Most of us feel pretty well-to-do when it comes to our Macs . Over the past few geezerhood we ’ve learned the Indiana and out of Mac OS X. But the button of Boot Camp has ping many Mac substance abuser out of their comfort zone . What does it all mean ? Can youreallyrun Windows on a Mac ? What ’s required to do so , and what are the possible pitfalls if you try ?

unstrain a footling bit . Macworldhas put together a comprehensive list of questions and answers about Boot Camp , installing and running Windows on Mac hardware , and more . And if you ’ve got any tarry doubtfulness , experience free to stop by the treatment thread linked at the bottom of every page of this story .

Using Boot Camp

How does Boot Camp piece of work ?

Boot Camp is software that helps users of Intel - based Macs establish and use Windows XP on those systems . The Boot Camp Assistant help you change the circle - up of your difficult crusade so that it has two sectionalization — your exist Mac volume and a raw Windows - compatible volume . The Assistant also burn a cadmium - ROM that containsdrivers — files that Windows needs so that it can operate your Mac ’s hardware expeditiously .

Once the Boot Camp Assistant does its job , your Mac reboots and — thanks to a recent firmware update — you may insert your Windows XP installation cadmium and it will be recognized as a bootable volume . When the lengthy Windows installation process concludes , you insert the cadmium - ROM that the Boot Camp Assistant sunburn , which installs the appropriate Windows drivers , as well as a Windows utility ( much like the Startup Disk druthers pane ) that lets you choose your inauguration book .

hold off — I think all I had to do was instal Boot Camp and then I ’d be running Windows .

No , you ask to have your own full version of Windows XP Service Pack 2 . ( And yes , we specifically mean SP2 — when we tried installing SP1 during one of our tests , it did n’t work at all . ) You ca n’t just copy the version of Windows that came with any old microcomputer , because it ca n’t be set up on any arrangement other than the one it come with . You ca n’t buy an “ upgrade ” copy , because you ’re not upgrade from a premature version of Windows . A full version of Windows XP SP2 . It ’ll cost you $ 150 to $ 200 .

OK , I empathize that Boot Camp command a version of XP that includes Service Pack 2 , but I only have an original XP record . Is there a way to produce a SP2 phonograph recording with what I have ?

Yes . you could use a process call in slipstreaming . This tutorialexplains just what you need to do . take down that you ’ll need to have access to a personal computer for this process .

Does Boot Camp provide all the number one wood I demand ?

Boot Camp provides the basic drivers for audio , television , Bluetooth , AirPort , Ethernet , and keyboard and mouse . If you have computer peripheral that demand their own drivers in XP , you ’ll have to download and install those yourself .

How is Boot Camp different from the software package hack that lets me install Windows XP ?

You ’re advert to the two enterprising cyberpunk who got Windows to install on Intel - base Macs a few weeks before Boot Camp ’s unloosen . However , set up that hack writer take quite a second more effort than Boot Camp . You had to choose which operating system you require to practice every time you bring up . The plug did n’t include any Windows drivers for Mac ironware , so Macs that used the hack to install Windows XP generally did n’t function very well . And you need to have a Windows microcomputer so as to make a change Windows installation disc . Boot Camp is better than that taxicab on all counting .

So I do n’t have to choose which operating arrangement to use each time I boot . But how do I set which OS I ’m boot into ?

There are several unlike ways . From Mac OS X , you could use the Startup Disk preference acid , which now display Windows disks alongside Mac OS Adam volumes . From Windows , you may use the Startup Disk Control Panel that Boot Camp installs . Or if you opt , at boot fourth dimension , you may just take hold down the Option key to get a drive - pick utility that will let you choose which volume you want to begin up from .

On dual - boot OS 9 / OS X systems , I could hold down the Adam key on restart to reboot into OS X. Will that run with the Windows - OS X treble - bang scheme ?

No . At least not on any of the run system we render it on .

Can you expend an external hard drive for Boot Camp and Windows ?

Apple enjoin it ’s not corroborate with Boot Camp . Boot Camp is designed to partition your internal rush disk . However , we ’ve heard reports that if you initialise an external drive in a PC - compatible format and reboot into the Windows installation cadmium , that youcaninstall Windows on an external driveway and boot from it . But we have n’t confirmed it ourselves .

How much arduous driving force space does it really take up to partition off , install Windows , and install one app ?

You could install Windows XP and an app or two in a 5 GB partition , with some room to spare . But 10 GB would be a more naturalistic figure , assuming you have some other effort where you ’ll store all your XP applications .

Once Boot Camp has been installed , can I adjust the partition “ divider ” to allow more / less HD blank on either OS ?

No . Once you ’ve set the sectionalization size , you ’re stuck with it until you remove it entirely .

How difficult is it to “ undo ” and “ United Nations - segmentation ” if I do n’t wish how Boot Camp work and want to go back to what I had before ?

It ’s very simple ; just boot into OS X , re - run Boot Camp , and click the “ furbish up the startup disc to a single mass ” button . The XP partition will be destroyed , and your gruelling drive will be return to its original one - partition configuration .

What happens if something go incorrect when I establish Windows ( getting stuck at partitioning , for exercise ) ?

You may very well have to reformat your knockout drive and start up over with a fresh OS ten install . As Apple notes , Boot Camp is a genus Beta , and its use on a production auto is not advocate . If you ’re survive to try this , check that you have a current championship before you do anything !

Will Boot Camp allow me to install Linux on my Intel Mac and have the option to chose between three operating organisation ?

To some degree , yes — though the process is n’t simple . It’sdescribed hereif you ’re find adventurous .

Will the Media Center Edition of Windows run on a Boot Camped - Mac ?

Yes , though you ’ll have to use Nero on a personal computer to combine the two Cd into one bootable videodisk for the Boot Camp installer to work with .

One last time : what are the system requirement to run Boot Camp ?

You ’ve got to have an Intel - establish Mac with Mac OS X 10.4.6 and the latest Firmware Update for your special auto instal . And , like we accent earlier , you need to have a full induction transcript of Windows XP with Service Pack 2 .

Using Windows

Will any Windows program hunt down on a Mac if it ’s using Windows XP ?

In our testing to date , pretty much everything has work . Remember that a Mac run XP is actually just like any PC running XP . So assuming your hardware oppose the essential , that program should bleed . We ’ve tested Office 2003 , Photoshop , and Dragon Naturally Speaking , and all three appear to wreak just ok .

What limitation are there to a Mac running Windows XP ?

Windows XP ca n’t use the built - in iSight photographic camera on the MacBook Pro and iMac , nor can it use the MacBook Pro ’s keyboard backlighting . There ’s no support for the Apple USB Modem . And there ’s no backup for the Apple Remote . And not all keys are supported on Apple Bluetooth keyboard .

How does Windows perform on a Mac ?

harmonise to PC World ’s WorldBench 5 testing peter , about as well as on comparable microcomputer . Keep in mind that the processing technology used in the first round of Intel - based Macs is fundamentally a laptop technology ; Apple used it not only for its MacBook Pro laptop computer , but for its two ultra - compact desktop system , the iMac and Mac miniskirt . As a result , all of those systems do in comparable style to PC laptops with similar specification .

What we have n’t seen yet from Apple is a high - performance background Mac with an Intel chip inside . And until we do , we wo n’t really love how a screen background Mac run Windows would compare to a personal computer opposite number .

Well , I ’m betray . What kind of computer software am I go to ask for my Windows - on - Mac experience — utility program and the comparable ?

You ’ll definitely want an anti - virus solution of some sort ; there are many out there to pick from , and given that we ’re Mac drug user here , we ’re not sure which one might be best . But here are some free ones to take off with :

We ’ve also worked with our sister publicationPC Worldto come up with this list of the best PC antivirus program .

You may ask some other utilities as well , depending on your especial situation . If you ’re using a MacBook Pro , or succeeding Intel laptop , for instance , you ’ll find you ca n’t right pawl , which is a key action in Windows . You ’ll need the freeApple Mouse Utilityto pay back that job .

If you ’re using an Apple Bluetooth keyboard , you may ascertain the Eject and intensity keys do n’t work . We ’re not yet aware of an easy fix for either of these . For the Eject key , however , you’re able to deploy the freeware programCD Tray Pal . This app put a CD icon in your labor saloon , so you’re able to eject discs without opening a Computer windowpane and correct = clicking on the disc ’s picture .

Back up a second — virus ? Am I at risk to those if I lead Windows XP on the Mac ?

perfectly . When you ’re running Windows , your Mac is no different from any other PC running Windows . You should probably protect yourself by installing Windows antivirus software package ; you could find a sum-up of Windows - compatible virus fighter here .

That does n’t mean my Mac O is vulnerable to viruses , does it ?

That ’s a complicated question . By default , Windows XP ca n’t see Mac knockout - drive volumes . So if your Windows installation was taint by a computer virus that adjudicate to delete files on your hard drives , it would n’t even see your Mac file cabinet and they ’d be dependable . But if you install a program like Mediafour ’s MacDrive , which gives Windows XP the ability to see Mac volumes , your files could be vulnerable to a virus that delete file .

When you ’re go Mac OS X , even on an Intel - based Mac , you ’re not susceptible to Windows - based virus .

How do I move files back and forward between the Windows and Mac OS X environs ?

You ’ve produce a few different selection . If you format your Windows volume as FAT32 ( limitation : files ca n’t be any bigger than 4 GB , and the sectionalisation must be less than 32 GB ) , Mac OS X will be able to see the drive and even write files to it . If you format the volume with the NTFS format , your Mac will be capable to see the thrust , but wo n’t be able-bodied to write file to it .

Windows , by default , ca n’t see Mac volume at all . You ’ll need to install a public utility company such as Mediafour’sMacDriveto give it that power .

Will my iTunes Music Store songs play under Windows XP just like they do when I ’m running OS ecstasy ?

Yes they will . However , you ’ll ask to authorize your Windows XP installation to act back store files — mean your Mac will now count astwoauthorized iTunes computers . ( you could only authorize five computing machine at a time per iTunes account . )

I ’ve already used my Windows and berth enrollment numbers on my personal computer . Can I apply those same numbers on my Mac ?

If the license understanding for the software cut back it to one simple machine only , then no . Some programs allow for multiple installs , but you ’ll have to check the licence agreement . Windows and Office are one - motorcar licenses , so you ’ll have to buy extra copies .

Since we ’re going to have to wait some time for Adobe ’s products to escape natively on Intel - ground Macs , could I get better execution if I buy the Windows versions now and go them on a Mac using XP ?

Those programs will run at the full speed of the aboriginal Windows versions . So you may well see honorable performance running them natively under Windows than using OS X ’s Rosetta emulation engineering . However , if you trust to run those applications programme natively in the Mac OS , you may require to hold off as it ’s highly unconvincing Adobe is proceed to supply a free - crossgrade from the Windows translation of its tool to the Universal Binary variation that runs under Mac OS X.

How do I appeal the Windows key combinations such as right - click and Control - Alt - Delete ?

For right - clicking , we ’ve already name the Apple Mouse Utility . The keyboard combination Command - Shift - F10 will also bring up the same bill of fare as the traditional right snap on a mouse . And there ’s also thiskeyboard remapperoptimized for the MacBook Pro .

ascendancy - Alt - Delete is really only an return for the MacBook Pro , as it lacks a true Delete Key . OnMacrecommends this location : Go to Start - > Run and enroll

Emulation and Virtualization

Now that Boot Camp ’s here , does this entail I wo n’t need to run Virtual personal computer any longer ?

Well , it ’s not as if Intel - based Mac owners can break away Virtual personal computer now — the emulation computer software is n’t compatible with the Intel - powered Mac mini , iMac , and MacBook Pro . But more to the breaker point , Boot Camp is different from Virtual PC . Whereas the latter program allows you to run Windowsat the same timeyour Mac is using OS X , Boot Camp offers a “ one or the other”-type scenario : once you ’ve bring up into Windows , all traces of Mac OS X disappear . You ca n’t change over back and forth between Windows applications and Mac program without rebooting .

While Virtual PC may not run on an Intel - base Mac , there are plenty of exchangeable platform that do . They includeParallels Workstation , Q , andWinTel . However , they ’re all under various stages of development and have some serious quirks about them . The good news is , these programs tend to run Windows much faster than Virtual microcomputer did , because they do n’t need to emulate the Intel processor used by Windows !

Which is easier to utilize — Boot Camp or Parallels Workstation ?

Boot Camp is somewhat comfortable to configure , though it requires more changes to your machine — partitioning the hard campaign and updating the microcode . Parallels is plainly an software , so you’re able to die hard it whenever you wish . You do have to do a bit of oeuvre to fructify up the app before you install Windows , however .

Parallels is slower than Boot Camp , as you ’re fly the coop WindowswithinOS X. However , it ’s not nigh as slow as practical PC used to be , and it ’s quite available . The merchandise is still a beta , however , so there are some issues — USB devices do n’t presently cultivate , nor can you play DVD . Boot Camp has no such issues — if something do work in Windows XP , it will mould on your Mac running XP .

It ’s hard to say which is easier , as they ’re really unlike production . If you have a need for Windows software alongside your OS decade computer software , Parallels is the best solution . But if you require full driver support , and full Windows speed , Boot Camp is the way to go .

The Future

Now that Windows XP can run on a Mac , how long before we see Dell and HP PCs bring up up into Mac OS X ?

Our rough estimate would be “ never . ” Apple has said repeatedly that Mac OS X will only run on Apple computer hardware , and we do n’t expect that to transfer . Apple gain a lot of money from Mac hardware , and with the Boot Camp announcement , Apple ’s hardware is now unique in that it run both Mac OS X and Windows . One of the reasons Apple ’s product are so dear is because the company insure both the ironware and the software program ; allowing Mac OS X to run on a generic Dell PC would n’t only gut Apple ’s hardware business , but it would potentially reduce the quality of the Mac OS X substance abuser experience .

Will developer stop making Mac computer software ?

It ’s unbelievable . Fundamentally , Mac users are Mac users because they want to use the Mac OS . And developers realize that if Mac users wanted to head for the hills Windows apps , they would n’t be Mac users . It ’s possible that some developer who merely do n’t get the Mac might endeavor to channelize their users toward Windows , but chances are good that most of those developer abandoned the Mac long ago , in the dark Clarence Day of the belated ’ 90s or during the OS X changeover .

If there ’s any single area where we might see a serious change in the amount of Mac software being bring out , it ’s for games that appeal to hard - core gamers . Since many games operate with their own user interface taking up the full screen , there ’s very little difference between run those games when boot into Mac OS X or booted into Windows XP . Hard - core Mac gamers will likely clothe in a copy of Windows just so they can scarper the later and greatest PC game , and therefore those games might not ever make it to Mac OS X right . However , game play by more casual Mac gamers — those who might not bribe a $ 200 transcript of Windows just to play a puzzle or arcade - way biz — will likely continue to be developed for the Mac grocery store .

Will Boot Camp be part of OS X in the future ?

Yes , Apple has substantiate that Boot Camp will be part of Leopard , the next major upgrade to Mac OS X. Also known as Mac OS X 10.5 , this future OS decade version will be preview at Apple ’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference in August .

Does that mean Microsoft will block off making Virtual PC ?

Microsoft aver that they are “ remain to bring with Apple on a possible next reading of practical PC . ” What this means is anyone ’s guess , so here ’s ours : We figure that either Microsoftwillrelease a Modern version of Virtual microcomputer to run on Intel - based Macs , or Apple will incorporate its features into Leopard . One of those two result will almost certainly occur . In the meantime , fellowship like Parallels andVMwarewill endeavor to bet on out some ground in the Windows - on - Intel - Macs world .

What about Windows Vista ? Will it be able to run on a Mac when it comes out ?

Enterprising user have fuck off Vista pass on Mac hardware already . And we would take over that when Vista is formally released , Boot Camp will be updated to permit the late version of Windows to run it on Mac computer hardware .