Setting up Bootcamp

daisy123

Ok, am about to set up Bootcamp on my MacBook. I don't have access to a printer to print the manual. How much should I partition my drive? I need windows to run ArcGIS programme, which I am told is quite hefty, and also will probably use Works, until I can get the Mac version. After choosing the amount of space to use, can I change it at a later date?

Red Alert

I'd get a copy of Parallels if I were you. Much safer and a lot easier to use. I have found performance quite ok.

daisy123

Can't afford parallels at the moment though...maybe I'll just stick to using the computers in college for my coursework...found the manual on the website, it looks complicated and easy to mess up in ways that only I could...

ZENER

What about VirtualBox ? It's free. Of course you'll have to acquire a Windows license from somewhere.

Or take the opportunity to try out some of the really excellent Linux Distros - my personal favorite is Mandrake. These are usually on cover discs on the Linux magazines available in Easons.

Can I ask what it is you need Windows for ? There may be alternative apps we could recommend to save you the bother and maybe some money.

ZEN

daisy123

ZENER wrote: »

Can I ask what it is you need Windows for ? There may be alternative apps we could recommend to save you the bother and maybe some money.

ZEN

It's to use ESRI's ArcGIS, which I get free through a university licence for the year,so no alternative I'm afraid as it's for assignments and whatnot!!! Thanks though!!

flywheel

bootcamp is grand - just backup your important stuff first!

have bootcamped and re-bootcamped my macbook several times at this stage, had 2 install issues (partition failure: solved by booting from OS X CD and running disk utility. bluescreen on initial XP boot: removed windows partition and started again... hold down option key to force OS choice / sartup disk) all the other installs went grand and Mac partition stayed intact each time...

deevey

If you have the space to begin with, it i'd go for the maximum of 32 gigs for windows (you'll use it at some point).

I cant see why ArcGIS would be a problem unless its toatally massive (e.g. over 32 gigs), CPU / RAM wise your mac should handle it as well as the next computer (or better).

You cant go wrong really with installing for bootcamp. Literally follow the on-screen prompts and when you reboot your computer you just hold "alt" (A.K.A. "option") to decide what OS you want to boot (or to boot from CD, but if i remember right it does that automatically too).

The bootcamp assistant will burn all the drivers once partition is created (so have a blank CD to hand) which will install automatically when you boot windows

While I love parallels for some things you just need that extra umph! of running independent windows.

I'd go for it, if it botches its not that hard to get everything back to normal in osx.

(just dont format the windows partition as NTFS during the windows install or you wont be able to write to it in OSX!)

Hope that helps you in some way.

Dub you had he bluescreening since leopard ?

flywheel

yeah bluescreen was tiger alright, during first bootcamp version

the partition failure was with leopard - it just bombed out setting up the windows partition, but disk utility sorted it and it worked fine the next attempt

Red Alert

Don't forget to mention to someone who matters in college that ArcGIS should also have the mac version on the campus license if there is a Mac version! Good luck!