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markponcelet · Jun 7, 2007, 05:16 PM

As I'm sure you all know, Apple released version 1.3 of Bootcamp a little while ago. Naturally, I downloaded it and installed it without second thoughts as to what it might do to my precious Macbook Pro.

Anyway, I thought I'd start this thread to snare any weird bugs or observations that people notice with the new drivers and their machines. Here are my observations.

Apple released the first ATI video driver update since the day Bootcamp was released to the public! The original ATI driver was dated 3/2/06 (version 8.24), and it is now updated to one dated 3/13/07 (version 8.353). The newest possible driver that you could force onto your machine (using the instructions here) is dated 5/17/07 (version 8.38). Not bad!
The keyboard backlighting does indeed work! Not only that, but Apple has added those neat on-screen status boxes that fade in on the screen when you change brightness, sound, or keyboard backlighting levels. They flicker a bit on my screen, but otherwise, it's a nice touch!
All the new drivers don't seem to have any negative impact on the latest (non-beta) release of Parallels.

And just a reminder: don't bother to burn a new CD for the drivers if you have any way to copy files from your OS X partition to your Windows partition (such as a parallels shared folder, Macdrive, or even a network drive or big thumb drive). Just do this:

Navigate to Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app
Show Package Contents
Go to Contents/Resources
Mount DiskImage.dmg
Copy the whole "Mac Drivers" disk to your Windows Partition -- just drag and drop.
Boot natively into Windows
Open the Mac Drivers Folder
Run Setup.exe

It's much, much faster!

Cold Warrior · Jun 7, 2007, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by markponcelet

And just a reminder: don't bother to burn a new CD for the drivers if you have any way to copy files from your OS X partition to your Windows partition (such as a parallels shared folder, Macdrive, or even a network drive or big thumb drive). Just do this:

Navigate to Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app
Show Package Contents
Go to Contents/Resources
Mount DiskImage.dmg
Copy the whole "Mac Drivers" disk to your Windows Partition -- just drag and drop.
Boot natively into Windows
Open the Mac Drivers Folder
Run Setup.exe

It's much, much faster!

Good tip. Too bad I didn't know it before I burned a CD-R and had to deal with installation that way.

Tomchu · Jun 7, 2007, 06:36 PM

Is everything in Windows still super grainy with the new drivers?

Cold Warrior · Jun 7, 2007, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by Tomchu

Is everything in Windows still super grainy with the new drivers?

I've never had any grainy problems. What's your hardware setup?

ghporter · Jun 7, 2007, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by Tomchu

Is everything in Windows still super grainy with the new drivers?

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

I've never had any grainy problems. What's your hardware setup?

My MBP's display is great with Windows. No apparent "graininess" at all. But then I never thought my display looked bad to start with, and there seem to be a lot of people who complain that the matte display looks horrible. I just don't see it.

Cold Warrior · Jun 7, 2007, 09:52 PM

I have the glossy screen on my MBP C2D and also use a Dell 20" widescreen. I don't know if the latter is considered glossy or matte. No graininess with either.

Tomchu · Jun 7, 2007, 11:29 PM

MacBook Pro, 15", CD 2.0 GHz

The graininess issue has been discussed on Apple's own forums, and no fix has been found. In general it looks as if everything was running in 16-bit colour mode, even though it's set to 32-bits. I'll throw up a screenshot the next time I install XP in Bootcamp.

TheoCryst · Jun 8, 2007, 12:57 AM

Can you update the drivers through Windows using Apple Update, or do you have to download and extract the drivers through OS X?

Drakino · Jun 8, 2007, 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

Good tip. Too bad I didn't know it before I burned a CD-R and had to deal with installation that way.

The other way is to install BootCamp, then run it. Don't select anything on the window that comes up, but instead go to the Utility menu and select "Save Mac Windows Drivers to a Folder".

Saves you from also having to root around in the app, and instead just save them off to a USB memory stick or directly to the Windows partition if it is FAT32

Cadaver · Jun 9, 2007, 11:42 PM

The new 1.3b keyboard driver doesn't work on my MacBook Pro (rev. 1). No little Apple keyboard icon in the system tray, no special function keys (volume, brightness) or eject. No backlighting.
Can't figure out why... I've reinstalled, deinstalled, reinstalled, etc. Nada.

QueenOfSwords · Jun 11, 2007, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

The new 1.3b keyboard driver doesn't work on my MacBook Pro (rev. 1). No little Apple keyboard icon in the system tray, no special function keys (volume, brightness) or eject. No backlighting.
Can't figure out why... I've reinstalled, deinstalled, reinstalled, etc. Nada.

Same MBP, same problem. Weird. *shrug*.

cgc · Jun 11, 2007, 12:56 PM

No issues noted on MacPro.

Cadaver · Jun 11, 2007, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by QueenOfSwords

Same MBP, same problem. Weird. *shrug*.

I reinstalled the 1.2b keyboard drivers to get access to the function keys. They work fine along with the rest of the 1.3b driver set. I guess I'll live without keyboard backlighting for a while longer.

shinykaro · Jun 13, 2007, 11:12 AM

Thanks, Mark! That's a great tip. I've been holding off on installing 1.3 because I was annoyed at the prospect of burning what would be my third CD of drivers that I would then throw away.

Gracias!

Cold Warrior · Jun 13, 2007, 03:07 PM

Drakino's method is also very easy. I used it yesterday to have it copy them to a FAT32 external drive.

RogueSqdn · Jun 13, 2007, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by shinykaro

Thanks, Mark! That's a great tip. I've been holding off on installing 1.3 because I was annoyed at the prospect of burning what would be my third CD of drivers that I would then throw away.

Gracias!

Well, you could do like I do, and use a CD-RW.

badidea · Jun 14, 2007, 03:22 PM

Weird, finally my Apple bluetooth keyboard is recognized in XP but most of the keyboard keys do something else than they should!!
"b" for example makes a window disappear but does not type "b"!?
Many other keys also have special functions but do not type the letter!

What's going on????

And that's not limited to the Apple keyboard - the Logitec keyboard does exactly the same now!!!

selowitch · Jun 14, 2007, 10:02 PM

It looks like Boot Camp 1.3 installed ATI Display Driver 8.353-070313a-045201C-ATI by default. I notice that ATI's website is offering a driver for download for "Apple Boot Camp -- Windows XP". When I tell it that I have a Late-2006 iMac, it offers to have me download version 8.353_br45201c of the driver. Is that a higher version, and is there any good reason to install it?

ghporter · Jun 15, 2007, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by selowitch

It looks like Boot Camp 1.3 installed ATI Display Driver 8.353-070313a-045201C-ATI by default. I notice that ATI's website is offering a driver for download for "Apple Boot Camp -- Windows XP". When I tell it that I have a Late-2006 iMac, it offers to have me download version 8.353_br45201c of the driver. Is that a higher version, and is there any good reason to install it?

That's a GOOD question, and one that ATI should explain to everyone they offer drivers to. It is apparent that it's THEIR driver included with BC 1.3, so why make it so hard to tell what's more recent? Dumb, ATI, very dumb.

prinzphilipp · Jun 27, 2007, 07:43 PM

hi ...
i downloaded bootcamp 1.3 a while ago and updated my earlier version - everything was working fine.
today i had to repartition and reinstall windows on my macbook pro and i got problems with the ATI-drivers.
i got another 20" LG display hooked to the mbp and before reinstall i could change the secondary LCD to primary - but now the menu (ATI control panel) is gone ...!? anyone with the same problem?!

thanks, phil