OSX Project Forum Bloggers: Here's how we're running Windows Vista on a Mac OSX
This isn't a Microsoft blog, or a Mac blog, but since some of the apps bloggers AirmanPika, alexoughton and grabberslasher describe here involve converging media applications on a Vista platform pushed to a Mac, thought you might be interested.
In the Mac Dual Booting_Vista Installed thread AirmanPika has started on the OSx86 Project Forum site for him to explain how he's done this, he gets down to it:
OK I managed to come to the same basic conclusion as some others that Vista was exploding because it didn't like either the way OSX partitioned the drive or that it wasn't the main partition. I haven't looked deeper into it yet. Anyway I went through the basic steps of installing bootcamp, the firmware, etc and then started the install. When you get to the section where it asks where to actually install vista....well here's the main problem...you delete all of them. Even OSX. Yes this isn't a dual boot solution (yet anyway) but it does allow vista to run.
Things I noticed: The drivers CD that apple has you make doesn't work. It starts installing, gets to about where it starts installing various drivers, installs the video ones, and then goes stupid, rolls back the changes, and says it errored out. I haven't tried to extract the MSI that has the driver packages so that I can manually do it yet. Also I installed the ATI Beta vista drivers and even though they install fine I don't get glass and 3d stuff explodes in my face too. I thought I read somewhere that someone did get glass going but I haven't yet.
Wanna see some another pix? What about Windows Vista Media Center on a Mac? Sure you do.
Now, it is time for alexoughton to tell us how he pulled this off. First, he indicates a note of caution:
I give no guarantee that the following instructions won't cause damage to your partitions. Changing partitions is always risky. Capitalisation is important throughout. Always read the label.
edit: I have reason to believe that these instructions do not work in every case. It seems that Mac OS X does not always number the partitions in the same way as the example below. In which case, you must use some method to check which partition number is your EFI partition before the format stage. I suggest you mount partitions 2 and 3 first to check that partition 1 is indeed EFI. If you don't know what any of this means, then don't do anything below!
A few warnings about a "suspicious MBR" may appear throughout this process. This is nothing to worry about.
Now for the steps you will want to follow:
1. Boot from install DVD, in single-user mode:
a ) Insert DVD.
b ) Boot system with option key held.
c ) Highlight the install DVD, but don't yet click the start arrow.
d ) Hold command-s, and click the start arrow (whilst still holding the keys).
2. Do not mount the hard disks (as suggested by the last lines of the boot sequence).
3. To remove the EFI partition:
a ) Type: gpt remove -i 1
b ) Press enter.
c ) Type: reboot
d ) Press enter. (Your system will reboot, and you can continue to do whatever it was you were going to do - like install Vista, for example.)
But wait, there's more. If you wish to reinstate the EFI partition:
1. Boot from the install DVD using the instructions in steps 1 and 2 above.
2. To replace the EFI partition:
a ) Type: gpt add -b 40 -i 1 -s 409600 -t efi /dev/disk0
b ) Press enter.
c ) Type: reboot
d ) Press enter. (Your system will reboot, but you must now again enter install DVD single-user mode, using the instructions above)
e ) Type: newfs_msdos -F 32 /dev/disk0s1
f ) Press enter.
g ) Type: reboot
h ) Press enter. (Your system will reboot, and the process is complete.)I'd like to hear from you Mac users out there: is this a project you would be interested in doing for yourself?