# Bootcamp question



## Alcpone (Jan 21, 2012)

Hi all,

I hope someone can help me please? I am wanting to put Windows 7 on my iMac, I'm running Lion and obviously it's a Intel based machine, but my question is, when bootcamp does it's stuff and partitions the HD will it do it and leave the mac stuff untouched? I just can't understand how it would partition it without formatting the HD first

Im unsure about the workings of a mac so any informed advice would help me out a lot as I don't want to fuck my OS up as the wife will kill me lol

Cheers 

Alcpone


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## Cybrnook (Jan 21, 2012)

Alcpone said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I hope someone can help me please? I am wanting to put Windows 7 on my iMac, I'm running Lion and obviously it's a Intel based machine, but my question is, when bootcamp does it's stuff and partitions the HD will it do it and leave the mac stuff untouched? I just can't understand how it would partition it without formatting the HD first
> 
> ...




Yes, all Your MAC data will be untouched. It just carves the new partition from the available free space left on your HDD.


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## Alcpone (Jan 22, 2012)

Cybrnook said:


> Yes, all Your MAC data will be untouched. It just carves the new partition from the available free space left on your HDD.



Thanks for the quick reply, i've got myself copy of windows 7 so just need to get cracking, will be able to have FSX rocking tout sweet


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 22, 2012)

Yes the newer ability for non-destructive repartioning is obviously nice. There will be a set of Windows drivers on the Lion CD for use on a Bootcamp install so pop it in under Windows after first boot and it should autorun. Should be able to download and install latest GPU driver from ATI or NVidia no prob, as well by the way...


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## aayman_farzand (Jan 22, 2012)

BootCamp is very simple to use. And doesn't hurt your files one bit. Remember to save the driver file properly and install it once you boot into 7.

I removed 7 soon after using it though, I liked the feel of the OSX a lot better, especially because of the system-wide gesture implementation of the track pad.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 22, 2012)

Yeah well dude wants to play some games!


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## Alcpone (Jan 22, 2012)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Yes the newer ability for non-destructive repartioning is obviously nice. There will be a set of Windows drivers on the Lion CD for use on a Bootcamp install so pop it in under Windows after first boot and it should autorun. Should be able to download and install latest GPU driver from ATI or NVidia no prob, as well by the way...



I never got a CD, I've just checked in the box and they aint one there  can I get around that?



aayman_farzand said:


> BootCamp is very simple to use. And doesn't hurt your files one bit. Remember to save the driver file properly and install it once you boot into 7.
> 
> I removed 7 soon after using it though, I liked the feel of the OSX a lot better, especially because of the system-wide gesture implementation of the track pad.



I've not got a track pad, can't justify the £70 price tag, the mouse is quite funky though 

I only want Win 7 for FSX as x-plane is a pain to get used to and the spec of this machine will run FSX quite nicely (hopefully)



Wrigleyvillain said:


> Yeah well dude wants to play some games!



I does indeed sir


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 22, 2012)

Well you can get some if not all of the drivers elsewhere I guss (it's just another OEM Intel rig generally) but Apple sure makes it easy by including them on the OS X install dvd.


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## Alcpone (Jan 23, 2012)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Well you can get some if not all of the drivers elsewhere I guss (it's just another OEM Intel rig generally) but Apple sure makes it easy by including them on the OS X install dvd.



Im wondering if they don't include disks anymore and its all on the HD?

I will have a hunt for some drivers, maybe apple has them to download?


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 23, 2012)

This is a new retail Mac? It should have come with an OS X installer disc for that model unless they very recently have changed something though I can't imagine what it would be now. And being specific to your Mac it will have the appropriate Windows drivers for that specific hardware on the disc. Apple would not have them available to download anywhere unfortunately...


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## Cybrnook (Jan 23, 2012)

Alcpone said:


> Im wondering if they don't include disks anymore and its all on the HD?
> 
> I will have a hunt for some drivers, maybe apple has them to download?



Here you go:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1443


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## Alcpone (Jan 23, 2012)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> This is a new retail Mac? It should have come with an OS X installer disc for that model unless they very recently have changed something though I can't imagine what it would be now. And being specific to your Mac it will have the appropriate Windows drivers for that specific hardware on the disc. Apple would not have them available to download anywhere unfortunately...



Yep it's a new system bought from a shop. I have spoken to Apple and they confirmed my suspicions that it had a recovery partition, which is hidden but I have been sent a link on how to get the recovery data out of that partition and onto a usb stick.

I started bootcamp off before and it has downloaded all the drivers for my system but it wouldn't recognise the iso on my usb stick so going to have to do it off a dvd-r, when I get some 



Cybrnook said:


> Here you go:
> 
> http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1443



Cheers I am downloading that now 

It's downloaded it as a exe not a dmg file, hmmm.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 23, 2012)

Yeah...it would be an exe as you are supposed to run it under Windows. Nice find if that in fact includes drivers which it sounds like it does.


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## Cybrnook (Jan 23, 2012)

Your process will go:

- Initiate bootcamp prep in MAC (Partition space for windows)
- Should prompt you to insert windows disc and restart (May have to hold Fn button)
- Install windows on the blank partition (leaving other partitions alone) as you would any other system
- Once windows is installed, install the EXE you just downloaded for the Mac hardware and drivers.
-Then install anything else you would normally after windows update and all.


This is coming from memory, but I remember it being easy as pie.


General Help:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_10.7.pdf


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## Alcpone (Jan 24, 2012)

Nice one guys, thanks for all the help, I will keep you informed with how things go


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## Alcpone (Jan 26, 2012)

Ok, I have got as far as choosing which partition to install to in windows setup, it is saying it can't install to the bootcamp partition because it ain't ntfs d
o I format that partition to ntfs at that point? Cheers


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## Alcpone (Jan 26, 2012)

Answered my own question, yes lol.


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## Alcpone (Jan 26, 2012)

So how do I boot back into os x? Lol


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 26, 2012)

Uh Option key at boot? That shows you all bootable volumes attached both internal and external; haven't run BC in years so don't remember for sure if can choose OS X that way but probably. IIRC it also installs Startup Disk Control Panel or a Bootcamp Control Panel or something in Windows so look there.


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## Alcpone (Jan 26, 2012)

Might have a problem here, I have all the drivers on my external hd including the bootcamp program and as It's not allowing me to open it and it wants to format it to use it grrrr. I have tried tapping the option key while booting if that's the key with alt on? Not having much luck.


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## Cybrnook (Jan 26, 2012)

I listed it earlier, before powering on your mac, hold the "Fn"  (Should be bottom left close to the space bar) button until prompted to select your OS.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 26, 2012)

Uh yeah dude Windows can't read that Mac-formatted disk. It would need to be FAT 32 to be read on both systems. You're gonna have to boot in to OS X and burn the drivers to CD or something.


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## Alcpone (Jan 26, 2012)

Can't boot into os x, won't give me any boot options at all, fn lock and option buttons getting me nothing so not sure, going to have to get the drivers and bootcamp off my sisters laptop tomorrow, not gone at all to plan.


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## Cybrnook (Jan 26, 2012)

Did you follow the install guide I posted for you?

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_10.7.pdf


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## Alcpone (Jan 26, 2012)

Yeah mate, I have got it to boot back into os x by using both fn and option key. Got stuff burned to disk and currently installing drivers, where I cocked up was thinking the ext hd would be recognised, I'm not as good as I was with comps anymore and macs are new to me, getting there though, thanks again for help guys.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 27, 2012)

Well like I said it could be recognised by both Windows and Mac but will need to be reformatted FAT 32 first and this requires getting the data off it first of course.


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## Alcpone (Jan 27, 2012)

I will have to look for the fat 32 option, in the system rating it is only on a 1  the ram is only using 2.23gb for some reason, is that because it is the 32bit I used, if so if I use the 64bit option will fsx and some older games run under that?


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 27, 2012)

Easiest way to do FAT is probably under OS X in Disk Utility choose "MS-DOS Format (FAT)" or whatever it is under Erase tab. 

Offhand they should work under 64 bit...you may want to Google for specifics though like FSX + Win 7 64...


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## Alcpone (Jan 27, 2012)

Having thought about it, I would of had to press fn lock with the option key to make it work, duhhhh lol some obvious things just miss me sometimes. The ext HDD was picked up no bother when all the drivers were installed so all good there, fsx runs well so I'm fairly happy, I've got loads of old games on a HDD so gonna have a dig through


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 27, 2012)

Yeah personally I have not had any issues trying to run older games (Unreal 1, Morrowind) under Windows 7 64 but you could also try XP compatibility mode should any not work properly.


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