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Neo.cmg · Aug 18, 2007, 01:17 PM

Hi,

I've decided to take the plunge and install Windows Vista on my MacPro using BootCamp. I noticed the install instructions explicity state that a USB keyboard and mouse, or built-in keyboard and trackpad are needed. I don't have either as I use the bluetooth keyboard and mouse that shipped with my Mac. Am I going to run into problems if I try installing this?

Thanks.

ghporter · Aug 18, 2007, 01:29 PM

Yes, you'll have problems. Borrow a USB keyboard and mouse before you try to install Windows, as the installer will give you fits unless you have them. The USB enumerator gets confused when it doesn't find keyboard and mouse as expected, and the results are "undefined" (read "screwed up and frustrating").

Neo.cmg · Aug 18, 2007, 01:54 PM

Thanks for the heads up. One other question. I would eventually like to use this Windows Vista partition with VMWare's Fusion runtime environment. If I want to have the ability to share files between Mac OS X and this guest OS, in which format should my partition be created--a FAT volume or NTFS?

ghporter · Aug 18, 2007, 02:42 PM

Can't help you with Fusion-I never got it installed on my MBP and at the moment I'm working on some other projects. In general though, without adding anything to OS X, it can read but not write to NTFS partitions. Parallels has a "shared folder" that allows one to move files between the HFS+ Mac partition and a Boot Camp Windows partition, but I don't know about Fusion's capabilities. NTFS is a better, more capable file system than FAT32, but at least OS X can write to FAT32.

Neo.cmg · Aug 18, 2007, 07:19 PM

Last question. I've sucessfully installed Vista on a 32 GB partition via BootCamp. When in MacOS X the Vista partition shows as a disk with the name Untitled which is a Read Only volume. Is there a way to hide only this partition from my desktop while keeping my main partition visible? Also, is there a way to rename this partition?

Thanks

ghporter · Aug 18, 2007, 08:37 PM

Renaming is easy. While in Windows, right click on "My Computer" (or whatever Vista calls it), then right click on the "C: drive". There will be a box at the top with "Untitled" or similar in it-just highlight that and type in what you want it to say, then "OK" your way out (probably only one or two "OK's," but Vista may ask you to confirm a lot.

I don't know how to hide a mounted drive or partition in OS X, but at least having a tolerable name for the Windows partition will help a bit.

Neo.cmg · Aug 18, 2007, 08:40 PM

Thanks for all your help.