[wake266]

if i just start runing bootcamp split up my harddrive and install xp without sp2 what exactly will happen?

[goMac]

I've done it. It will install normal. Really Macs can take any PC OS, it's just a matter of having working drivers.

There are a few catches on why loading an old SP might not be a good idea.

1) I've had trouble on booting from CD's of old SP's. I mean, they'll boot. But the CD's seem to be missing drivers in some cases for the MBP keyboards. You might need a USB keyboard.
2) Updating to SP2 from a not SP2 installation doesn't work because the updater tries to mess with the bootloader partition assuming it's a Microsoft one, when in reality, it's an Apple EFI one, and the installation promptly fails. I've heard of some people getting a different SP2 updater that doesn't have this issue, but as always, YMMV.

If you have access to a PC, it is possible to update a not SP2 disk to a SP2 disk. Read the sticky about it in the Alt OS room.

[ghporter]

It takes so little effort to create a "slipstreamed" install disc with SP2 on it that the trouble and effort involved in finding SP1- (or earlier) compatible drivers really seems useless. See the sticky thread at the top on slipstreaming. Simple, easy, free, effective.

[wake266]

i cant slipstraem becasue my 2 dells have broken cd burners and im not the most technical guy i just wanna play my games! So im not gonna have massive system failure or that kind of stuff. If it just divides your harddrive i dont see what the problem should be, i just dont wanna risk it. SO just tell me do i or do i not have to slipstream my old xp sp1 disc?

[ghporter]

The problem is NO DRIVERS FOR THE MAC HARDWARE. Really, this is a BIG issue. The driver disc Boot Camp will make is full of SP2-ONLY drivers, and you need them because Windows before SP2 doesn't have drivers for the BRAND new hardware in the Intel Macs.

Surely you know someone with a working burner... And as for the technical part, it takes almost ZERO technical experience to use most of the tools-you can even do it from a command line option in the SP2 update file itself.

Basically, it's a mistake to not go with SP2 for a huge number of reasons (aside from the huge security improvements, the improved GUI details, the better integration of networking...) and I think you'll be very unhappy if you don't make the effort to install SP2.

[Angus_D]

Originally Posted by wake266

i cant slipstraem becasue my 2 dells have broken cd burners and im not the most technical guy i just wanna play my games!

Find a friend with skillz or buy an OEM XP SP2.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by ghporter

The problem is NO DRIVERS FOR THE MAC HARDWARE. Really, this is a BIG issue. The driver disc Boot Camp will make is full of SP2-ONLY drivers, and you need them because Windows before SP2 doesn't have drivers for the BRAND new hardware in the Intel Macs.

Yeah, that's the other thing. I've had the driver install fail in pre-SP2. Some drivers install, some don't.

[wake266]

is there a website with directions on how to do it on nlite?