreaming - though I can't remember where I found it.

 

[CWallace]

Google will point you to multiple how-to guides, including the applications you need to extract the Boot Image and how to burn the final data to CD-R.

Essentially, you download and extract the SP2 update from Microsoft. Then you copy down the content from your original Windows XP CD. Then you run a command to merge the two together and burn it to a new CD (using the Microsoft CD Boot image which you get from the original Windows XP CD).

The license key didn't change between SP1 and SP2 so your key should still work with the slipstreamed version.