Booting Windows XP on Intel-based Macs (#2)

While we are experimenting with installing Windows XP on in-house Intel-based Macs using the patch announced yesterday, we are noting a few issues reported by readers:

Fix for installation issue -- "partition not recognized" In-house we ran into an issue where after successfully booting a properly partitioned Intel-based iMac from the modified slipstream Windows XP CD, we were presented with the following set of partitions:

• C: Partition 1 (EFI) [FAT32]
• unpartitioned space
• E: Partition 2 [unknown]
• unpartitioned space

instead of

• E: Partition1 (EFI) [FAT32]
• C: Partition2 [Unknown]
• F: Partition3 [Unknown]

as detailed in the installation instructions.

When we selected the Partition 2 (E:) as described in the instructions, we received the error message: "Windows XP cannot recognize the partition you selected"

The solution to our problem was to select the first "unpartitioned space," then press "C" to create a new partition.

We then had to force a reboot of the iMac by holding the power button. Upon the second booting process, we were presented with the correct set of partitions:

E: Partition1 (EFI) [FAT32] C: Partition2 [Unknown] F: Partition3 [Unknown]

We could then successfully pick Partition 2 (C:) and proceed with installation using the quick format option.

Installing and booting from an external hard drive Currently, there does not exist a viable solution for installing Windows XP directly onto an external FireWire hard drive from a Mac with the patched Window XP installation.

One potential solution is to use a tool like SuperDuper to duplicate a Windows XP/Mac installation to an external drive, but we haven't tested this solution in-house.

Updating Mac OS X after installing Windows XP If you have done a Dual Boot setup on your intel iMac and then update OSX to a new version (such as I just did to 10.4.5) then the system defaults back to the apple boot.efi file. You will have to rebless the xom.efi file to get dual boot back.

Problems installing on Mac mini Several users are reporting issues installing Windows XP on Intel-based Mac minis.

In most cases, users report that the process works up until the point of actual Windows XP setup, but then freezes indefinitely at 0 percent completion.

Some users have reported that simply restarting and re-attempting installation several times allows successful installation.

Drivers Several drivers are now available for Windows XP on Intel-based Mac installation, including Ethernet, sound and wireless drivers.

For more information, see this wiki.

Windows XP media center installation A poster to the osx86project forums has modified the original patch to create a version that works with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.

"AirmanPika" writes:

"Now it works but there is one catch. Of course you need to own MCE but you have to burn it onto a DVD. The problem is that at a certain point in the install MCE normally asks for CD2 of MCE (assuming you aren't using a DVD version) but it doesn't eject CD1....and the intel imac doesn't have a manual eject button or pinhole so you are SOL. Only fix to this is to put all the files onto 1 DVD. The rest of the process is the same though and I have tweaked the install guide accordingly."

See this post for more information.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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