Installing Windows Vista 64 Ultimate (SP1 included)

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Deleted member 651465

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Deleted member 651465

Hey all,

Bought a copy of Windows Vista 64 Ultimate for gaming and work compatibility reasons, anyway looking around the net it appears that you cannot install from a SP1 equipped Windows disc.

Apple's documentation is rather annoyingly scarce, saying that B"ootCamp 2.1 is needed to install Microsoft Windows Vista SP1" but there is too many forum posts / links coming up in Google searches about Vista SP1 discs not working to ignore.

So.. I put it to the forum users. Anyone done this using a Vista SP1 disc recently? I'm not concerned about those who've upgraded to SP1, just those who've done it from a straight SP1 install.

I need to know before I open the packaging and invalidate my right to return the software :(

Hardware: Mac Pro (Early 2008) {spec in sig}
 
Bootcamp will say you need a 32bit XP or Vista disk, but it supports 64bit XP and Vista. Bootcamp isn't very forthcoming about this!

What you might be experiencing is where it says you've not got the correct installation media. This is where Bootcamp for whatever reason doesn't like your disk. I don't have a Vista SP1 Disk, but I can tell you that the XP x86, Vista x86 and Vista x64 disks all work (not tried XP x64). Anything else and it doesn't like it. That seems to include slipstreamed disks.
 
I haven't tried the install, yet.

The disc was delivered today but there are conflicting reports if you can install Vista using a disc with SP1 slipstreamed on to it.

The problem I have is.. unless someone can categorically say "yes, SP1 discs work" then I can't risk opening the software.. (because then I can't return it).
 
Ok thanks all.

Actually got a confirmation reply on the mirror thread I'd posted on Mac Rumors.

Turns out 2008 MacBook Pro and Mac Pro's are supported natively, whereas older Mac require a bit of jiggery pokery.

We'll see what happens tonight :cool:
 
HOLY HELL... this is unbelievably fast.

I've always experienced Vista from my girlfriend's laptop, just booted in to this now and :eek:

The drivers on the Leopard install DVD were amazing, 1 click and everything was installed automagically. Even bluetooth and Wi-Fi were working (which seemed to be a problem I encountered from my Googling)

Very impressed.
 
Seems I spoke too soon.

The internet is unusably slow when using Vista :(

Checking my connected speed it fluctuates from 5.5Mbps to 130Mbps, however, when I boot in to Leopard AirPort connects at a rock steady 130Mbps.

Thinking it may be a driver issue I've updated to Bootcamp 2.1 but no effect. I'm lost for words. Usually it would be a case of reinstalling the driver, or changing the router channel (Which I've also done) but how can 1 os handle this so poorly?

I wouldn't be bothered if Leopard was the same but I'm 6ft away from an Apple Time Capsule and the signal strength is showing the maximum signal.

I've also tried limiting the broadcom network card to 54Mbps (which sorts out the fluctuation in connected speed) but still has the same dial-up like 'net speeds.

UPDATE: Had a browse through the Leopard OS X DVD and found the drivers.. (knew about these anyway).. extracted the contents of the Broadcom driver package and manually installed the drivers.

RESULT!! It now works at a constant 130Mbps.. yaaaaay

Anyone had similar issues??
 
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I've read (take from this what you want :p ) that Vista drivers for Macs are a bit dodgy. Conspiracy theorists suggest this is to make Vista look bad...

Just a general thought about the original question. Once you've run the BootCamp wizard (on older Macs, newer ones it's already done) it adds something to the EFI or whatever that pretty much turns it into an EFI/BIOS hybrid. To see what I mean put in any x86 bootable disc (Windows, Ubuntu, etc.) into your drive, and reboot holding down C (holding down C boots from the disc). It should then behave like any other Intel-based computer and boot from the disc. Out of morbid curiosity I did this with Ubuntu and it booted up the Live CD no problems. Heck I could connect using WPA2 to my router and browse the web. Lack of right click though was a pain :D

Anyway... my point being that any limitation in what disc BootCamp requires is PURELY an Apple problem.
 
I also have had issues with wireless on my MacBook, slow wireless speeds along with the wireless taking a while to connect to my network after leaving sleep mode. I just run XP in VMware now anyway, the 64bit version is very fast in Fusion compared to when I've had 32bit XP I'm using VMware Fusion 2 Beta 2 btw.
 
To solve the wireless problems I found the solution..

Download a program called 7zip (I did this in OS X as the internet was unusable in Windows).

Install 7zip in Vista.

Open the Leopard DVD with 7zip.

Specifically, open up the "drivers" directory and extract the files inside the "Broadcom" directory (to the desktop).

Open device manager and then tell Windows to upgrade the drivers using your own "have disk" option. Point it to the desktop.

Viola. Connected at your max Wi-Fi speed (mine happens to be 130Mbps) :o
 
Remember, you don't actually need Bootcamp at all to install Windows on a Mac. All you need it for is partitioning your drive. After that is done you can just quit it, pop the Windows disk in and restart while holding down the C key. Bob's your uncle!
 
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