Windows Vista on MacBook Pro (Deleting EFI partion)

[ImAlex]

Welcome to the official Windows Vista on Mac thread, discuss anything about Windows Vista (Beta) on Macs. Ask questions, answer questions, discuss anything.


Original message: Hello! You can install Windows Vista on MacBook Pro with Boot Camp, but to do that you have to delete/erase the EFI partion on like 200 MB while you install Windows Vista. Doing that makes that upcoming firmware updates for the computer will not be upgraded. I wonder if you know how to install Windows Vista Beta 2 on MacBook Pro without deleting the EFI partion or to get the EFI partion after you have installed Windows Vista. Really want to try Windows Vista, but just curious about the EFI partion.

 

[ImAlex]

Boot Camp 1.1 Released + Questions

Okey, now is Boot Camp 1.1 released which is great. Do you think that you must delete the EFI partion when installing Windows Vista now after the update?

Can you run Mac OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista on a third partion? Maybe some other OS on the forth

Or maybe you can run Mac OS X and Windows XP and Windows Vista on an external harddrive (If Vista supports it?). I have heard that MacBook Pro has good performance in Windows Vista, althought the 256 MB ATI videocard is better for Vista, how do you think a MacBook Pro 15,4" with 128 MB ATI videocard do? Probably good.

And is there any way to get the EFI partion again if you have installed Vista?

 

[ImAlex]

Hello!!! Somebody?
This should be quite a interesting discussion, but no-one tends to discuss.

 

[bearbo]

Hello!!! Somebody?
This should be quite a interessting discussion, but no-one tends to discuss.

i'd like to know how to get vista on mbp... esp if i can get it in external, that'd be sweet... w/o too much modification of the system

 

[MRU]

It's not really a discussion topic, more you wondering if vista beta 2 installs using bootcamp 1.1 without deleting efi.

solution?

Why dont you simply try it and see for yourself and then let us know, we can discuss afterwards

 

[ImAlex]

Here is some information: http://blogs.msdn.com/hans_vb/archive/2006/06/02/614799.aspx

I wonder some stuff thought: Can I make another partition so I have 3 partions (I already have Windows XP on Boot Camp) and boot Mac OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista?

You have to delete the EFI partition when installing Windows Vista, is it correct that the only way to get the EFI partition again is to format the whole harddrive and reinstall Mac OS X?

If I have Mac OS X and Windows XP on 2 partitions, how to make space for Windows Vista? And lets say I make the third partition.

Windows Vista should be tested on Macs aswell, on much hardware, that is what Microsoft wants.

 

[ImAlex]

It's not really a discussion topic, more you wondering if vista beta 2 installs using bootcamp 1.1 without deleting efi.

solution?

Why dont you simply try it and see for yourself and then let us know, we can discuss afterwards

Haha, yeah, but it is nice to know before trying.

I'll change the topic on the thread and make this the official Windows Vista on Mac thread. Please moderator, can you change the topic so it will have the other topic on the topicview too.

 

[MRU]

You have to delete the EFI partition when installing Windows Vista, is it correct that the only way to get the EFI partition again is to format the whole harddrive and reinstall Mac OS X?

You can re-build the efi but its complicated. You alsop have to make sure you format your drive with the new prtitioning scheme introduced for intel macs which annoyingly apple hasnt made the default when working on one. Otherwise bootcamp will never work again.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/208299/

 

[ImAlex]

Okey. How is the easiest way to create a third partion, install Windows Vista there and tripple boot Mac OS X, XP and Windows Vista. (I already have Mac OS X and XP installed with Boot Camp, might need to resize the partions).?

 

[pigge2]

You do NOT have to delete the EFI Partition

there is no reason to delete the EFI partition when installing Vista (or XP).
a much easier way is to use fdisk in OS X and change the "type" of the EFI Partition to 00 (Disabled) instead of EE (EFI Extended) as "grabberslasher" describes in This Thread, then you can install Vista, it works (i' ve done it myself).
And when you want to install a firmware update, boot into OS X, change the "type" back to EE and perform the upgrade, then change the type back to 00 to be able to use Vista.
Boot Camp will probably NEVER solve this since it's not a limitation in boot camp, i'ts Vista that doesn't have support for EFI in the 32 bit version, they will support EFI in later versions but only on 64bit platforms, more information about EFI and Vista can be found here

 

[BadRambo]

Hello All -----

This thread is very interesting, and thought I would throw in a little bit of EFI "trivia" since many are not all that familiar with the general traits of EFI. A good little read, with some interesting position statements.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_Interface

Enjoy!!! --- Bob ---

 

[Joel Schmidt]

Good News about Vista

As of Vista Pre-RC1 Build 5552, it is no longer necessary to delete/disable the 200mb EFI partition. Vista runs fine using the default setup created by BootCamp. Also, OS X's Startup Disk Prefpane now shows the Vista partition as a valid boot disk.

 

[ImAlex]

Thanks pigge2 that is awesome.
Thanks for the link Bob, some nice info there!

Yeah that is awesome Joel! Great!

 

[stevet0203]

Need Help Please!!!

Never really been part of a Forum before... Let me first say how glad I am I got a mac, I don't even know how to use this OS and have no problems getting things done. Vista on the other hand sucks so bad... I just want it off! I WANT IT OFF! and it won't leave. I tried to install bootcamp again. I installed all the mac software again. I go to the assisant and go to start windows installation or whatever it says (its only 3 choices) Then I burned the mac drivers and installed the XP disk... restart... boot to cd/dvd... it goes straight into vista.... went back to bootcamp... repeated all steps... put vista disk in... straight into operating system... no questions about format, install nothing. This computer is not even a month old. 2.16 ghz duo, 2 gb ram 200 gb hd and I want to kill it. Please HELP!! PLEASE