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Boot Camp Used to Load Windows Vista on MacBook Pro

by , 1:35 PM EDT, April 10th, 2006

Although many experts thought that booting an Intel-based Mac with Windows Vista wouldn't be possible, an adventuresome soul has managed to do just that. OSx86 Project forum member AirmanPika has posted images and talks briefly about what works and what doesn't. Apple's new Boot Camp made the installation possible, but not without a few problems.

Installing the beta version of Microsoft's successor to Windows XP wipes out the other data on the target drive, including Mac OS X. There are also some issues with CD drive and video driver software. Installing Windows Vista will leave your Mac as a single-boot system, but it will be Windows only.

Experts have felt that there are serious hurdles to overcome before Vista would install and run on an Intel-Based Mac because the Mac uses a special type of low-level hardware programming called EFI during startup. Windows relies on an older system called BIOS, and booting Windows on a Mac requires special software to emulate the BIOS code.

Apple has stated that Boot Camp is compatible only with Windows XP Service Pack 2.

AirmanPika's efforts make a nice proof of concept for booting a Mac with Windows Vista, and shows that Apple can add support for the operating system in future Boot Camp beta is it wants.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:Websnap Posts: 72 Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Subject:

Why would EFI be the reason Vista doesn't work with IntelMacs when XP relies on Bios as well and it works. I am sure there is something preventing the beta from functioning with BootCamp like XP, but how can it be the EFI scenario?

View Name:Guest
Subject: Not EFI Problem
View Name:Guest
Subject: macs are for really brilliant people
View Name:Guest
Subject: Try hiding the MacOS partition before install
View Name:Guest
Subject: How to use PQboot
View Name:Guest
Subject: Vista on my MacBook
View Name:Guest
Subject: Vista on Macbook
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3013 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

Interesting, especially since Microsoft has told game publishers that Vista will run 10-15% SLOWER than XP due to the 3D graphics for the desktop.

BTW, those are the instructions to get XP to install too. So, not exactly sure where you were going with the post, but c'est la vie. Maybe you are just trying to convince everybody that Vista is the s***, but I don't think you will find many believers here.

View Name:Guest
Subject: wista on mac mini
View Name:Guest
Subject: Windows vs. Mac
Close Name:LaurieF -   TMO Forum Mod Posts: 3519 Joined: 15 Jun 2001
Subject:

Macs are also for people who can put sentences together, spell and also create a cogent argument (preferably one related to the topic).

Wanna try again?

View Name:Guest
Subject: And for elitist commentary it would appear.
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3013 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

Just a couple of points to the last post...


1) You can put a 10,000 rpm drive in if you wish. Apple doesn't offer them as a BTO option, but any third party drive will work just fine. And the new machines make it very easy to do. Takes about 5 minutes from unplugging the machine to turning it back on again.

2) Apple hasn't shipped a machine with a one-button mouse since just after the release of the Mighty Mouse. Also, any multi-button mouse will work just fine.

3) Poor networking capabilities? What does that mean? Built-in wireless (now apparently 802.11N capable cards, but 802.11a/b/g as a minimum for anything that is currently shipping) plus gigabit ethernet standard. Also works with Windows filesharing. and MS Active Directory. What, exactly, are they missing?

View Name:Guest
Subject: Networking, etc.
View Name:Guest
Subject: Vista on My macbook pro
View Name:Guest
Subject: Vista Rc2 on Mac
View Name:Guest
Subject: wanna?
Close Name:LaurieF -   TMO Forum Mod Posts: 3519 Joined: 15 Jun 2001
Subject:

Not a challenge at all. I'll concede "wanna"; but, with a collection of words and phrases, where the last one is separated by an "and" and there is no potential confusion, the comma is not required.

View Name:Guest
Subject: PC vs MAC
View Name:Guest
Subject: my god!!
View Name:Guest
Subject: It works because Vista is just XP with better video driver.
View Name:Guest
Subject: Vista on a MacBookPro
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3013 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject: Re: Vista on a MacBookPro

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
Vista runs fine on Parallels, a bit sluggish, did not remove XP from another VM, so currently I am running Tiger, XP and Vista on my Macbook ! Sorry forgot to mention that I am running another partition with XP on it - just because I can !!!
Mac's are still the best - OK.

JarJarT


Which version of Vista do you have running?

View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: I already installed the vista on the mac
View Name:Guest
Subject: i am usin vista and tiger without flaw
View Name:Guest
Subject: It apparently isn't that hard now.
View Name:Guest
Subject: Will MacBooks run Vista AND Visual Studio 2005?
View Name:Guest
Subject: Windows XP in MacBook
Close Name:LaurieF -   TMO Forum Mod Posts: 3519 Joined: 15 Jun 2001
Subject:

Can you try that again in English, please? Sprinkling in a little punctuation in the right places would help as well...

View Name:Guest
Subject: vista works fine
View Name:Guest
Subject: vista drivers for macbook
View Name:Guest
Subject: Vista RC1 on MBP
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: you are a tit
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: Windows on an Xserve?
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