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PHoynak · Apr 25, 2008 , 11:24 PM

I may need to run Windows on my Mac for work but I have a copy of XP Pro but it is old and is before SP2. Is there a way to get it to work? I hate to spend the money for a copy of XP with SP2 if I don't have to.

ghporter · Apr 26, 2008 , 06:19 AM

Read the thread in Alternative OS Reference called Slipstreaming XP-SP2. There are a number of ways to do this, but the easiest I've found is to use a utility like nLite on a Windows computer that has a CD burner. The software combines the freely-downloadable SP2 package with the files from your original XP disc to create a burnable image you can use to make your XP-SP2 install disc. There are tons of other things you can do with nLite to customize your installation, but those aren't as important here as creating a usable, bootable image.

64stang06 · Apr 26, 2008 , 08:54 AM

Or, alternatively, you can use VMWare Fusion or Parallels if you hate rebooting, especially if you just need to run 1 or 2 apps.

PHoynak · Apr 26, 2008 , 01:53 PM

Can I slipstream this on the old laptop I have that does not have a burner? Then can I copy the copy to my Mac and use Toast to burn the bootable image?

mduell · Apr 26, 2008 , 02:11 PM

Sure. The slipstreaming apps just give you an image you can take anywhere.

ghporter · Apr 26, 2008 , 07:11 PM

Most of the slipstreaming apps produce ".iso" files, so you can burn the image with any app that will take an iso as an input file.

@pplejaxkz · Apr 26, 2008 , 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by 64stang06

Or, alternatively, you can use VMWare Fusion or Parallels if you hate rebooting, especially if you just need to run 1 or 2 apps.

I would agree from experience. I have ran dual booted systems for a while and I got sick of rebooting. But if you're going to be running more than a couple of applications I would stay away from virtual machines.
----
Currently I am running Windows SP2 via Bootcamp

ghporter · Apr 26, 2008 , 09:05 PM

Another thing that isn't exactly smooth with virtual machines is peripherals. Parallels went for a long time with really crappy USB support. I'm not familiar with Fusion's performance in this, but it must still go through an emulation layer to work through the host OS (OS X), and that is always a pain. So if you're looking at using any particular peripherals with Windows, you might want to go with the dual-boot option.

naphtali · Apr 27, 2008 , 07:22 PM

I'm not sure how Parallels does it, but Fusion basically 'disconnects' the USB device from Mac OS X and passes it through to the active VM, so only the VM will see the device. That behaviour can be configured, and it has worked pretty well so far.

My mouse still works in both environments all the time, so it's pretty cool when you have Windows full screen on another monitor and you just can travel across both OSes

More technically, I was just watching the C4 talk by a VMware Fusion engineer. He states that USB devices are not meant for virtualization due to the bus system, so it's probable that Parallels behaves similarly as well.

By the way, PHoynak, I think you can burn the ISO with the built-in Disk Utility as well

naphtali · Apr 27, 2008 , 07:26 PM

Also, does anybody know if it really is secure to use nLite? No offense to the developers, but when the program has so much access to the innards of the system it gets pretty freaky no?

Big Mac · Apr 28, 2008 , 01:57 AM

Windows users are a rather trusting bunch when it comes to utilities that address fundamental Windows shortcomings, it seems.

ghporter · Apr 28, 2008 , 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by naphtali

Also, does anybody know if it really is secure to use nLite? No offense to the developers, but when the program has so much access to the innards of the system it gets pretty freaky no?

All nLite does is manipulate settings in the configuration files for the installer. And the USER is the one that tinkers with those settings, not the software. You can provide the install key, name the computer, set up a specific network connection, change where system, program and user files are stored, and so on. Or you can leave it completely default and just fold in additional files. nLite isn't manipulating the actual OS running on your Windows computer, it's just copying or refreshing files from the install disc you provide, and tweaking configuration files for the installation, making use of enterprise-aimed capabilities built into the XP installer.

It's a good thing to be cautious of this sort of thing, but the author makes the innards of nLite pretty transparent on his site. I haven't played with other such apps, so i can't vouch for them, but nLite is as safe as they get, as far as I can tell.

mduell · Apr 28, 2008 , 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by naphtali

Also, does anybody know if it really is secure to use nLite? No offense to the developers, but when the program has so much access to the innards of the system it gets pretty freaky no?

You're welcome to diff the before/after file structure and compare MD5 hashes for unchanged files if you're really so concerned. I haven't had any problems with it.

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Windows users are a rather trusting bunch when it comes to utilities that address fundamental Windows shortcomings, it seems.

What is the process for slipstreaming OS X updates and 3rd party driver updates?

naphtali · Apr 30, 2008 , 08:04 AM

@mduell and @ghporter - That's definitely good to know!

@mduell - Did a search, curious if there was such a utility at all, and I found this:
CharlesSoft - software you always wished someone would write BootCD. I believe that's by CharleS, a dear MacNN forum regular. It does not seem to have been updated/supported for some time now though