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Bootcamp, VMware or Parallels - Which can I use without wiping the drive?
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Senior User
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Hello All,
Trying to help out the gf's sister. She has a Macbook that she's been working on for the last 6 months. Now she needs Windows to run some piece of science software. Which of the above pieces of software will allow me to install XP without wiping and reformatting her drive? I really dont want to have to backup / and reinstall everything.
Thanks.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: New York, NY
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Vandelay Industries
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Senior User
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Originally Posted by Art Vandelay 
All of them.
Really? I was unaware that all of those could be used that way. I was also looking into VirtualBox - mostly because it's opensource and free. I guess the question now becomes which has the best driver support and the least amount of horror stories.
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Moderator  Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
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Do a search for any of them in this forum. There are many, many threads comparing, contrasting, and complaining about the different software for virtualizing Windows. My preference: Parallels. Others love VMWare. Each has its own positives and negatives. Other threads can provide more information.
Steve
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Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
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Forum Regular
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Bootcamp is what you need
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Apr 2007
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and it is already on your mac so you are good to go...
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Administrator  Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
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For ANY of these you need a copy of Windows to install/create your virtual machine. But none of them, even Boot Camp, requires you to "wipe your drive." As long as you follow the instructions, you can make Boot Camp do your bidding quite easily and without any impact on OS X at all.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Senior User
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Yeah, I'll probably use Bootcamp since it's already there. She has a legit copy of windows so that wont be a problem.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2006
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You should keep in mind that Bootcamp is dual booting, not virtualization. If she doesn't want to have to reboot just to use a Windows app once in awhile, you should try VirtualBox or VMWare.
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Sell or send me your vintage Mac things if you don't want them.
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Administrator Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
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Originally Posted by shifuimam
You should keep in mind that Bootcamp is dual booting, not virtualization. If she doesn't want to have to reboot just to use a Windows app once in awhile, you should try VirtualBox or VMWare.
...or Crossover if it supports the app she needs...
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Originally Posted by shifuimam
You should keep in mind that Bootcamp is dual booting, not virtualization. If she doesn't want to have to reboot just to use a Windows app once in awhile, you should try VirtualBox or VMWare.
Seconded, IMHO Windows XP is too slow to boot up to even think about dual booting.
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