Is using Windows via bootcamp as smooth as it is on other PC's.

[TantalizedMind]

Does Windows run well via bootcamp on Macs?


Also, if I get a virus on Windows... will that mess up the whole HDD or just the Windows partition?

 

[LtRammstein]

The MacBook Pro has been stated the best Vista Machine by PC Magazine.

If your partition gets a virus on it, IT CAN jump to the HFS (HFS+) file structure. But for the most part, that Windows partition is gone though. So you would have to erase that partition and reinstall.

 

[ryannazaretian]

I suppose it depends on the model of Mac you are talking about.

Using Windows on an Apple laptop is not very smooth at all for me. Both of the MacBook Pro's I have had, had trackpad problems in Windows. This new one cannot run Vista without freezing up. There are also sound issues with crackling and if you mute Windows XP and restart, then you cannot use the sound again until you unmute it and restart... again... This all happens on my brand new MacBook Pro.

So no, I would not recommend running Windows on a MacBook (Pro). The issues listed seem to be common as I have seen examples of all of those from other people, and I also experience these issues. Don't look at Apple to give you support for Bootcamp either, it's all Microsoft's problem.

I cannot talk about Mac Minis, iMacs, or Mac Pros as I do not own any of these.

 

[dXTC]

Yes, most definitely.

I'm running Windows XP on my iMac-- have been since late 2007. Still runs smooth, and I haven't had to reinstall yet (knock on aluminum).

I haven't yet seen any virus jump from my XP partition to the OS X partition yet. Then again, I don't do much in the way of web-surfing on the XP side, and use Avast for antivirus. I use XP mainly for Cakewalk SONAR, a Windows-only digital audio app similar in scope to Logic Pro or ProTools, and it works well for that. Everything else-- web-surfing, iTunes, you name it-- I do in OS X.

Legal Disclaimer: I'm not a hardcore gamer by any means, so Your Mileage May Vary.

 

[eXan]

The issues are only with unibody MacBooks/MBPs, the rest of Macs run Windows just as regular PCs.

 

[RedRaven571]

XP runs great on my 2009 iMac 20", already had a subscription to Norton Antivirus 2009 that I run on XP, so I'm hoping I never find out if viruses can jump over the fence.

 

[Consultant]

Windows run well for me on my MBP. Usually top 3 score in TF2.

If your partition gets a virus on it, IT CAN jump to the HFS (HFS+) file structure. But for the most part, that Windows partition is gone though. So you would have to erase that partition and reinstall.

Actually that's not the case.

Windows CANNOT READ osx volumes by default. Thus a virus cannot jump to HFS volumes unless user modified something.

I suppose it depends on the model of Mac you are talking about.

Using Windows on an Apple laptop is not very smooth at all for me. Both of the MacBook Pro's I have had, had trackpad problems in Windows. This new one cannot run Vista without freezing up. There are also sound issues with crackling and if you mute Windows XP and restart, then you cannot use the sound again until you unmute it and restart... again... This all happens on my brand new MacBook Pro.

So no, I would not recommend running Windows on a MacBook (Pro). The issues listed seem to be common as I have seen examples of all of those from other people, and I also experience these issues. Don't look at Apple to give you support for Bootcamp either, it's all Microsoft's problem.

I cannot talk about Mac Minis, iMacs, or Mac Pros as I do not own any of these.

Mine works fine on my MBP, as windows can be anyway. Perhaps you didn't follow the instructions?

 

[bradleyjx]

The issues are only with unibody MacBooks/MBPs, the rest of Macs run Windows just as regular PCs.

There was an update to the boot camp drivers a few days/weeks back that did fix most of the complaints I had with unibody + windows.

 

[marcdds]

running xp on mac

Hi,

Right now I'm trying to run XP on my Mac mini. It's the 1.83 GHz, with 2 GB ram, 80 GB HDD. First I loaded XP on a Boot Camp partition of 15 GB. XP run's "okay". Then I installed VM Fusion. Now I can run XP while OSX is running, but everything, especially Windows, runs REAL SLOW. I have a KVM switch that I could use to hook up a separate Windows computer, but it's a hassle going back and forth between systems, and I don't want to spend money on another Windows PC.

My question is, if I upgrade to a new 24" iMac with the integrated video and 4 GB ram, a larger HDD; will I be able to run my XP partition on VM Fusion without it affecting the performance very much like it does now on my Mini?

Marc

 

[AlexisV]

Windows on a 2Ghz Core2Duo Mac runs no differently from if it was on a 2Ghz Core2Duo PC (for example)

 

[marcdds]

windows

Alexis,

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about getting a newer PC to hook to my KVM switch, but I think I'll save up my money for a new iMac.

Marc

ps- how do I start a New Post?

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

It runs more or less that same.

 

[RedRaven571]

Right now I'm trying to run XP on my Mac mini. It's the 1.83 GHz, with 2 GB ram, 80 GB HDD.

LOL, your Mac mini specs (CPU/RAM) are the same as my HP laptop that runs Vista and XP fine, so you got enough CPU/RAM but, 80GB HDD, really? 320 GB HDDs are like $60-80 now, you might want to think about upgrading.

When I got my new iMac, it came with 2GB RAM and XP ran fine, both via Boot Camp and in Fusion 2 (which allocates 512 MB RAM by default).

 

[marcdds]

mini

LOL, your Mac mini specs (CPU/RAM) are the same as my HP laptop that runs Vista and XP fine, so you got enough CPU/RAM but, 80GB HDD, really? 320 GB HDDs are like $60-80 now, you might want to think about upgrading.

When I got my new iMac, it came with 2GB RAM and XP ran fine, both via Boot Camp and in Fusion 2 (which allocates 512 MB RAM by default).

The Mac Mini that I just got last August only came with a 80GB HDD on the 1.83 MHz version, and I don't think it was upgradable or I certainly would have done that, cause I had them upgrade the Ram right when I bought it. I would have got the 2.0 GHz with a bigger hard drive, but I wanted to get the least expensive Mac as my intro to Apple.

I have an iomega 500GB external HDD that looks just like a mini and sits right under it. I use that for Time Machine Backup, Quicken Backup, and all of my iTunes music files. If there is an internal upgrade, I don't want to do it now since I probably will sell this mini and upgrade to an iMac this summer when Snow comes out.

Well, for whatever reason, XP runs really slow on Fusion, so I'm going to have to upgrade the Mac. I don't want to spend $1000 on an upgraded mini when for 2-500 more I can have a much faster iMac.

Thanks for your reply

 

[robanga]

I run Vista on my new MacBook and it runs better than on my Dell Latitude. Far better as a matter of fact.

 

[marcdds]

boot camp memory in Fusion

You said " Boot Camp and in Fusion 2 (which allocates 512 MB RAM by default)." Is there any way to increase the RAM allocated to windows in Fusion 2 to more than 512 MB??

Also, will the Apple store upgrade my internal Hard drive, and does anyone know what they would charge for putting in a larger one?

 

[ryannazaretian]

Windows run well for me on my MBP. Usually top 3 score in TF2.



Actually that's not the case.

Windows CANNOT READ osx volumes by default. Thus a virus cannot jump to HFS volumes unless user modified something.



Mine works fine on my MBP, as windows can be anyway. Perhaps you didn't follow the instructions?

Vista will lock up on me randomly... with or without drivers, and I think it's related to the emulated BIOS because in XP it gives me a lot of warnings in the system log of the BIOS acting naughty and trying to cause crashes. XP just catches it and keeps running. And yea... the trackpad... it has sh*ty drivers. I cannot upgrade to the newer drivers because they cause blue screens, audio drop outs, video issues, etc... I'm sure it's with my hardware revision of my Mac, but Apple won't do anything because I don't have any issues in OSX like this, which really pisses me off. I'm stuck using the old driver which uses 3 fingers to right click, cannot drag icons, cannot select text, and scrolls at the speed of light.

So yea... I read the directions, and followed them exactly, and this was the result.

P.S. bradleyjx, what update are you talking about? I don't have anything waiting in Apple Update except for the haunted trackpad update from December. Also didn't see anything on Apple's website.

 

[mac88]

I run XP on Bootcamp and find that it runs quite well. It does everything that I need it to. No complaints.

 

[The Flashing Fi]

The MacBook Pro has been stated the best Vista Machine by PC Magazine.

Ugh...

Please, for the love of God, stop bringing this up. The article was written two years ago. Do you think the article is still applicable? And the only reason why the MBP was slated to the "best" is because if you run Vista on a Mac, you have to use a fresh copy of Vista. Most OEM manufacturers load a bunch of crap with their computers that slow it down, and when Vista was first released, the software was notorious for slowing the computer down. Knowing PC Magazine, I doubt they even put a fresh installation of Vista on the laptop, which would be a more "fair" fight. I also doubt they even tried to match laptops spec for spec. PC Magazine is just a bunch of goons.

And please, fail to mention that the MBP beat a Gateway by a single point in their synthetic tests (which in real life, have absolutely NO merit whatsoever. They're literally a joke). They blow the whole thing out of proportion. A single point in any test is not significant and is not enough to determine a clear winner.

A MBP is not the fastest laptop. That lit up Apple does not give your Mac 20% more speed. The same processors, GPUs, Chipsets and RAM modules found in Macbook Pros are the same ones used in other brands laptops. They are of the same speed and of the same quality. And currently, Apple does not make the fastest laptops available.