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rotuts · Jul 20, 2006, 02:09 PM

Cheers

Im going to be setting up a new MacBook for my friends daughter with a windows partition. I do not have the comp yet.

what size is the min for XP in the partition? when creating it with a new XP with that serial # does one have to go on line to activate the XP?

this is not for avoiding buying a windows, but to avoid virus etc on installation.

is there then a way to TurnOff ForEver the wireless option in Windows so that the windows does not Ever connect inadvertnely to the internet?

my FD would then use the Mac protion to go on line etc and Id help with that partition.

Widows would be up to them, but they are digitaly challanged.

cheers and thanks

rotut

kaido · Jul 20, 2006, 03:33 PM

1. Minimum size for an XP partition under Boot Camp is 5 gigs

2. When activating a new XP serial number, you can do it over the phone if you don't want to go online

3. To "turn off forever" the wireless option, simply disable it. If you want, you can even go as far as uninstalling the wireless card in the Windows hardware drivers section.

rotuts · Jul 20, 2006, 07:11 PM

is 5 gb enough for 'miminal' windows stuff? word processing email, that?
should I make it 10Gb and leave 50GB for 10.4?

cheers and thanks

what happends when you call MS to activate?

rotuts

ghporter · Jul 20, 2006, 08:41 PM

10 would be better-there's frequently a need for "elbow room" with Windows. And by default Windows makes its swap file 150% the size of installed RAM, so that means with 1GB of RAM you'll need 1.5GB of disk space just for the swap file. Updates to the OS include a trail of "uninstall" files that eventually get underfoot and need to be deleted-a larger partition puts off that bit of housekeeping. If you can spare 10GB, that's a good size.

sieb · Jul 20, 2006, 10:45 PM

You can set XP to only connect to perferred networks, or you can grab the Atheros drivers that have their own utility that requires profiles for the networks you want to connect to.

rotuts · Jul 21, 2006, 07:09 AM

my goal would be to set up windows without an internet connection thus avoiding disease. Im very familiar with Mac, having the first one and OS 1.

this computer would connect to a cable wireless router only on the Mas OS. windows drivers would baffle me

Id like the MacOS to be able to see and open files created in windows so that it can then move them around the LAN (two other computers) and do the printing, scanning, attaching to email etc.

thats what Id like to set up. 10GB seems OK as the rest would be mac and my friends would eventually get a firewire ext HD for 'overflow' pictures etc they gradually accumulate with the three people that would use the MacBook.

any further help with this plan greatly apprecieated!\

cheers

rotuts

ghporter · Jul 21, 2006, 07:35 AM

A properly protected Windows installation is as safe as a well-done OS X installation. You simply need to use an adequate antivirus package (including the free ones like Panda) and a decent firewall (like ZoneAlarm's free version). It's also a good idea to run a "spyware" scan now and then, just to find the droppings your surfing can collect. The biggest thing to add is "smart" Internet use; if you click on any old thing that shows up on a web page, you WILL find bad stuff, but if you intelligently avoid things like "Bigger Breasts in 10 Days!" or "All The PRON You'll EVER NEED!!!" then you'll be fine.

One thing to add: kaido said you could simple "delete" the wireless device in Windows' Device Manager. That will work until the next boot, at which time Windows will probably locate the card and install its drivers as part of the boot process. It would take some other, more complex solution to keep one OS installation from using a wireless card that another OS is allowed to use.

Moose · Jul 21, 2006, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

It would take some other, more complex solution to keep one OS installation from using a wireless card that another OS is allowed to use.

Yes.

Like right-clicking on the adapter in Network Connections and selecting "Disable."

Or right-clicking on the adapter in Device Management and selecting "Disable."

rotuts · Jul 21, 2006, 09:26 AM

thanks ghp and others.

my idea was that id help my friends transition over to the mac with the dual boot. they would not use the windows boot on liine as they are not very sophiticated re any computer and theyd have to figure out the firewalls etc on Win.

they had to hire someone on their dell system now and Id like to avoid anyone other than me fiddling with the mac. and their dell sys if pretty iffy due to their lack of sophistication

BigBreasts are another thing.

anyway if your one with the universe Im sure after some work windows works OK

hoping to move them into somethiing more fun and easier to undrstand.

cheers and any other usefull ideas on this typpe of set up much appreciated!

cheers

rotuts

rotuts · Aug 1, 2006, 04:08 PM

Moose; thanks for the tips

I now have windowXP on the partition. I only have the track pad and would like as detaied instructions as you can stand on how to inactivate Any and All wireless connect5ions for the windows partion

remember: I only know about Macs. Windows looks fairly bizzantine to me!!

thanks

rotuts

ghporter · Aug 1, 2006, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Moose

Yes.

Like right-clicking on the adapter in Network Connections and selecting "Disable."

Or right-clicking on the adapter in Device Management and selecting "Disable."

In my experience, XP will find those devices and install them the next time it starts... EVERY time it starts. That's why I said it would be difficult...

Moose · Aug 2, 2006, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

In my experience, XP will find those devices and install them the next time it starts... EVERY time it starts. That's why I said it would be difficult...

I'm sorry to have to correct you again, but this is incorrect.

If you disable hardware administratively in Device Manager (as opposed to removing it), it will not be used by Windows and Windows will not, by itself, re-enable them.

It is entirely possible that third-party applications or utilities might re-enable it, however, but a vanilla Windows installation will not just spontaneously re-enable devices.

ghporter · Aug 2, 2006, 09:44 PM

I just read up on the specific words "remove" and "disable" in reference to Device Manager. I was wrong, you were right. I was thinking "remove" when discussing "disable," and thus goobered up what I said. Sorry.