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katad

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 27, 2006
19
0
I'm asking because I own an older copy of XP w/o SP2 and noticed in their instrustions that it is not possible to dowload SP2 after install. Why?
 

makku

macrumors member
Mar 22, 2006
60
0
This is because Microsoft did not have Macs in mind when they made the SP2 so the upgrade software is not compatible with the Macs hardware and the 'emulated bios'.
The Boot Camp drivers need SP2 too.
If you are looking for a solution look up slipstreaming the install disc.

Edit:
On a second thought, the 'emulated bios' probably has nothing to do with the update not working. It was probably due to the GUID format of the hard disk. I manually type out the Master Boot Record on my hard drives so I have no idea. :p
 

Big-TDI-Guy

macrumors 68030
Jan 11, 2007
2,606
13
This is because Microsoft did not have Macs in mind when they made the SP2 so the upgrade software is not compatible with the Macs hardware and the 'emulated bios'.
The Boot Camp drivers need SP2 too.
If you are looking for a solution look up slipstreaming the install disc.

Ditto Makkus slipstreaming comment. Wirked four mee.
 

contoursvt

macrumors 6502a
Jul 22, 2005
832
0
That makes zero sense. OSX has drivers as well...for every single piece of hardware on your machine. Just happens that Apple put the drivers in OSX instead of you having to aquire them. There are many systems that have hardware fully detected and installed by XP SP2 where you dont have to install any add-on drivers. Just happens the Mac is not one of them.

Drivers and drivers and driver and drivers and drivers and blah, I hate systems so dependant on drivers. Until they fixed the Boot Camp drivers, Windows on my Mac was almost unusable.
 

RoninXI

macrumors regular
Jun 5, 2006
141
0
Vermilion, Ohio
Actually the reason for SP2 is NOT because of the BIOS. It comes from the fact that PCI express cards did not exist when XP was released. SP2 included the software required during install of Windows. If you don't believe me just do what I did... I was stupid and used my OLD disk not thinking it was missing SP2 , like I said stupid moment. I forget the wording of the BSOD error but it flat out mentioned the hardware issue. It seems like to me there should be a way for the system to use the driver it used to get to that point and just freaking be happy about it...

Why does posting here always remind me why I love my Mac so much:)
:apple:=<3
 

Big-TDI-Guy

macrumors 68030
Jan 11, 2007
2,606
13
I need sleep. You wrote 48 Bit LBA - and I almost sent you a PM asking what Laser Beam Analyzer Software has to do with XP CDs...

I use 16, 32 and 48 Bit LBA software @ work. (Thermopile, CCD and Hybrid) :eek:

So on that note - good night.
 

Eidorian

macrumors Penryn
Mar 23, 2005
29,190
386
Indianapolis
I need sleep. You wrote 48 Bit LBA - and I almost sent you a PM asking what Laser Beam Analyzer Software has to do with XP CDs...

I use 16, 32 and 48 Bit LBA software @ work. (Thermopile, CCD and Hybrid) :eek:

So on that note - good night.
How did I know that someone would misinterpret LBA...
 

millar876

macrumors 6502a
May 13, 2004
709
45
Kilmarnock, Scotland UK
I accidently installed xp of of an old cd with plain vanilla XP Pro (not even SP1) and it worked fine, installed the drivers fron the cd i made in bootcamp, and M$ auto update installed a load of junk, restarted installed more junk, restarted, installed SP1, restarted, installed yet more junk, restarted, yet more junk and another restart, SP2 and another restart, and more crappola, then it was done. seemed to work. got vista now.
 
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