[gregthomp9]

I just bought a legitimate copy of OEM Windows XP to install on my new Macbook using Boot Camp. Now I notice that Apple specifies that no "muti-disc" versions of XP can be used. And the Windows I bought arrived with the Service Pack 2 part on a separate disk.

Does this mean I can't install it? Are there any workarounds?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Greg

[ghporter]

You're not entirely out of luck. There ARE workarounds. The best tactic is to "slipstream" your new, legitimate XP disc with the SP2 disc. There are a number of ways to do this, by the way-check out the "Slipstreaming" thread at the top of this forum. They all involve a Windows computer, but none are particularly difficult (though some, like nLite, are rather involved).

The simplest method is to use the utility built into SP2. Here are some good instructions for doing just that. Since you have SP2 on CD, you basically can skip step 2 on this page.

Good luck, and let us know how it comes out!

Oh, and WELCOME to the MacNN Forums!

[shifuimam]

The second CD isn't an XP installation disc - it's only service pack 2, which I'd highly recommend installing. however, you can install windows without it.

I don't know enough about boot camp to know if you can install things in a windows XP install on an Apple computer that require restarting (which SP2 does require). I'd imagine you can.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

The second CD isn't an XP installation disc - it's only service pack 2, which I'd highly recommend installing. however, you can install windows without it.

I don't know enough about boot camp to know if you can install things in a windows XP install on an Apple computer that require restarting (which SP2 does require). I'd imagine you can.

An intel Mac acts EXACTLY like any other PC. The same things happen for the most part. Boot camp will not allow you to install a non service pack two copy of XP, which is why ghporter pointed the OP towards the solution.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

The second CD isn't an XP installation disc - it's only service pack 2, which I'd highly recommend installing. however, you can install windows without it.

I don't know enough about boot camp to know if you can install things in a windows XP install on an Apple computer that require restarting (which SP2 does require). I'd imagine you can.

The reason I said what I did was that, once installed, XP without SP2 just won't work-THERE ARE NO DRIVERS FOR MOST OF THE HARDWARE IN ANY MAC. With SP2, Microsoft introduced a completely new driver model, and Boot Camp provides ONLY SP2-style drivers. What good is installing the OS if you cannot use your computer because there's no driver for the keyboard, for the display, even for the logicboard chipset?

[gregthomp9]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

You're not entirely out of luck. There ARE workarounds. The best tactic is to "slipstream" your new, legitimate XP disc with the SP2 disc. There are a number of ways to do this, by the way-check out the "Slipstreaming" thread at the top of this forum. They all involve a Windows computer, but none are particularly difficult (though some, like nLite, are rather involved).

The simplest method is to use the utility built into SP2. Here are some good instructions for doing just that. Since you have SP2 on CD, you basically can skip step 2 on this page.

Good luck, and let us know how it comes out!

Oh, and WELCOME to the MacNN Forums!

Thanks. The link was very helpful. I don't actually have a CD burner on my PC (one the reasons I got the MacBook in the first place and ended up with this problem), but a friend has offered to slipstream the disks for me.

Greg

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by gregthomp9 

Thanks. The link was very helpful. I don't actually have a CD burner on my PC (one the reasons I got the MacBook in the first place and ended up with this problem), but a friend has offered to slipstream the disks for me.

Greg

Great! Good luck with the install.